The Front Line in Filtration
Wire mesh screens are a pain to clean. Fibers push through neighboring holes, resulting in what is known in the industry as “stapling.” They...
Engine Replacement on Islander Bahama 30
There may come a time when repowering your cherished sailboat needs to be addressed. I suspected that not all 13 horses of the venerable...
Simple Lithium for Outboard-Powered Tenders, Daysailers, and Sport Boats
Lithium is cool. Your cell phone uses it. Cameras, laptops, flashlights … everything. But “cool” is not a reason. Fire is not a big...
Ensuring a Safe Space for Batteries
When charging, lead acid batteries generate hydrogen from the electrolysis of water, and some acid gases, the amount of which vary with the battery...
Impact of Modern, Triangular-Design on Boat Performance
Go round any boat show and look at the hulls from underneath—most now have a narrow, very pointed bow and a broad flat stern....
Keel and Rudder Design Basics
This is a simple explanation for those new to sailboats about what effect sailboat design has on performance. There are few “bad” boats but...
Diesel-Electric Hybrids Vs. Electric: Sailing’s Auxiliary Power Future
How do we reduce and even eliminate our sailboat's carbon dioxide emissions when using auxiliary propulsion and electrical HVAC systems?
Just like with automobiles, how...
Sailing Triteia: Budget Bluewater Cruising
If I were to sum up, in one word, how James Frederick has managed to create his sailing life, I’d say “resourcefully.” The 49-year-old...
How To Keep Pipe Fittings Dry: Sealant and Teflon Tape Tests
After replacing the raw water pump on his 30-plus-year old Universal diesel, former PS Editor Darrell Nicholson reconnected the tangle of hoses on the...
How to Create a Bullet-Proof VHF/SSB Backup
In this short article I want to chat about ideas for making the radio bombproof in an emergency. I haven’t “invented” any of these...
This “Bulletproof” Cruiser Has a Serious Weak Spot Caliber 40 LRC...
If you’re shopping for a serious cruising sailboat, the Caliber 40 LRC is often described as “bulletproof.” Heavy displacement, huge tankage, conservative construction, and...
Latest Sailboat Review
Union 36 Used Boat Review
While not the best boat for light-air sailing, the Union 36 is a good sailboat for the bluewater cruiser. It wont get you there fast, but it will get you there comfortably and in one piece. The boats teak decks and lavish use of interior wood is attractive but requires much upkeep and maintenance. A product of the Taiwan-U.S. boatbuilding industry, the Union 36 is a heavy-displacement, full-keel, cutter-rigged double-ender designed for ocean sailing. The Union 36 is nearly identical to several other boats built during the same period: the Hans Christian 36, Mariner Polaris 36, and the EO36. According to well-known naval architect Bob Perry, the Union 36 and its cousins are all based on the design of a 34-footer that Perry was commissioned to create back in the early 70s.