The complete reference for sailors.

Best Boat Ladders for Sailboats: Boarding and Recovery

Transom, telescoping and dive ladders compared, and how deep the bottom step must be for crew recovery.

Best Boat Hooks: Telescoping Hooks for Docking

Length, locks, hook shapes and floating designs for docking and mooring pickups.

Marine Fire Extinguishers: Ratings and Best Picks

USCG requirements by boat length, 5-B vs 20-B, the 12-year rule, and the best marine extinguishers.

Best Sailing Gloves for Line Handling and Racing

Short, long and full-finger sailing gloves compared for grip, durability and dexterity.

Best Boat Compasses: Steering and Handheld Picks

Card size, heel, mounting, lighting and deviation: choosing a magnetic compass for a sailboat.

Sailing Watches: Race Timers and Cruising Choices

Countdown controls, water resistance, readability and battery care: choosing a practical watch for racing and cruising.

Sailing Knives: Maintenance Tools and Rescue Tradeoffs

Plain and serrated blades, locks, multitools and saltwater care—with a clear distinction between maintenance and rescue.

Types of Sailboats

Sloops, cutters, ketches, catamarans and more — how the major sailboat rigs and hull types compare.

Best Marine Speakers and Stereos for Sailboats

Waterproof marine speakers and stereo head units compared — power draw, NMEA 2000, mounting and wiring.

Best Boat Fenders for Sailboats

Fender sizing by boat length, cylindrical vs ball vs flat fenders, hanging height, lines and top picks.

Best Marine Binoculars for Sailing

Why 7x50 is the sailing standard, compass and stabilized binoculars, and our top picks at every budget.

Best Inflatable Life Jackets for Sailing

Automatic vs hydrostatic inflation, harness life jackets, ratings and rearming — plus the best picks for sailors.

Best Chartplotters for Sailboats

How to choose a chartplotter for cruising — screen size, charts, networking, and top picks at each budget.

Best Sailboat Autopilots

Raymarine, B&G, Garmin, Simrad and Pelagic autopilots compared — drives, sailing modes, and integration.

Best Marine Watermakers for Sailboats

Spectra, Rainman, Katadyn and more — which watermakers match cruising energy budgets and boat sizes.

Best Lithium Batteries for Sailboats

LiFePO4 house-bank picks and how to plan a lithium conversion — Battle Born, Victron, Renogy, Epoch, Dakota.

Best Dinghies and Outboards for Cruising

RIBs, rollups, and outboards compared — how to pick the right dinghy and motor for your boat and cruising style.

Best Anchors and Windlasses for Sailboats

Modern anchor and windlass picks that hold hard and lift reliably — Rocna, Mantus, Spade, Lewmar, Maxwell.

Best Life Rafts for Offshore Sailing

Offshore-certified life raft picks and buying guidance for cruising sailors — Viking, Winslow, Ocean Safety, Revere.

Marine Solar Panels for Sailboats

Rigid vs flexible marine solar panels, how to size an array for your house bank, and top picks for cruising sailors.

Marine Inverter/Chargers: Victron vs Mastervolt vs Xantrex

How to choose a marine inverter/charger — sizing, LFP compatibility, integration, and the units we'd install today.

Marine Diesel Heaters: Webasto vs Espar vs Refleks

Forced-air and radiant diesel heaters for cruising sailboats — how to choose, install, and avoid the top failure modes.

Electric Propulsion for Sailboats

When electric propulsion makes sense on a sailboat, how to size batteries and regen, and the electric drive systems worth buying.

Sailboat Furling Systems: Headsail, In-Mast & In-Boom

Headsail furlers, in-mast, and in-boom furling systems compared — trade-offs, top picks, and what to install today.

Sailboat Standing Rigging: Wire, Rod, and Synthetic

Standing rigging replacement guide — 1x19 wire, rod, Dyneema, terminal types, and when to re-rig.

Storm Sails and Drogues for Offshore Sailboats

Storm jibs, trysails, and drogues — how to size, choose, and actually deploy heavy-weather tactics offshore.

Anchor Chain and Rode

How to size, grade, and rig anchor chain and rode — G4, G7, calibrated European chain, snubbers, and chain hooks.

Sailboat Davits

Davit systems for cruising sailboats — Kato, Weaver, Garhauer, and stern-arch options.

Sailboat Winches: Manual, Self-Tailing, and Electric

How to size and choose sailboat winches — Harken, Lewmar, Andersen, and electric winches.

AIS Transponders for Sailboats

AIS transponders for cruising sailboats — Vesper Cortex, em-trak, integrated VHF options, and why SOTDMA matters.

Satellite Communications for Sailors: Starlink, Iridium, inReach

Satellite comms for cruising sailboats — Starlink Mini, Iridium GO, Garmin inReach, and how to combine them.

EPIRBs vs PLBs: Emergency Beacons for Sailors

How to choose an EPIRB or PLB for your sailboat — Category I vs II, return-link, and why offshore crews carry both.

Marine Refrigeration for Sailboats

Marine refrigeration — Isotherm, Nova Kool, Frigoboat keel-cooler conversions, and how to minimize energy use.

Marine Toilets: Composting, Electric, and Manual

Marine toilets for cruising sailboats — Nature's Head composting, Raritan electric, and manual heads compared.

Best Marine GPS for Small Boats and Sailboats

Fixed-mount and handheld marine GPS units compared — screens, charts, power draw, and picks at every budget.

Best VHF Radios for Sailboats

Fixed-mount and handheld VHF radios with DSC, GPS and AIS — how to choose, install, and register an MMSI.

Best Radar for Sailboats

Solid-state and magnetron radar domes for cruising sailboats — Doppler tracking, mounting, power draw and picks.

Best Chartplotter Fishfinder Combos

Combo chartplotter/sonar units for sailboats — transducer choices, CHIRP sonar, screen sizes and top picks.

NMEA 2000 Setup for Sailboats

How to plan and wire an NMEA 2000 backbone — terminators, LEN power budgets, gateways and troubleshooting.

Best Handheld GPS for Sailors

Handheld GPS and satellite units as chartplotter backup — waterproofing, battery life, charts and ditch-bag picks.

Best Bluewater Sailboats Under 40 Feet

Eight proven offshore cruisers under 40 feet compared — hull form, build quality, real weaknesses and refit costs.

Best Liveaboard Sailboats

Monohulls and catamarans compared for full-time living — space, running costs, comfort at anchor and systems.

Best Trailerable Sailboats

Tow weights, ramp setup time, keel types and five trailer sailers worth owning, from Catalina 22 to Corsair 760.

Best Liveaboard Catamarans: 7 Top Picks (2026)

The Lagoon 46 suits most families; couples should start with the Astréa 42. All 7 compared, with real running costs.

Best Small Sailboats for Beginners

Dinghies, daysailers and a pocket cruiser compared — what each teaches, real downsides and first-season costs.

Best Marine Battery Chargers and DC-DC Chargers

Shore-power chargers and DC-DC chargers compared — sizing output to your bank, lithium profiles, wiring and top picks.

Marine Wind Generators and Hydrogenerators

What a wind generator really produces at anchor, noise and mounting reality, plus hydrogeneration for passagemaking.

Marine Battery Monitors and Shunts

Why voltage lies on lithium, how shunts measure state of charge, and which Victron, Balmar and Simarine monitors to fit.

Marine Alternators and External Regulators

Why a stock alternator overheats charging lithium, and how high-output alternators and smart regulators fix it.

Sailboat Autopilot Drives: Wheel vs Below-Deck

Tiller, wheel, below-deck linear and hydraulic drives compared — how to size thrust and install one properly.

Sailboat Instrument Packages: Wind, Speed, Depth

How wind, speed and depth instruments work together, what calibration matters, and how B&G, Raymarine and Garmin compare.

Radar vs AIS vs Thermal: Avoiding Collisions

What radar, AIS and thermal cameras each see and miss at sea, and how to combine them for a real watchkeeping system.

Sail Materials: Dacron vs Laminate vs Membrane

How sail cloth fails, what Dacron, laminate and moulded membrane sails really cost per season, and how to order well.

Sailboat Dodgers, Biminis and Cockpit Enclosures

Fabric, window material, frames and the visibility trade-offs — plus DIY kit vs canvas loft cost reality.

Marine Air Conditioning for Sailboats

BTU sizing, self-contained vs split systems, 12V DC units for anchoring out, and the power problem nobody mentions.

Satellite Internet at Sea: Starlink vs Iridium vs Inmarsat

How the three satellite networks differ at sea, what offshore coverage really costs, and how to layer broadband with a global backup.

Sailboat Repowering: Beta vs Yanmar vs Volvo Penta

Sizing horsepower, real installation costs, saildrive vs shaft, and how Beta Marine, Yanmar and Volvo Penta actually compare.

Electric Winch Conversion for Sailboats

Converting sailboat winches to electric — kit vs new winch, wiring and battery demands, safety, and the best options compared.

Sailboat Solar Sizing: How Many Watts You Actually Need

How to size marine solar with an amp-hour audit, sun-hour math, derating and shading, MPPT sizing, and worked examples for three cruising boats.

Storm Anchors: A Second Anchor Setup That Holds

How to size, rig and deploy a second (storm/kedge) anchor: holding power, seabeds, scope in 40+ knots, snubbers and dinghy deployment.

Sailboat Water Pumps: Fresh, Bilge and Washdown

How to choose and install every pump on a cruising boat — fresh water, bilge, sump, washdown and manual backup — with real flow rates and failure modes.

Sewing Your Own Marine Canvas: A DIY Guide

How to sew your own sailboat canvas: the right machine, fabric, needle and thread, patterning and hardware — plus a realistic first-project ladder.

Galley Stoves Compared: Propane, Alcohol, Diesel, Electric

How propane, alcohol, diesel and induction galley stoves compare at sea, how to plumb propane safely, and which stove to buy for each fuel.

Bottom Paint and Haul-Outs: What It Really Costs

Ablative vs hard vs copper-free bottom paint, how much you need, yard costs, DIY safety gear, and when diver cleaning beats a haul-out.

Sailboat Keel Types Explained: Fin, Full, Wing and Swing

How fin, full, bulb, wing, bilge and swing keels differ in draft, stability and handling, and which keel suits your sailing grounds.

What It Really Costs to Own a 40-Foot Sailboat

A realistic annual budget for a 40-footer: dockage, insurance, haul-outs, rigging, sails, engine work and the costs owners forget.

Sailboat Insurance Explained: Costs and Coverage Gaps

What boat insurance costs, how navigation limits and named-storm clauses work, and the exclusions that catch cruisers out.

Trawlers vs Motorsailers vs Sailboats for Ocean Crossings

Range, motion, fuel and cost compared across trawlers, motorsailers and sailboats — which types can genuinely cross an ocean.

Cooling at Anchor: Air Conditioning vs Fans and Vents

12V air conditioning, cabin fans and powered vents compared for life at anchor — power draw, real cooling and what actually works.

Sailboat Teak Decks: Repair, Replace or Rip It Out?

How to judge teak deck wear, what re-caulking and replacement really cost, and when removing the teak is the better decision.

Waterproof Bags, Cases and Dry Storage for Life Aboard

Dry bags, hard cases and locker storage that actually keep water out aboard, from dinghy runs to electronics and ship's papers.

Best Inflatable SUPs and Kayaks for Cruising Sailboats

Inflatable paddleboards and kayaks that stow aboard a cruising sailboat — packed size, stability, pumps and what lasts in salt.

Marine Head Upgrades: Electric Toilets and Treatment

Electric, vacuum and composting marine heads compared — installation reality, power draw, odour causes and what a conversion costs.

Hookah Diving Systems for Cleaning Your Own Hull

Surface-supplied hookah rigs and dive compressors for sailors — costs, the safety rules that matter, and whether DIY hull cleaning pays.

Best Boat Grills: Marine Propane Grills Compared

Compare marine boat grills, mounting options and propane safety. Choose a cockpit grill that fits your rail, crew and storage space.

Foul Weather Gear for Sailing: Coastal vs Offshore

Choose sailing foul-weather gear by exposure, fit and layering. Compare coastal and offshore jackets, bibs, waterproofing and real trade-offs.

Marine Sealants: 4200 vs 5200 vs Sikaflex vs Life-Calk

Choose marine sealants for deck fittings, through-hulls and repairs. Compare bond strength, cure time, substrates and future removal before buying.