PS Advisor: 11/15/05

Holding TanksI'm planning to install a holding tank in my Pearson Vanguard. I've spent a little time researching the options, but I'm having trouble...

DC Watermakers: Expensive but Useful for the Cruising Sailor

Reverse-osmosis watermakers run from $3,000 to over $8,000, and though many are similar, close examination is required for the buyer who wants the right one for his or her onboard needs.

Simple, Portable Heads: Thetford owns the Throne

Our evaluation of six dead-simple porta-potties finds top quality in Thetford's 155, a Best Buy in Sealand's Sanipottie, and an odorless miracle in Pooh-Powder.

Washdown Pumps

If you need a lot of flow-and have the dough-get the Groco. Otherwise, we like the two models from Johnson and the $85 SHURflo.

PS Advisor: 01/15/04

Holding Tank RefitsWe own a Com-Pac 25 and we enjoy making improvements to her. Now I'd like to replace all the flexible hose plumbing...

Tubefan

Practical Sailor has done a fair amount of reporting in the past couple of years on the topic of keeping food cold on...

King of Koolers?

We've published quite a few words in recent months on refrigeration, fridge-free foods, and thermoelectric coolers. In the midst of these efforts we received,...

Fridge-Free Food Follow-Up

PS readers offer up a smrgasbord of ideas about food that isn't picky about temperature.

Thermoelectric Coolers: Four-Model Chilldown

Igloo cools fastest, Koolatron draws the least current, but for all-around marine use we'd go with the Adler/Barbour Tropicool.

Freshwater Pumps

The Johnson Aqua Jet Uno 3.4 is impressive in a combination of ways. But it's a whopper. Check the Flojet Quad II—good price and performance.

Bayfield 32 Boat Tour – The Canadian Cruiser That Crossed the...

In this Bayfield 32 boat tour, we explore the deck, cockpit, cabin layout, galley, sleeping accommodations, construction and sailing characteristics. We also look at...
Catalina 25 Sailboat Tour video from Practical Sailor

Catalina 25 Sailboat Tour

Latest Sailboat Reviews

DIY Survey Checklist for Used-Boat Buying

Boat buying is an exciting, maddening exercise that can test the tolerance of even the most patient sailor. Most of the maddening part has to do with trying to ferret out a boats problems before buying it-and making the problems your own. Hiring a professional marine surveyor can be expensive when youre looking at multiple boats, so save yourself some money-and potential heartache-by learning how to examine a used sailboat, from stem to stern and mast to bilge. Practical Sailors DIY survey how-to details common problem areas (like engines and rigging), what issues are easy to remedy, and what red flags you should walk away from.