Sometimes spring seems to sneak up on us, catching us off guard. When launch day arrives, some low priority chores still remain. For many of us, one such chore is waxing and buffing the hull. We’ve undertaken countless tests to find the best boat wax and polishes, the most effective waxing-and-polishing tools, and the products that can be used for a speedy touch-up. If waxing is on your to-do list, be sure to check out the following articles.
Youll find a good overview of our archive articles on this topic in the May 12, 2015 blog post, A Practical Look at Waxing and Polishing Your Boat. We reported on our tests of paste waxes in the February 2009 issue, one-step cleaner/waxes in the March 2007 issue, and aggressive rubbing compounds (for those much-weathered hulls) in the April 2014 issue. For those looking for a quick and easy way to add a little shine to your hull, without the full-on protective-wax routine, be sure to read our report on spray-on waxes in the December 2014 issue. If your hull is looking a little long in tooth and needs more than a wax job, consider a gelcoat restorer (see PS July 2011 online), but weigh the pros and cons first.
Readers will find helpful information on what tools we recommend for restoring and protecting gelcoat in the March 18, 2014 blog, The Pros Guide to Restoring Gelcoat, as well as our test report of the Shurhold Dual-Action Polisher in the April 2010 Chandlery section.
If you prefer to have all your research in one place, then consider buying our Gelcoat Restoration and Maintenance ebook, part of our complete series, Marine Cleaners available in our online bookstore (www.practical-sailor.com/books).
Anchoring, Etc.
To supplement the Dyneema rode report, take a look at our many archive articles on related topics, some of which are referred to in the article. Our anchoring tests run the gamut from anchor shank strength (PS April 2013) to swivel failures and which anchors work best in squishy bottoms (PS February 2015)-and cover the myriad subtopics in between. We discussed how to choose the right shackle for your rode in the August 2015 issue. We shock-load tested snubbers and tested the effects of snatch loads on anchor shanks (PS May 2013). We’ve tested anchor shackles, anchor chain (PS February 2014), and galvanized chain (PS June 2014). We tested just about every kind of anchor in various bottoms (PS April 2015, February 2015, March 2014, September 2014, December 2008, November 2008)-including tiny anchors for dinghies (PS December 2015)-and have even examined how well anchors re-set themselves (PS February 2013). For a comprehensive look at our anchor-related articles-without having to comb through the dozens in our archive-check out our just-released ebook on all things anchors in our online bookstore (www.practical-sailor.com/books).
