Although I have sailed boats fitted with every conceivable make of folding or feathering propeller, I have long-term experience of only three. When we acquired our 1973 Norlin 34, it was equipped with a vintage two-bladed Martec Geartec folding propeller.
Would you buy an automobile whose rear brakes locked up and dragged along the road when going downhill? Not likely. So why do so many sailboat owners do much the same thing by dragging the blades of a propeller through the water behind them when the engine’s off?
Do you antifoul your propeller? Looking around the yard where we keep our project boat, Ostara, the consensus seemed to be “no”. Most propellers showed the telltale signs of barnacle infestation, as indeed did our three-bladed Gori folding prop.
NOAA predicts up to 19 named storms in the Atlantic basin this season, with three to five becoming major hurricanes.
From Passagemaker: Tips on how to navigate safely in fog.
For National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) we’re revisiting some of the best safety stories, recommendations, and gear from our sister publications. Today, Passagemaker offers cold-water survival tips for boaters.
I was delivering a boat back from the Annapolis Sailboat Show last year and decided to pick up a pair of these boots for the
Sailing Alone Around the World Joshua Slocum completed the first recorded solo circumnavigation in 1895-98. Instead of using a chronometer to determine the time for
For National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) we’re revisiting some of the best safety stories, recommendations, and gear from our sister publications. Today, from Soundings,
For National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) we’re revisiting some of the best safety stories, recommendations, and gear from our sister publications.
Our thoughts are with the crew of Cuauhtémoc, a Mexican training ship on a cultural diplomacy tour that apparently suffered a mechanical failure and struck the Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend. Two people have died and 22 others are injured.
There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline at the start of a race.
A cruise through the Pacific islands of Panama reveals another side of the country known mostly for its canal.
Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Sail Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site.
Copyright © 2025 Sail Magazine Firecrown. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
