Ruggedly built, conservatively styled Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 Ericson Yachts began life in Costa Mesa, California. There, in the early 1960s, Ray Handy, along with several others, was building a Carl...
Thorough preparation is the golden rule Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 Before you apply any bottom paint to your sailboat, some basic preparation is in order. This includes not only having the proper applic...
A compact IOR racer/cruiser from the early 1970s Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 In January 1971 a fire broke out in a Grand River, Ohio, factory while the owners were at the New York Boat Show. The blaze de...
A roomy coastal cruiser that’s fun to sail Issue 63 : Nov/Dec 2008 In 1963, brothers Howard and Peter Hughes of Willowdale, Ontario, formed a partnership to build dinghies. Their venture was quite suc...
One sailor’s method of maintaining an iron keel Issue 64 : Jan/Feb 2009 A few years back, my friend Roland purchased a used 31-foot sailboat with a fin keel made of cast iron. After his first sailing ...
A capable, inexpensive pocket cruiser from Canada Issue 65 : Mar/Apr 2009 In the early 1960s, Jim Bisiker, in collaboration with Dirk Kneulman and John Burn, formed Canada’s first production sailboat ...
Custom woodwork at a price you can’t beat Issue 66 : May/Jun 2009 Having never given the subject much thought, I assumed that all overhead hatches were fitted with some sort of locking or adjustable s...
Urethane finish generates the Wow! factor Issue 68 : Sept/Oct 2009 From my perspective, nothing is more pleasing to the eye than the gleaming finish of a sailboat’s brightwork. It makes no difference ...
Electronic vapor detectors safeguard you from invisible threats on board Issue 68 : Sept/Oct 2009 We have all heard these or similar stories about sailors who’ve had lucky escapes when gases or vapors...
An oldie but goodie CCA’er from Pearson Yachts Issue 67: July/Aug 2009 The Alberg 35 is but one of several classic cruising yachts designed by Swedish-born Carl Alberg and built in Rhode Island by Pea...
A solid, well-behaved mid-’70s cruiser/club racer Issue 69 : Nov/Dec 2009 Around 1956, Jack Jenson started one of this country’s most successful fi berglass boat-building companies. Located in Costa M...
This racer/cruiser is the real deal Issue 70 : Jan/Feb 2010 In 1971, the Grand River, Ohio, premises of the Douglas & McLeod Plastic Corporation, builder of the legendary Tartan 27, burned to the ...
A large PVC pipe eliminates odors Issue 74 : Sept/Oct 2010 During a recent trip to southern Florida, I spent two enjoyable afternoons walking the docks. I use these opportunities to chat with sailors ...
Simple covers provide closure and containment Issue 75 : Nov/Dec 2010 For a while, Ken and I each owned a 1986 Pearson 28-2. When these sisterships originally left their Portsmouth, Rhode Island, birt...
Shoal draft defines the boundaries for this spacious coastal cruiser Issue 75 : Nov/Dec 2010 J. Robert (Bob) Seidelmann was recognized as a champion one-design sailor and won top honors in Lightnings,...
A trailerable pocket cruiser with standing headroom Issue 76 : Jan/Feb 2011 Richard Valdes founded Columbia Yachts in 1958. Under his presidency, the company became the world’s largest manufacturer of...
A well-built, IOR-inspired racer/cruiser Issue 79: July/Aug 2011 As with many boat companies, the Clark Boat Co., maker of San Juan sailboats, evolved from humble beginnings. It all began with Robert ...
A popular and hospitable cruiser from Canada Issue 80 : Sept/Oct 2011 In the late 1960s, a Chinese immigrant by the name of Ti Ouyang founded Ouyang Boat Works in Whitby, Ontario. His first offering, ...
Old-world wisdom helps restore white vinyl Issue 81 : Nov/Dec 2011 An article of mine entitled “Simply Clean” appeared in the May 2004 issue of Good Old Boat. It detailed recipes for more than two doz...
Running rigging comes clean without tangles Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 October heralds the end of the sailing season for northern latitude sailors. Once my boat has been hauled from the water and safely ...
Practical ways to comply with the law Issue 83: March/April 2012 If you own a boat and your head discharge hose is connected directly and only to a through-hull fitting (as shown below), you’re in vio...
An innovative and popular design from the early 1980s Issue 85 : Jul/Aug 2012 Warren Luhrs founded Hunter Marine in 1972 and within a year introduced his first sailboat, the Hunter 25. For his initial...
They block out heat, light, and prying eyes Issue 90: May/June 2013 When searching for our current boat, we developed a list of “must haves.” In addition to opening ports, we wanted more than one or t...
A low-profile high-value center-cockpit Issue 88 : Jan/Feb 2013 Founded by George O’Day, an Olympic gold medalist and crew on two successful America’s Cup defenders, the O’Day Corporation was at one t...
Parts boxes no longer slip, slide, or spill Issue 89 : Mar/Apr 2013 Over the years, I’ve tried all types of containers for storing my tools, fasteners, spare parts, and so on. I finally settled on cle...
Defy both chafe and corrosion Issue 98: Sept/Oct 2014 Like many sailors, I spend much of my free time “dock walking.” I enjoy marine design in all its aesthetic variety and my “technical eye” is alway...
A handsome cruiser with highly evolved amenities Issue 92 : Sept/Oct 2013 Pearson Yachts updated several of its more popular designs in the late 1980s, releasing them as what is commonly referred to a...
A well-built sloop with an unstayed mast Issue 94 : Jan/Feb 2014 Frustrated with the sailboat offerings of the time, Garry Hoyt decided to do something about it. The former advertising executive and c...
An unusual “powersailer” that will get you home in a hurry Issue 108: May/June 2016 Richard “Dick” Valdes, founder and former chief executive officer of Columbia Yachts, established Lancer...
Keep out their prey and spiders won’t move in Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 Over the more than 40 years that I’ve been messing around in boats, I’ve had to deal with a variety of uninvited guests that have...