Sea horses for different courses Issue 101 : Mar/A...
May 6, 2026
Sea horses for different courses Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 The first time I heard it, the song brought tears to my eyes. It has had the same effect every time since. It wasn’t meant to be sad; it’s a s...
It’s a springtime rite in a boatyard Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 It begins slowly. Just a rustling of loosened winter covers and the occasional soft thump as hatches open and close. It’s not that the boa...
It’s rugged, enduring and, er, rustic Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 When I had my wooden dock built in the late 1980s, the builder asked me if I wanted expensive metal cleats or less-expensive cleats. I ch...
They are more than a buffer twixt butt and deck Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 Closed-cell-foam seat cushions are available at home centers. I found ours at Menards under their house name Guidesman (SKU 175...
An elder-care product updates a good old boat Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 My 1983 Catalina 36, Tao, was a great choice at a great price, but I’ve often looked with longing at those cool open transoms on ...
A life-changing lesson in wind against tide Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 In New England, the seasons change quickly. I found myself rowing my dinghy out to Encore, my 22-foot Columbia Midget Ocean Racer, ...
Great Lakers explore a New Zealand favorite Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 It could have been the gannets. In the few weeks we spent on or near the water in New Zealand, I learned to love these great diving...
A robust trailerable with innovative features Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 Rex Henthorn got the sailing bug in 1980 when he bought a summer home on Lake Freeman, just north of Lafayette, Indiana. The home...
Advanced methods enhance options, safety, and fun Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 The art and science of making a boat stay put in an anchorage is vast and interesting. In part 1 of this series, in the March...
A raw-water seacock that screams to be opened Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 We all know the importance of opening the engine’s raw-water seacock before starting the engine and that forgetting to open it ca...
It satisfies an aesthetic need Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 Gerry Douglas, Catalina Yachts’ designer and vice president, says that a person’s tastes in boats are established at around the age of 14 by the...
Basic steps for making reliable connections Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 If you own an older boat, an important skill to master is the proper technique for soldering electrical connections. At some point,...
. . . is an ongoing work of artists Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 Sailors may have many reasons to switch boats, but upsize and update would probably apply to most. Our boat-buying history didn’t follow an...
Make the switch from wire to rope Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 Not long ago a fellow named Sean brought his masthead sheaves to my shop. They were made from phenolic resin, known also as Micarta or Bakeli...
Sailing solo and being social Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 We three set off on an autumn day bound for nowhere in particular. Jerry in Raconteur, his race-worthy Ericson 32; Stuart in Over Easy, a well-fo...
Fear of holes redirects energy in a refit Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 I agonized for months over what to do. I really did have a choice. I could either do nothing, which in my now-established senior year...
The long road to separation of keel from hull Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 In a previous article (“How Sailboat Rudders Evolved,” January 2015), we looked at the evolution of the rudder on sailing yachts ...
A fun factor with a bonus safety feature Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 A boarding ladder not only gives sailors an easy way to get in and out of the water, but can also be a lifesaver after an accidental f...
A handsome design that excels as a cruiser and club racer Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 Boats designed by Bruce King for Ericson Yachts share a strong family resemblance, from the smallest of the line, the...
Hanging out with cruising legends Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 When your universe is an island the size of a sailboat, your perspective naturally will be dramatically different from the point of view of c...
Former owners reach out across the years Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 There is a lot to love about sailing. Hal Roth put it simply when he wrote of “the pleasure and the freedom.” Lesser mortals talk abou...
An inexpensive LED shows the way Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 We all know about using dollar store LED yard lights for finding our way home in an anchorage. Another handy use we’ve found aboard Thebote, o...
A non-splicer has it all sewn up Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 For all of us out there happily sailing about with Hood Seafurl LD headsail-furling systems that have a continuous-loop furling line, the day ...
Chargers that work only with a charge Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 We turn the key to try to start the engine and . . . nothing. This might not have been so bad, but our Pacific Seacraft Dana 24, Sockdola...
An ever-popular daysailer approaches 50 Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 Let’s face it, some boats just tug at a sailor’s heartstrings at first glance. Call it love at first sight if you will, but some design...
. . . but extra pounds bring peace of mind Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 Toward the end of my summer cruise I happened to anchor for the weekend in Sag Harbor, New York, just east of the breakwater in 12 f...
The inevitable, unpredictable, freshwater fertility frenzy Issue 108: May/June 2016 Each year, along the south shore of Lake Ontario in late April when it’s time for painting and varnishing boats, the...
Cheap and effective, they don’t wrap or slide Issue 108: May/June 2016 I sail my Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2, Quee Queg, on lakes and reservoirs in Arizona, where accurately discerning wind direction ca...
A wet towel puts a damper on a loose helm One morning, we were at anchor in a pretty cove when an empty water bottle blew overboard. We raised the anchor and chased down the errant bottle. Once the an...
A cell phone signal booster brings the world aboard Issue 108: May/June 2016 Like many sailors who still work, I like to keep abreast of things back at the office every few days, even when on vacation...
