Common Bottom Type Abbreviations
There are 15 basic bottom terms and 58 types listed on NOAA chart 1 (https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/docs/us-chart-1/ChartNo1.pdf), the guide to chart symbols. (We’ve listed only a...
Refinishing Your Boat’s Non-skid Deck
Although you can allow your varnish and hull paint to fade, crack, or peel with no more penalty than the disdain of those who...
Secrets of the Most Accurate LOP on Earth
Excerpted from Seamanship Secrets
When the two charted objects line up as viewed from your boat – say a church spire behind a tank – you...
Acrylic Gelcoat Restorers
Part of our interest in acrylic hull restorers is due to the wide range of opinions on these products. Marketing materials often position these...
Should You Move Your Boat When a Hurricane Is Approaching?
Despite the fact that modern forecasting methods are far from perfect, a large storm almost always is tracked with enough precision to let you...
Post-Hurricane Cleanup: Proceed With Caution
When people are hurt and homes and precious possessions are destroyed or lost forever, a wrecked recreational sailboat seems wholly unimportant. But for many...
Shore Ties and Accessories for Extreme Anchorange
Several sailboat equipment makers have introduced gear to cope with unusual mooring needs, but there is still a lot of improvising. In any ‘extreme’...
Boat Painting: Choose the right brush for the job
Brush choice depends on what the brush’s job will be (transferring paint, smoothing paint, etc.), the user’s preferences, and the project budget. The best...
Sodablasting 101
Sandblasting has been around for decades and is part of the infernal thrum of every commercial shipyard. At the heart of the process is...
Homemade Mildew Preventers That Really Work
If youre getting ready for sailing this summer and feel like you are still losing the battle against mildew, then youll probably be interested in some of the cheap and easy mildew "cures" we've come upon in our testing. PS tester Drew Frye made a pleasant little discovery when he was researching and testing various anti-mildew protectants. Two inexpensive homemade concoctions did as well as or better than retail formulas that are 20 to 100 times more expensive.
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.
