Fifteen years of sailing around the English Channel, North Sea, Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean taught me many things, not the least of which was the importance of good ground tackle and a means to handle it.
A dinosaur of an engine that is over 70 years old can push a much larger boat than ours, weighing eight times as much, at similar speeds with more-or-less the same fuel consumption!
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.
A futuristic push-button passagemaker, this powerful cat is designed for adventurous couples targeting off-grid cruising. The massive cat has onshore-typical accommodations like a full-size, double-door
Sure, it’s not particularly sexy, but if you want that boat show finish, you’ve got to swab the decks.
We have a sad note from Don Casey’s wife, Olga, that Don, one of SAIL magazine’s most popular and prolific writers, died suddenly of a
Keeping an updated CV of your sailing experience is smart. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Firecrown Marine Group’s newest magazine will hit newsstands and your mailbox this fall! Multihull Power & Sail will feature articles on ways to enjoy the
With the current weather in some parts of the country, it’s hard to believe spring commissioning is right around the corner. Soothe those winter blues
For a second year in a row, SAIL is the most celebrated magazine at Boating Writer’s International’s annual awards, receiving 17 awards overall and five first prizes.
The Miami boat show is in full swing, and SAIL’s editors are on the docks meeting up with the movers and shakers of the marine industry. Join Senior Vice President of Leopard Franck Bauguil for an in-depth tour of the Leopard 46, one of SAIL’s Top 10 Best Boats of 2025.
