Systems & Propulsion

Top 10 Products for 1999

Our annual selection of outstanding equipment, headlined this year by the Spade anchor, Nexus instruments and the Isotemp water heater.

Battery Power Packs: Are They Too Good to Be True?

Batteries dead? Need to jump start your engine? We test four 17-lb., 17-Ah power packs that can do that job and others. The most expensive is also the best-the Solar ES-5000.

PS Advisor

That Slippery Shock CordCan you recommend a knot to be used successfully with shock cord? Marv SannesSalem, OregonShock cord is tough to tie. It...

Banish Junky Anchor Rode Markers

For the boat owner who thinks he has everything, there is yet still another bit of electronic wizardry…a widget that tells you how much...

Spare Parts

Westerly Owners AssociationFollowing publication of the September 1999 Used Boat Survey of the Westerly Centaur 26, we received correspondence from Joe Douglas, editor of...

Self-Starting Diesel?

Perhaps it was somebodys idea of a joke. Who walks away from their boat and leaves the engine running? But when I climbed back...

Spare Parts

British Seagull, S&S, Micrologic

Offshore Log: Essential Forecasting Tools

Our years of sailing in New England and the Caribbean, with their stable, predictable weather patterns, left us ill-prepared to deal with the vagaries...

Light Dimmer and Motor Controller

Occasionally, there are times when you would like to control the lighting brightness in the cabin-intimate settings, night sailing without adequate red lights in...

ASA Certification: Are Sailing Courses Really Worth It?

Are you learning how to sail and considering taking sailing courses at a sailing school? ASA certifications are a great way to learn how...

Latest Sailboat Review

Irwin Citation 34 Used Boat Review

The Irwin 34 is in many respects a typical Irwin boat. It was originally called the "Citation 34," which was meant to indicate that it was more of a plush cruiser than the race-oriented Irwins at the time, but more of a racer than the larger cruisers. According to the company, 305 Irwin 34s were built in the production run, from 1978 to 1985, a moderate but successful model for the era. Near the end of its production, the boat was advertised as the Irwin 34 rather than the Citation 34. There were no major changes in the boat from beginning to end, just the details and equipment that are typical of any long production run.