Practical Sailor

12/20/2025

Modern fiberglass sailboats are engineered differently than the overbuilt classics of the 1960s—find out where structural problems hide to save thousands in repairs and keep you safer at sea.

Modern fiberglass sailboats are engineered differently than the overbuilt classics of the 1960s—find out where structural problems hide.

12/19/2025

Commercial vessels require immersion suits, but cruisers spend more time in a dry suit. After testing an Ocean Rodeo Soul against Coast Guard standards, the author found that a good dry suit comes remarkably close to immersion suit performance—while offering dramatic advantages in wearability and utility.

Commercial vessels require immersion suits, but cruisers spend more time in dry suits. PS tests the Ocean Rodeo dry suit against Coast Guard standards.

12/18/2025

A family's dream cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet becomes a cautionary tale about spinnaker management and why you should douse the big sail before you think you need to.

A family's dream cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet becomes a cautionary tale about spinnaker management and why you should douse early.

12/17/2025

The Bluewater 56 is one of the most misunderstood offshore cruisers in the sailing world — and today we’re diving deep into what makes this German Frers design so special. Built at the highly respected Hansheng yard in China and descended from the legendary Hylas 56 and Outbound 56, this boat combines serious ocean pedigree with modern construction, incredible strength, and a layout made for real passagemaking.

https://buff.ly/ae9tqWA

12/16/2025

Check your rigging screws for salt corrosion before spring. A little grease goes a long way.

12/16/2025

In this video, we dive into one of the most important — and most ignored — parts of boat ownership: thru-hulls and seacocks. These tiny fittings decide whether your boat stays floating or becomes an unplanned submarine, and most sailors never give them a second thought.

https://buff.ly/9tEi4db

12/15/2025

Introduced in the early 2000s to compete with major U.S. production builders, the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 and performance-oriented Sun Fast 32i offer cruisers an attractive, well-designed package.

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 and performance-oriented Sun Fast 32i offer cruisers an attractive, well-designed package.

12/14/2025

Modern cruising sailboats are getting wider and lighter, but are they safer? We examine how contemporary design trends impact the fundamental physics of staying upright.

Modern cruising sailboats are getting wider and lighter, but are they safer? We examine how contemporary design trends impact boat physics.

12/13/2025

Which anchors actually hold in squishy bottoms? Fortress' tests in Chesapeake mud expose weaknesses in modern roll-bar designs and reveal why Danforth-style flukes reign supreme in soft seabeds.

Which anchors actually hold in squishy bottoms? Fortress' tests in Chesapeake mud expose weaknesses in modern roll-bar designs.

12/12/2025

A singlehanded skipper learns lessons about complacency when a routine reefing maneuver spirals into an emergency—nearby sharp rocks and a prop-wrapped genoa sheet don't mix well.

A singlehanded skipper learns lessons about complacency when a routine reefing maneuver spirals into an emergency.

12/11/2025

Do you prefer single-hand sailing or crewed voyages?

👍 for single-hand sailing
❤️ for crewed voyages

12/11/2025

Whether you’re a do it yourselfer or you buy from a creative craftsperson, these gift ideas will bring a nautical twist to your holiday gift giving. Check out the contest at the end for a chance to win a free PS subscription!

Whether you’re a DIYer or you buy from a creative craftsperson, these gift ideas will bring a nautical twist to your holiday gift giving.