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,...
Before You Buy a Beneteau Watch This First – Hanse 430E...
Thinking about buying a 40–45 foot cruising sailboat? Before you default to a Beneteau, Jeanneau, Catalina, or Hunter, this in-depth Practical Sailor review takes...
Latest Sailboat Review
Tartan 33 Used Boat Review
In 1978, Tartan brought out the Tartan Ten, a 33', fairly light, fractionally-rigged "offshore one design." The boat was a huge success: fast, easy to sail, and unencumbered by the design limitations of a rating rule. But the Tartan Ten had one big problem: limited accommodations with stooping headroom, an interior most kindly described as spartan. A hardy crew could take the Tartan Ten on a multi-day race such as the Mackinac, and you might even coax your family aboard for a weekend of camping out. But cruising or extended racing in comfort? Forget it!