Ask SAIL: Powering Up a Main
Q: My friends tell me that I need to “power up” my mainsail in light winds, but I am not really sure what that means.
Q: My friends tell me that I need to “power up” my mainsail in light winds, but I am not really sure what that means.
VHF PORTABLES ON LAND Q: Our dockmaster tells me that portable marine VHF radios are now permitted for use on land. Does this mean I

STOVE TROUBLES Q: I have a Broadwater two-burner propane stove with an oven and broiler. It’s from 2003 but still looks new. When I acquired

Q: I am the owner of a 1985 Cal 22 sailboat that is moored during the season in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The boat is in
Q: Is it common that transmitting on marine single sideband will cause an automatic pilot to abruptly change course?This could be dangerous for those on

Q: I have an old 35ft, full-keel CCA-era sloop, and I love everything about it save one thing: the serious prop walk whenever I try
SMOKING DIESEL Q: I have noticed black smoke from my diesel under high rpm, over 2,000, and suspect unburned fuel to be the cause. I

Q: My new television is ultra-high definition, and I now see at boat shows that marine radars also offer UHD options, with dramatically fewer transmit

WHAT’S WITH THOSE RINGS? Q: I’ve been seeing a bunch of boats at boat shows where each jib sheet passes through an aluminum ring, which
HOLDING TANK BLOCKAGE Q: I recently purchased a 34ft cruising boat that has been sitting unused for a couple of years. Everything is great except

From evaluating condition to pricepoint, Alan Glos shares everything you need to know to buy a used dinghy.

Contributing Editor Christopher Birch’s much anticipated “maintenance manual that should have come with your boat, but didn’t,” is available now.

To celebrate the 250th signing of the Declaration of Independence, the international tall ship fleet is headed stateside.

A marine transformer with fun at its core.

The Cal 40 Nicole wins the St. David’s Lighthouse overall title, while Black Jack 100 takes line honors just shy of a course record. On the course: stunning scenery and a range of conditions. Off it: a scoring drama.

Good skippers manage the boat; great skippers manage the tension.

A spritely little cat that holds its own in a blow.

Analog alarms offer important feedback about how the boat is doing.

A friendly club boat with serious potential.

The lure of early-season boating is a beast with two heads.