Caring for Seacocks
Considering the excitement a failed seacock can generate, the lack of attention they typically receive is almost criminal. Tucked away in the dim recesses...
The Worry-free Bilge Pump
Due the lack of maintenance they receive from the average sailor, I often refer to bilge pumps as the Rodney Dangerfield of boat equipment,...
How to Measure Boat Humidity: Psychrometric Charts Do It Right
Insulation is a greater energy-saving expedient; if our heater or air conditioner is undersized, fixing drafts, shading or insulating windows, and insulating non-cored laminate...
Plastic Through-hull Warning
Photos by Frank Lanier
Cracked nylon thru-hulls are a common problem, as a walk in almost any boatyard will bear out. Unlike fittings constructed of...
Best Marine Toilet Papers
When testers dismantled Practical Sailors test holding tanks-the site of years of experiments with holding-tank chemicals, sanitation hoses, and vent filters-we hoped that it...
Hose Fitting Tips
Pulling hoses is generally low on the fun list. They are in bad places, jammed onto crusty hose-fitting barbs, and have stiffened over the...
Tap Water thats Better than Bottled
If youve followed the first two installments in this three-part series on ensuring safe, fresh-tasting drinking water onboard, youve cleaned your freshwater tank, pre-filtered...
Making Sense of Water Filter Certification
Only a few states require National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certification for water filters, and the requirement applies only to a small number of original...
Preventing and Treating the Tainted Tank
Foul tank water is completely preventable. Here are some dos and don'ts for a healthy water tank. Dont place glycol or other winterizing agents...
Water Testing Tools
Swimming Pool Test KitWithout a TDS meter and microbe test kit, there is no way of knowing what is being washed from the clouds,...
AMAZING MACHINES! How They Make Sailboat Sails
Do you need new sails for your sailboat? Ever wondered how they make sails? From Dacron to laminates, we visited Evolution Sails in Deltaville...
Latest Sailboat Review
Beneteau 46 Used Boat Review
No one builds more sailboats than Groupe Beneteau. Grown from a yard that turned out fishing boats and yachts over 100 years ago on...