Ask SAIL: Tandem Keels
September 22, 2026
While checking in on my parent’s boat at the yard, I saw this unusual keel. What’s the purpose of it? — Maddie Doherty, via sailmail@sailmagazine.com
While checking in on my parent’s boat at the yard, I saw this unusual keel. What’s the purpose of it? — Maddie Doherty, via sailmail@sailmagazine.com
You ask, we answered: Ask SAIL is back. Send your questions to sailmail@sailmagazine.com to be featured in the magazine. We have a whole bag of lines
Q: In one of your recent Ask Sail responses, you wrote about loose-footed mainsails. I have an S2 7.9 that has a rope-footed main.
Q: I’ve been watching the most recent America’s Cup down in Auckland, which has got me thinking about technology and sails. My question is, how
Q: I recently removed my radar’s white radome, which covers the internal rotating antenna. I gave the radome a light sandblasting to clear it of
UNDERPERFORMING SOLAR Q: I have a pair of solar panels on my aft arch feeding to a solar voltage regulator and then feeding my bank
TO VANG OR NOT TO VANG Q: Last year, I bought a new, fully-battened Dacron main for my 36-footer. Unlike the old one, the new
I used Sikkens Cetol on the bare wood on my Catalina 30, Morning Dew IV. The can was compromised over the spring, and I put the balance in a 16oz clean glass mayo jar. Last spring when I went to use it, a skin had formed over the top of the liquid, so I just cut the skin off. It is 1/8in thick. In the future, is it still OK to use?
Q: I have an early ‘70s Catalina 27. The keel bolts look pretty good. My question is, why not glass over the keel to bond
Q: When sailing dead downwind (assume 22 knots of wind), if the main is eased out to 90 degrees relative to the wind (perpendicular to
The 2026 National Boating Safety Awards recognize outstanding efforts within the marine industry to promote safe and responsible boating to help build more confident boaters.
Race organizers have announced long term plans for the event, including expanded science and education programming and a homebase in Porto, Portugal.
Friends and crew of a boat lost in the 2024 Newport Bermuda return to the racecourse
The smallest end of the Seawind range proves itself during a spicy sea trial.
Even a rainy day can’t cast a shadow over Jeanneau’s latest midsize cruiser.
On a blustery day, this new multihull flagship keeps calm and carries.
A new flagship elevates an iconic and evergreen cruising brand.
Renewing your six-pack license is a process. Here’s what you need to know.
Amidst a construction shuffle, America’s biggest sailboat show will look a little different this year. The City Dock Resilience and Revitalization Project is reshaping Annapolis’
Photos provided courtesy of the manufacturers It’s been a long time coming, but 2027 is truly the year of the cat. For the first time
