Systems & Propulsion

Even 2020 Yielded Some Great Gear

Once more, the bulk of the past year’s testing focused on maintenance products, safety essentials, and do-it-yourself substitutes for higher priced marine gear. Part...

Testing TruFuel Storage Option

Canned gasoline products like TruFuel formulated without ethanol and using more highly refined alkylate base stock offer the promise of improved storage stability. Could...

PS Advisor: Grounding and bonding

A client sent me an excerpt from your eBook “Marine Electrical Systems,” and I was a surprised to see the following line of thought. Use...

Coexisting with a No Discharge Zone

Sanitation systems aren’t the sexiest part of sailing, but they are, well… necessary. And although the risk of transmission of COVID-19 through means other...

Steady at the Helm

A sailboat’s steering system also plays a vital role in safety at sea. The failure of any key component can jeopardize boat handling and...

What Happens to Your Pumpout Waste?

California’s decision to ban sale or use of several chemicals found in marine products (above) is of interest to PS readers. After a careful...

In Search of Better Filters

Presumably, air cleaners are about dusty environments, and dust is a rare thing on the water. But is the engine room actually clean? We’ve seen...

Hidden Impacts of Metal and Fuels Chemical Stew

After years of testing fuel products and systems, PS began to suspect that mixed metals in the system could be causing harm. Industry standards...

Are Copper, Zinc, and Brass Mucking Up Our Fuel?

Something we have long noticed at PS is that gasoline and diesel control samples in our aging and corrosion studies never really age much....

Flexible Tanks Require Special Protections

What about fuel bladders? Fuel bladders must meet a higher standard than water bladders, but many of the findings from our water bladder test...

How To Buy Sails – With Joe Cooper

Looking to learn how to buy sails for your sailboat? Deciding between Dacron sails or laminate sails? Thinking about how to buy carbon fibre...