Playing the Musical Sails Game
While having a robust sail inventory is considered a must on most racing sailboats, it’s often thought to be more of a luxury for...
String Theory
Sails are a fascinating engineering statement, and when all is said and done, what’s sought after is the lightest material possible that will neither...
Choosing a Sailmaker
Sailmakers around the world have been printing up new business cards even though they continue to work for the same franchised lofts. Their new...
The Basics of Sailmaking
What’s important about good sail shape? As one sailmaker likes to explain it, using poorly shaped or blown-out sails is like driving on bald...
Getting Away From the Crowd Is Key
Boatowners who have the option of moving their boats to protected water before a hurricane strikes should consider rivers, canals, or backwater creeks instead...
The Lightweight Anchor
All anchors are a compromise. Since some anchor types work best in certain bottoms, it is a good idea to carry anchors of different...
Design Analysis
Physical measurements of anchors cannot produce definitive conclusions about anchor performance, but they offer clues to likely performance in different conditions.
Our analysis found that...
Anchors Reset Tests
When a sailor hooks his beloved boat to good, old Mother Earth, he hopes his anchor will stay put—for lunch, for a good night’s...
Better Mousetraps
And what of the new anchors not yet on the market? Anchoring is a subject that seems to fascinate inventors. It’s not just “build...
Anchors Move
The mud tests suggest that when looking for a good anchorage a sand bottom is worth seeking out—because it’s easier for any anchor to...
Why You Might Regret Buying a Watermaker
Thinking about installing a boat watermaker? Before you buy a marine watermaker, there’s a lot more to understand than gallons per hour. In this...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Pearson 35 Used Boat Review
The Pearson 35 was introduced in 1968 and remained in production for the next 14 years. In all, 514 P35s were built, almost all for East Coast and Great Lakes owners attracted by the 35's shoal draft (3' 9" with centerboard up) and "classic" proportions. Even the popular Pearson 30, usually heralded as the enduring boat from a builder otherwise noted for its frequent introductions of new boats and short production runs, remained in production only 10 years, albeit with almost 1,200 boats built.
