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    Robert Van Putten

    Robert grew up on Long Island Sound, where he and a buddy sailed a Super Snark to destruction. Eventually he moved to the Pacific Northwest, where he canoed happily for decades. One day on Ross Lake in Washington state, he and his wife were hammering the water as if killing snakes, trying to round a point in a canoe in high wind and waves, when it occurred to him that it might be nice to once again have a boat that could harness the wind.

    the distinctive streaks of a building force 7 wind are visible on the water.
    • Sailing Stories

    Storm Force Keys

    Nasty weather provides a curtain call for a memorable cruise Issue 154: Jan/Feb 2024 I knew the last storm was coming. I’d been checking the forecast daily on my C. Crane pocket weather radio. My wife...

    Robert Van Putten
    May 7, 2025
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    gluing inside boat walls
    • Interior
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    Form and Function

    Turning the interior of a bargain trailer-sailer into a comfortable pocket cruiser Issue 155: March/April 2024 When hunting for an old fiberglass sailboat to adopt in the spring of 2022, I found many ...

    Robert Van Putten
    April 17, 2025
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    • Sailing
    • Sailing Stories

    Cruising Small and Simple

    The challenges and rewards of 48 days sailing the Florida Keys Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 It took hours to rig, pack, and launch the boat. We suffered in the heat and humidity, sweating through our too-...

    Robert Van Putten
    September 27, 2023
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