Sail Magazine

by Peter Nielsen

Peter Nielsen is SAIL’s Editor-in-Chief.

Editor's note: Blame Games

by Peter Nielsen, Posted May 16, 2013

One reason I like sailing is that it is one of the few endeavors in which the concept of individual responsibility still has meaning. It is much easier to blame someone or something else for the consequences of your decisions than to admit any fault on your own part—it goes back as far as Eve and the serpent—but on a small boat you soon run out of things to point your finger at.

SAIL's Tip of the Week

by Peter Nielsen, Posted May 12, 2013

When you’re under sail, your boat will not be traveling a straight line through the water but will drift slightly to leeward. The amount of “leeway” a sailboat makes is dependent on many factors—wind strength, hull shape, and current—

Handy Chafe Guards

by Peter Nielsen, Posted May 9, 2013

Chafe isn’t just a problem aloft. It can also be an issue where docklines or sheets rub up against, say, a cockpit coaming, a gunwale or the edge of your cabintrunk.

Whale Watermaster Pressure Pump

by Peter Nielsen, Posted May 8, 2013

The Whale Watermaster automatic pressure pump is quiet running, provides high flow rates, is easy to retrofit and is self-priming up to 10ft.

Clean and Green Holding Tanks

by Peter Nielsen, Posted May 7, 2013

Help your holding tank work better and keep it from stinking up the boat by tossing in some Free & Clear Holding Tank Liquid Deodorant from Thetford.

Run Wires Through Bulkheads

by Peter Nielsen, Posted May 5, 2013

Scanstrut through-bulkhead cable seals allow you to route multiple mixed-size electrical cables through bulkheads and furniture without compromising watertight integrity.

Just Launched: Boot Camp

by Peter Nielsen, Posted April 5, 2013

Just as the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis is the one essential showcase for American builders and importers, so the annual Boot show held in Düsseldorf, Germany, is the one event where all the big players have to exhibit their wares.

BVI 2013: In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion

by Peter Nielsen, Posted April 2, 2013

The 2013 BVI Spring Regatta kicked off in tourist-brochure conditions and ended in an action-packed day of winds gusting to 30-plus knots and blinding rainsqualls. It wasn’t the kind of day you’d want to take the family out in, but it was perfect for hardcore sailboat racing.

On the Right Track

by Peter Nielsen, Posted March 21, 2013

Here is a sad truth relating to older boats: the more desirable the piece of equipment you want to install, the harder it is to remove its predecessor.