Use the proper wire for safety and reliability Issue 97 : Jul/Aug 2014 Household electrical wire, automotive wire, and marine-grade electrical wire are all very different. When subjected to the vibrat...
Some sailors still value the printed world Issue 98: Sept/Oct 2014 In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson recognized the necessity for accurate coastal navigation charts. Since 1862, the U.S. government ...
Low-tech, high-precision aids for sail trim Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 Sail telltales are short strips of very lightweight material of a color that contrasts with that of the sail. They are sewn on both ...
Ahoy! Who goes these? Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 AIS, the Automatic Identification System, allows vessels to “see” and identify each other (and for shore stations to “see” vessels). It was developed as a...
Making the right connections Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 For electrical wiring aboard boats to meet recognized standards for safety and reliability, wires should be connected to equipment and other wires...
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 handy sailing rig for dinghies and small trailerables Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 The gunter rig was developed by Edmund Gunter in the late 1700s. It has always been popular in Europe and, during the a...
Exercise that gets you somewhere on the water Issue 104 : Sept/Oct 2015 For many of us, our very first boat was a rowboat — in my case an old and leaky one — so every outing is a trip down memory lane...
Variations on taking in a slab of sail Issue 105 : Nov/Dec 2015 A sail is reefed to reduce its area so it will not overpower the boat in stronger winds. Of the many reefing systems used, slab or jiffy...
Reflection and absorption create quiet on board Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 The iron wind is a fixture aboard most of today’s sailboats. On a typical sailboat the inboard engine lives directly beneath th...
Solving the problem of icing up in winter For those of us who live in the higher latitudes, the approach of the fall season reminds us of an upcoming conflict between our boating agendas and the impen...
The rig Americans made their own is still “scooning” after 300 years It’s not discreet to say this, but I’ve been having an affair, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. It...
New engine or rebuild? And should you install it yourself? Chances are your boat is like a member of the family. You could no more dispose of it than sell your only child. But, inevitably, the day arr...
Tips on how to extract the old one and install the new one. In the September/October issue of Good Old Boat, we discussed the decisions to be made when the inevitable day comes that your power plant n...
Handholds are an easy and inexpensive way to increase your security afloat Dodgers are not necessary – that is, if you’re a masochist or a Spartan who enjoys being hit in the face with wat...
Tried and trusted old fittings give character to modern yachts If you remember when all sailboats had wooden spars, manila lines, galvanized fittings, and cotton sails, chances are you have problems w...
Don’t wait until it happens; get your boat ready now My first memory, as a small child, was being in the middle of a hurricane in the North Atlantic. It was the 1930s. Our family was returning b...
Reflection and absorption create quiet on board The iron wind is a fixture aboard most of today’s sailboats. On a typical sailboat the inboard engine lives directly beneath the floor of the cockpit, s...
Getting a magnetic compass to tell the truth about North Most recreational sailors today navigate their craft using electronic devices. This is all well and good until an electrical failure on board s...
They hold up the shrouds that hold up the mast Spreaders are struts attached to the sides of a mast to hold the shrouds away from the mast and increase the angle at which they meet the mast. The great...
In the early 1940s, madmen were taking on the civilized world — and winning. The Nazis controlled most of Europe and were preparing to conquer the British Isles. The Japanese had decimated the U.S. Pa...
In The Why Book of Sailing, author Scott Welty tackles the challenge of explaining the science of physics, as related to sailing — without the heavy concentration on mathematics that usually goes alon...
If you have ever tried to disassemble a winch, fix your steering system, repair a galley pump, or rebuild your head, the chances are that you have been frustrated more than once. Charlie Wing’s ...