I am racing an ultralight sailboat in a three-day regatta. I am counting every ounce that comes on board, and a conventional wet-cell or AGM battery will put me over my weight limit. Is there any new battery technology I can use?
All the headliners and sidewalls covering the inside of my 1984 Beneteau First 30 have fallen down. The foam backing on the vinyl liners simply disintegrated over time.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, many sailboats were finished with foam-backed vinyl headliners glued directly to the underside of the deck and coachroof molding. If you own such a boat, you’re likely to be well acquainted with the problem of the headliner coming adrift as the glue and foam interface breaks down.
Can Pump N Seal be used to suck air out of a varnish can to stop it from skimming over?
Traditionally, all sailboat mainsails were reefed by simply pulling down the reefing lines through cringles in the luff and leech of the mainsail, then securing the reefing pennants—often permanently attached to the mainsail—to the boom to tidy the sail up.
I am considering buying used sails for my 1985 Beneteau First 38. I’d like to find some sails from another Beneteau First 38, but if I can’t, what should I look for?
My Yanmar 3GM30F diesel engine has about 650 hours on it, and this season, it’s been a little hard to start it. Are injectors or compression the problem?
Most boats today have a single permanently hoisted headsail with a roller-reefing unit on the headstay. This arrangement works well, but becomes problematic when there is more wind than the sail on the furler can handle.
It looks like I can save some money by buying an EPIRB without a built-in GPS receiver. How important is GPS capability for 406-MHz EPIRB signaling?
When the engine is under load and moving the boat at a decent speed, the voltmeter is pegged past 16 volts, and after a little while the wires (which are appropriately sized) running to the battery switch from the engine get pretty hot. Am I hurting my batteries?
We are excited to kick off the new year with SAIL’s Top 10 Best Boats for 2025, which our team of judges chose after months of testing, walkthroughs, and study of nearly two dozen models. Whether it’s a fresh crop of small yet surprisingly spacious cruisers to bring more accessible price points to the market or purpose-built adventure boats made for chasing down the horizon, these boats are all about making dreams a reality.
No Dragging in the Gale When the weatherman says it’s going to blow old boots, most of us tend to look for a marina berth.
We all know that we need to carry flares for potential emergencies onboard, but traditional flares are a sticky wicket when it comes to safe,
The Cruising Club of America (CCA) is a collection of 1,400 ocean sailors with extensive offshore seamanship, command experience, and a shared passion for making
I have RecPak on board. These are complete nutrition meals, 700 calories. Add water, shake it up, drink it like a shake, and feel recharged.
Relive the adventure of the Race to Alaska with SAIL’s Technical Editor Adam Cove as he preps his 18-foot catboat and competes in the race of a lifetime, now compiled into one video for convenient viewing.
Dissatisfied with the results in their own sailing experience of trying to find an easy, more affordable way to route plan and navigate, the founders
Call us old school, but we still think books are among the greatest gifts you can give or receive. We’ve reviewed a few this year, and we’ve added some additional suggestions for sailors of every age on your list. Happy reading!
A new adventure begins for Nanni.
In a life marked by unusual and beautiful boats, the Luders 27 has become a standout.
