Practical Sailor mag just did a writeup and test on the smaller
windlasses.


Larry wrote:
Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or does
it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or potential
advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live without them?


Practical Sailor doesn't carry advertising.

Their tests aren't always definitive, but it looks to me like they do
try to objectively evaluate the gear they test. And they wouldn't say
"This windlass sucks" they'd just give it a lower rating.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or does
it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or potential
advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live without them?

Have you ever looked at a "Practical Sailor?" If not you should do so.
They accept no advertising whatsoever and tend to be pretty straight
shooters about things that don't work. I've been a subscriber for
about 20 years because they are about as good as it gets. Not perfect,
but better than anything else I've seen.

" wrote in
oups.com:

Have you ever looked at a "Practical Sailor?"

I'll take a look. I normally don't look at boat rags because they look
like sales brochures. You can hardly tell the "articles" from the
advertising in them. Just once I'd like to see one of them say,

"BAYLINER SUCKS!"

--
Larry

Larry wrote:
Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or does
it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or potential
advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live without them?

Uhh Larry, Practical Sailor doesn't have advertisers and
does sometimes say exactly that. They are the low budget
Consumer Reports of Sailing. Check them out at:

www.practical-sailor.com

Evan Gatehouse

Actually, they can get a bit more acerbic than that; e.g. "We don't like the
Powerwinch's freefall system because of its uncontrolled release, and this
windlass's performance was average."

Roger

http://home.earthlink.net/~derbyrm

"DSK" wrote in message
...
Practical Sailor mag just did a writeup and test on the smaller
windlasses.

Larry wrote:
Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or
does it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or
potential advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live
without them?

Practical Sailor doesn't carry advertising.

Their tests aren't always definitive, but it looks to me like they do try
to objectively evaluate the gear they test. And they wouldn't say "This
windlass sucks" they'd just give it a lower rating.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Roger Derby wrote:
Actually, they can get a bit more acerbic than that; e.g. "We don't like the
Powerwinch's freefall system because of its uncontrolled release, and this
windlass's performance was average."

Reading between the lines, one clearly perceive the statement "this
windlass sucks" ;)

DSK

On Tue, 09 Aug 2005, Larry wrote:

Practical Sailor mag just did a writeup and test
on the smaller windlasses. The October issue
will have tests on the mid-range windlasses.

Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful
product!", or does it say what boat magazines always say
that every advertiser's, or potential advertiser's products
are just wonderful and you can't live without them?

"Practical Sailor" discloses how it designs and does the tests it
performs and, when relevant, where and in what conditions it carries
out the tests. If/when its testing is not rigorously scientific (as
many in a variable marine environment cannot cost-effectively be), it
also so says. And, at least as far as a reasonably inquisitive reader
can tell (there is always at least a conjectural possibility of undue
influence for any activity/publication), its publishers and editors
are not influenced by what its advertisers or potential advertisers
may complain because it doesn't take and there are not any evident
plans that it ever will take and publish adverting.

In article , Larry
wrote:

" wrote in
oups.com:

Have you ever looked at a "Practical Sailor?"

I'll take a look. I normally don't look at boat rags because they look
like sales brochures. You can hardly tell the "articles" from the
advertising in them. Just once I'd like to see one of them say,

"BAYLINER SUCKS!"

If Bayliner made a sailboat, they might ;-)

It's an expensive mag because there's no advertising, but I've saved far
more than its cost by not buying things that wouldn't have done what I
wanted.

And I have a few items (such as the Spade & Portabote) because they
found and tested them. Neither were available via the stores, so I'd not
have known they existed.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

In article ,
says...


In article , Larry
wrote:

" wrote in
oups.com:

Have you ever looked at a "Practical Sailor?"

I'll take a look. I normally don't look at boat rags because they look
like sales brochures. You can hardly tell the "articles" from the
advertising in them. Just once I'd like to see one of them say,

"BAYLINER SUCKS!"

If Bayliner made a sailboat, they might ;-)

Didn't Bayliner make a sailboat during a previous energy crisis? The
Buccaneer?

I second everything said about Practical Sailor. I have twenty years of it
stacked up here. Saved ne lots more than it has cost me.
It's an expensive mag because there's no advertising, but I've saved far
more than its cost by not buying things that wouldn't have done what I
wanted.

And I have a few items (such as the Spade & Portabote) because they
found and tested them. Neither were available via the stores, so I'd not
have known they existed.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

In article ,
Gogarty wrote:

JERE said:
If Bayliner made a sailboat, they might ;-)

Didn't Bayliner make a sailboat during a previous energy crisis? The
Buccaneer?

Oh, GOSH! Saw one of those last season.... Practical Sailor would have
been merciless if they'd been forced to review one. Personal opinion: a
Bayliner tag would have been a step up from what I saw. Didn't help that
the new owners didn't have enough of a clue to put an anchor out before
their powerless and sail-less boat drifted into shallow water. Our
friends, the towboat operators that pulled them in, were less charitable.

Looking at the boat, my opinion was that it was at best a motor sailor,
and the engine was so marginal that it wouldn't do that well.

Sorry if I offend any Buccaneer owners, but you'll understand if you
sail against us any afternoon. You don't want to compare yourself with
us under power, as we put many larger boats to shame.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/