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    Tom Wells

    Tom Wells had a long career as a professional engineer. He and his wife, Sandy, both retired in June 2016, and in August 2016 they set out from Waukegan, Illinois, on a 3,000-nautical-mile voyage south via the Great Lakes, Erie Canal, Hudson River, and the East Coast. They now live aboard their Tartan 37, Higher Porpoise, and are based in Southwest Florida, cruising and enjoying life.

    Picture of a Rhodes 22 sailing
    • Boat Reviews
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    Rhodes 22

    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...

    Tom Wells
    May 5, 2026
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    The Cape Dory 27 Scotch’s Too III, sailed by Phil Bills on the Ohio River, shows off the low sheerline and balanced overhangs, today considered “classic,” that are characteristic of the designs of Carl Alberg.
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    CAPE DORY 27

    A thoroughbred at home on rivers, lakes, and oceans Issue 104 : Sept/Oct 2015 Phil Bills began sailing in 1960 when he was 15. He grew up in Delaware, Ohio, north of Columbus, and sailed the Douglass ...

    Tom Wells
    April 30, 2026
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    Allen and Ruth Penticoff sail Thebote, their MacGregor 26D, main picture, wherever they feel like trailering her. One big factor enabling them to do so is the relative ease with which they can raise the mast, above.
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    MacGregor 26D

    Fun and utility in a lightweight package Issue 105 : Nov/Dec 2015 When we were looking for a MacGregor 26D to review, we found one nearby — a 1989 model that Allen and Ruth Penticoff bought new and na...

    Tom Wells
    April 29, 2026
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    Like all of Jim Taylor’s designs, the Starwind 27 is a quick and nimble sailer. Bruce and Sarah Miller sail Polaris on Missouri’s Mark Twain Lake.
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    Starwind 27

    A smart weatherly sailer and able cruiser Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 Asmall cruiser that has good accommodations, pleasing lines, and offers exhilarating sailing is worth a second look. Such is the cas...

    Tom Wells
    April 20, 2026
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    A cap at each end holds a spring taken from a wire nut of the type used in household wiring, at left. Tom now has portable power for testing 12-volt circuits.
    • Electrical
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    Portable 12-volt source

    GOB’s troubadour tests conductors with an electric baton Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 As part of a major refit of our Tartan 37, Higher Porpoise, we decided to replace all the in-mast conductors whil...

    Tom Wells
    April 17, 2026
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    cutting off the bottom of a sailboat keel
    • Hull & Structure
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    A keel too deep

    Turning a deep-draft racer into a shoal-draft cruiser Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 As we approached our retirement, Sandy and I confronted a dilemma. We had owned our Tartan 37, Higher Porpoise, since 199...

    Tom Wells
    March 10, 2026
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    sailboat on water
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    Allied Princess 36

    A capable, comfortable cruiser with a pedigree Issue 119: March/April 2018 Cruising-sailboat designs balance comfort and performance in varying degrees, and anyone seeking a good cruiser must take tha...

    Tom Wells
    February 25, 2026
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    SeaSucker Large Dry Box
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    Product Profiles

    Issue 126: May/June 2019 Protect a jib’s head from sunburn Most roller-furling headsails have fabric strips sewn to the leech and foot to protect the furled sail from ultraviolet radiation (UV). At th...

    Tom Wells
    January 7, 2026
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    Southerly 115

    A true shoal-draft cruiser from the UK Issue 125: March/April 2019 When you are used to sailing a performance cruiser with a 7-foot draft, the prospect of spending winters in the shallow waters of Sou...

    Tom Wells
    March 1, 2019
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    The Impractical Boat Owner

    When I started reading this humorous take on boating and boaters, I expected more of the usual, but Dave Selby has a new and refreshing approach to the genre. The description on Amazon says a lot: “It...

    Tom Wells
    February 14, 2019
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    The Boat Drinks Book: A Different Tipple in Every Port

    I read the title, The Boat Drinks Book: A different tipple in every port. I expected I’d find inside a cold and factual catalogue of all of the boat drinks I’d ever tasted, and perhaps a couple of new...

    Tom Wells
    June 1, 2017
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