A foil made with fiberglass, foam, and ingenuity Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 One of the appealing things about Nurdle, my Bristol 35.5, is that she has a centerboard. I knew this would be an ongoing main...
Diodes overcome a dearth of switches Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 I recently replaced the fragile and outdated original plastic circuit breaker panel on Nurdle, my 1979 Bristol 35.5. As part of this proje...
Making two wires do the work of three Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 While I have never seen it in a physics textbook, I think there is an electrical law particular to good old boats. I call it Churchill’s...
Secondhand silverware made ideal tools Issue 113: March/April 2017 Nurdle’s toerail was leaking and I had no choice but to remove and rebed it — all 70 feet. While most of the Dolfinite compound used ...
A tour of the marina was illuminating Issue 114: May/June 2017 My good fortune to live on a small barrier island in Florida is offset by the misfortune of full-time employment that requires me to comm...
When less than perfect is bright enough Issue 114: May/June 2017 About an hour after I put what I hoped was the last layer of varnish on some of Nurdle’s brightwork, it started to rain. The rain was f...
A little sewing, some clever woodwork, and voilà, a better quarter berth. Issue 140: Sept/Oct 2021 Nurdle, my 1979 Bristol 35.5, has a quarter berth, a common feature on boats of this size and vintage...
Adding a second engine switch in the cockpit made singlehanding safer and easier. Issue 141: Nov/Dec 2021 Reading Robb Lovell’s review of the Beneteau First 345 (September/ October 2019), I realized f...
A little nip and tuck on a used spinnaker makes for an inexpensive upgrade Issue 150: May/June 2023 One of my most memorable sailing days was crossing the broad mouth of the Chesapeake Bay’s Potomac R...
Rings made from sections of pipe provide an easy way to hang gear Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 On most of our good old boats, storage in the forepeak and cockpit lockers is less than perfect. There is not...
A satisfying solution to a difficult problem Issue 154: Jan/Feb 2024 Haulouts are always a somewhat anxious time. Sailors develop a plan and a list of tasks we want to accomplish to maintain or improv...
A clever solution for raising a mast on a small boat Issue 155: March/April 2024 I have a renovated/repurposed 17-foot Thistle trailer-sailer named Transmogrifier for daysailing and beach cruising (se...
When the right boat proves elusive, a sailor tackles a major overhaul. Issue 155: March/April 2025 My search for the ideal beach cruiser started several years ago, when I decided to compete in the Eve...
An easy and satisfying project to keep all your hoses organized. A friend of mine has a very large motor yacht and the degree of “comforts of home” and the associated complexity of plumbing in the eng...
I used to own a Guest model 461 anchor light, a popular piece of gear when many of our good old boats were built. A fundamentally well-made device, the incandescent bulb suffered from poor light outpu...
A backup battery system for a fixed-mount VHF ensures communications in an emergency. Issue 133: July/Aug 2020 Despite the introduction of satellite communications and cell phones over the past couple...
My previous boat was a traditional cutter with an outboard rudder and boomkin, precluding the use of a common stern swim ladder. The wooden side ladder she came with was cumbersome and difficult to st...
A tour of the marina was illuminating My good fortune to live on a small barrier island in Florida is offset by the misfortune of full-time employment that requires me to commute to the mainland daily...
A homemade replacement is the answer My good old boat was a former racer and came with a KVH Sailcomp electronic compass and sailing instrument. As it was quite old, the LCD display had become barely ...