Practical Sailor

For over 35 years, Practical Sailor has been helping sailors and boaters make informed decisions about purchasing boats and gear. They provide honest, independent boat tests and product reviews specifically for serious enthusiasts. Practical Sailor does not accept advertising, relying instead on dedicated subscribers who support their mission to ensure everyone can choose wisely when buying a boat or maintaining their current one.

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Irwin Citation 34 Used Boat Review

1 day ago | practical-sailor.com | Darrell Nicholson

Irwin Yachts had been in operation for 27 years, one of the true old-timers in the fiberglass sailboat business, when we first talked to them regarding the Irwin 34. They had just weathered the roughest storm of their history, having settled with their creditors and recovered from Chapter 11, when many other companies in similar situations were folding. Irwin’s recovery was marked by the start of a new production 50-foot cruiser.
Tartan 3700 & 4100 Used Boat Review

2 weeks ago | practical-sailor.com | Darrell Nicholson

It only makes sense that a 41-foot boat will be significantly faster than a 37-foot sistership, right? That a 41-footer will have significantly larger living spaces and greatly improved accommodations? And, that the bigger boat will have more room on deck for entertaining purposes? Or does it?
Hunter 30 Used Boat Review

3 weeks ago | practical-sailor.com | Darrell Nicholson

Hunter Marine began building auxiliary sailboats in 1974, largely as the result of the first oil embargo and the new energy consciousness that followed. Founded by Warren Luhrs, Hunter began as a division of the powerboat-maker Silverton Yachts, which was interested in expanding its offerings and taking advantage of the new interest in saving fuel.
Charter Boat Ownership Programs Explained: A Simple Financial Overview

3 weeks ago | practical-sailor.com | Aja McClanahan

The dream of owning a yacht appeals to many sailing enthusiasts, but the financial realities can make this dream seem out of reach or even cost-prohibitive. Companies like Moorings and Sunsail offer ownership alternatives that allow you to purchase a new yacht and place it into a charter fleet for a specified time—usually five years. To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid member.
Island Packet 440

4 weeks ago | practical-sailor.com | Darrell Nicholson

For nearly 30 years under the direction of designer and CEO Bob Johnson, Island Packet accomplished what few modern boatbuilders have been able to do—produce more than 2,000 boats targeted at liveaboard and passagemaking sailors who plan to spend months, if not years, on their boats.
How to Sell Old Sailing Equipment

1 month ago | practical-sailor.com | Doug Henschen

There’s nothing more satisfying than installing a great new piece of equipment on your sailboat, unless it’s completing that upgrade and then selling the old gear to defray some of the cost. To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid member. Sign in Join Practical Sailor Get full access to Practical-Sailor.com – more than 4,000 articles – for just $34. Join today and save 42% off our full price. Already a member? Click Here to Sign In | Forgot your password?
Catalina 22 Used Boat Review

1 month ago | practical-sailor.com | Darrell Nicholson

In its 10th anniversary issue in 1980, Sail magazine named the Catalina 22 the boat that had represented the breakthrough in trailer/cruisers in those 10 years. There is no denying the popularity of the Catalina 22: more than 10,000 of the model we review here have been built, and that doesn’t include the Sport models now being sold. For many buyers, the Catalina 22 is their first “big” boat and an introduction to the Catalina line. Many remain with Catalina and buy up within that line.
A Smart, Easy Way to Rewire

1 month ago | practical-sailor.com | Darrell Nicholson

Running the wires for new electronics requires your best cursing vocabulary, lots of sweat, twisting body contortions, luck, and the occasional bandage. For tips on how to make this job easier, we turned to PS contributor Bill Bishop. A professional marine-electronics installer, Bishop has many ingenious ways to thread a wire from point A to point B. The most important tool in the wire-pulling arsenal is what electricians call fish tape or simply a fish.
Hose Fitting Tips

1 month ago | practical-sailor.com | Darrell Nicholson

Photos by Drew FryePulling hoses is generally low on the fun list. They are in bad places, jammed onto crusty hose-fitting barbs, and have stiffened over the years. As part of our long-term tests, we needed to wiggle loose a few of the sanitation hoses were testing to see how they were looking on the inside–a job much less pleasant than new installation. After flushing the hoses well with clean water and vinegar, testers donned rubber-coated gloves (for better grip) and firmly rocked the hoses.
Cape Dory 30 Used Boat Review

1 month ago | practical-sailor.com | Darrell Nicholson

When the Cape Dory 30 entered production in 1976, it was the largest boat in the expanding line of the Taunton, Massachusetts boatbuilder. In 1986, when production ceased, over 350 Cape Dory 30s had been built, and what had been the largest boat in the company’s fleet was one of the smallest.