This summer the West Marine Store in Southwest Harbor Maine had old copies of Practical Sailor on sale for $1 each...So I picked up half a dozen for review. They certainly don't seem worth the regular price of $7.50 each. Here is some information I did find interesting: ABYC Ground Tackle Loads (lbs) Power Boats Wind Velocity (Kts) LOA BEAM 30 60 30 11 700 2800 40 14 1200 4800 50 16 1600 6400 60 18 2000 8000 If your boat is 40ft,with a 16ft beam, use the 50ft length/16ft beam figures. Note that the loads shown increase by a factor of four when the wind speed doubles,so you can calculate approximate higher wind speed loads if desired. (This is the standard calculation for wind force.) {For what it's worth, my 5/16" G4 hi test chain,working load 2900lbs, has held in 70knot winds, a load of about 9000lbs, I'd estimate on the above table.) I did not realize the load was quite that much. Another interesting piece was a letter to the editor from a reader. It began: "While dealing with a pair of alternator failures recently, I learned something I wish I had learned many cruising years ago....upsizing to an alternator of greater capacity is likely to REDUCE not increase overall reliability...blah,blah,blah..." His letter goes on to say he did not know two belts are needed at about 100 amp capacity, that pulley size is important,and he did not know two belts were needed at reduced RPM and lower output...I have no idea what that last part means....He says he should have installed a lower output alternator with larger pulleys....He says smart regulators because they all higher outputs makes the situation WORSE. The goofy editor never commented on all the mistakes this guy made...he expected to do everything wrong but have everything work right. A very misleading letter, but not for T&T listees who know better. Finally, in an article on a wide range of bilge pumps, they noted that at 12.2 volts most pumps put out about 2/3 their rated volume. At 13.6 volts many pumps were at about 3/4 their rated volume. The smaller volume pumps were closest to their rated capacity. It appears there was little or no vertical head, not especially realistic, they pumped from one container to another on a level floor. One ABYC standard is dry run at 13.6volts for seven hours without failure:all pumps passed this test. Whale pumps carery a 1 year warranty, West Marine and Mayfair 1.5 yr and Attwood,Rule,Shurflo, 3 years. Happy Thanksgiving, Rob Brueckner 1972 Hatteras Yachtfisherman