Choosing a Bottom Paint for Dummies
It's easy enough to choose the most effective paint from our semi-annual bottom paint reports, but that paint might not always be the best...
Spotting Buoys
Excerpted from The Art of Seamanship by Ralph Naranjo
Two important pieces of gear help in spotting buoys.
Spotlights. A bright spotlight and a good pair...
11 Keys to Navigation
Excerpted from The Art of Seamanship by Ralph Naranjo
In the book The Art of Seamanship, we discuss these keys to navigation which together form...
Sail Repair
Excerpted from The Art of Seamanship by Ralph Naranjo
We don’t practice the art of repairing sails at sea as much as we used to,...
Making Sure the Right Strings Are Attached
Excerpted from The Art of Seamanship by Ralph Naranjo
Cordage and performance go hand in hand, and when replacing halyards, sheets, guys, toppings lifts, outhauls,...
Attributes of a Good Crewmember
Excerpted from The Art of Seamanship by Ralph Naranjo
Capable crewmembers are attuned to the vessel they’re aboard and the mission it serves. Daysailors, ocean...
Repairing Crazed Gelcoat
Note: This is an excerpt from "Fiberglass Boat Repair Illustrated" by Roger Marshall and has been formatted for the web.
On some early fiberglass boats...
Who’s Paying?
Excerpted from Renee D. Petrillo’s A Sail of Two Idiots
In 2006 the boat market was still doing pretty well, if you were a seller....
Hauling Out and DIY
Excerpted from Renee D. Petrillo’s A Sail of Two Idiots
While on Grenada, we discovered that our boat insurance was coming due and that the...
Storm Trysails
A storm trysail rarely gets the close look it deserves. Designed to replace the mainsail in a severe storm, it spends most of its...
Latest Logbook
Practical Sailor Logbook – October 2026
This month leans into used-boat value and hands-on maintenance: Tim Labute tours the traditional, shoal-draft Bayfield 32, Nick Nicholson revisits the much-requested Morgan 38/382,...
Video: Catalina 356 Review – The First Boat of the Comeback
Catalina Yachts is BACK! After a change in ownership and a pause in production, Catalina has returned to building sailboats in America, and we're...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Tartan 31 Piper: Used Boat Review
The Tartan 31 is one of the new line of performance cruising yachts from the venerable-and durable--Grand River, Ohio boatbuilder. In the last few years, Tartan Marine has come out with a range of new models, including the T-28, the 3500 and the 4600. A 41-footer is in the works. Both the 28 and the latest version of the 31 are part of the new Piper series, which are marketed in sailaway condition. Tartan has a reputation for solid construction and good workmanship and that's what the 31 is: solid and well put together. The hull is hand-laminated with alternating layers of chopped strand mat and unidirectional E glass. Behind the NPG/ISO gelcoat there's a layer of vinylester resin, which so far appears to provide the best osmotic blister protection available.
