Systems & Propulsion

Hawkeye Scope: A Bird’s Eye View of Your Pistons

Ever wish you could see what the parts inside your engines combustion chamber look like? Now you can with the Hawkeye borescope. Whenever you...

Odyssey: A Lightweight 12-volt With Punch

The first thing we can tell you about the 12-volt Odyssey battery is that it came in the mail—UPS to be exact—which is an...

Raytheon Still Top LCD Radar

Early radar antennas needed large, open radiator arrays with correspondingly large motors to turn them. These evolved into compact, enclosed antennas that weigh as...

Offshore Log: Shurflo Pump Lacks Oomph

Our Shurflo pump has been a disappointment. At the time we installed it, it was the highest-capacity pump of its style available, and smaller...

PS Advisor 08/15/98

How Many Zincs?Could you please advise me on the subject of zincs, in particular about the number of zincs recommended for a boat? Several...

Solar Panel Performance Test

Charging batteries is a never-ending problem aboard most boats. Long-term cruisers usually have several ways to replace consumed battery capacity-engine-driven alternators, solar panels, wind...

Coleman 1000: First of the Truly Portable Generators

Portable power-is it just what you need for extra AC power and battery charging needs, and, if so, what size generator do you really...

Offshore Log: A Caribbean-built Wind Generator

For the serious cruiser, efficient power generation ranks right up there with an abundant supply of fresh water; without it, life is a real...

Coleman 1000: First of the Truly Portable Generators

Portable power-is it just what you need for extra AC power and battery charging needs, and, if so, what size generator do you really...

The Holes That Wouldnt Close

Viva, our 1975 Tartan 44 test boat, has, like most fiberglass boats, a hollow fiberglass rudder and skeg. The rudderstock is solid stainless steel,...

Affordable AND Good? Sabre 34 Mk II Review

Can you buy a good sailboat for $25,000? In this video we take a deep dive into the Sabre 34 Mk II, a proven...
How Long Do Sails Last? video from Practical Sailor

How Long Do Sails Last?

Latest Sailboat Review

Tartan 30: An Affordable Classic

The early 1970s was the heyday of the Tartan 30' racer/cruiser. In all, no less than two dozen boats of a similar size and type were introduced in just three years, many of them to become highly successful among sailors eager for the performance and amenities of big boats at a modest price. Among the most noteworthy and enduring of the 30-footers from this era has been the Tartan 30.