Vinyl Boat Lettering
You may only letter or re-letter a boat once, but it's got to be done right. We wondered ... if you have no sign-maker in your family, or along your street, how would it be to order lettering online?
Airfoils
There is a poetry of sailing as old as the world. -Antoine de Sainte-ExuperyEighteen years ago, when I was working in New York, I...
Coastal Cruising Guides
A capable cruising guide can make the difference between anxiety and confidence while sailing. It can make shoreside chores efficient, and even provide good bunk reading by lamplight while the winds whistle.
Profiles in Pilotage
Many of us have been lucky enough to sail in far-flung locales-not just places like the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the Adriatic, or the...
Chandlery: 08/15/03
Passage PillowAs we all know, sailing involves a lot of sitting, and for some reason, sitting on most boats is about as comfortable as...
In Praise Of The Wrong Stuff
We strive at Practical Sailor to identify the right stuff for our readers, but of course we're always aware that, in addition to...
Willow’s Not Weeping: An Update
No one thinks kindly of water that leaks down below into our supposedly dry sanctuaries. Nothing is more annoying than trying to sleep with...
The Flail of Spring
Do you remember spring in grade school, when the academics had started to be serious enough that there was only a bit of recess...
Seized With Impatience
Years ago, having made too many mistakes at both extremes of the fix-it mentality, either by being in too much of a hurry, or...
Our New Pal, Viv
We bought a test boat a few weeks ago-a 1988 Beneteau First 23.5. (Met her on the Internet. There was an attraction...) Actually,...
This 40 Foot Sailboat Has the Best Owner’s Bed Ever Built...
If you’re shopping for a 40-foot cruising sailboat and actually plan to live aboard or cruise, comfort matters — and nowhere does that matter...
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.