The complete reference for sailors.
Hull, rig, and design details for every boat worth knowing.
Popular models
Curated sailboats worth knowing — from bluewater classics to modern cruisers.
Catalina 30
29.92 ft LOA · Sloop
Westsail 32
32 ft LOA · Cutter
Valiant 40
39.92 ft LOA · Cutter
Tartan 37
37 ft LOA · Sloop
Pearson 323
32.25 ft LOA · Sloop
Alberg 30
30.25 ft LOA · Sloop
Latest guides
Practical articles and gear recommendations for sailors.
Types of Sailboats
Sloops, cutters, ketches, catamarans and more — how the major sailboat rigs and hull types compare.
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
Seven cruising cats compared for full-time living — layout, stowage, running costs and sailing behaviour.
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.