Have your boat text you when it’s in trouble Issue...
June 24, 2026
Have your boat text you when it’s in trouble Issue 83: March/April 2012 Recreational boats can lead a lonely life. On the weekends, it’s party time with lots of guests and action. During the weekdays,...
It’s invisible, insidious, and destructive Issue 83: March/April 2012 Everyone today knows we shouldn’t go out in the sun without wearing adequate protection, but it wasn’t always so. Noel Coward wrot...
How we see in the dark, or not Issue 83: March/April 2012 We live in a world of constant bright light: sunlight during the day and artificial light at night. As a result, we may not realize that there...
Good old designs that still catch the eye Issue 81 : Nov/Dec 2011 When I was a kid in the early 1960s, there were quite a few yachting magazines. Each had its own character but they all had one thing ...
An easily towed water-ballasted trailersailer Issue 81 : Nov/Dec 2011 The Santana 2023 has a tall family tree dating to the early days of production fiberglass boats. W.D. “Bill” Schock, like many boa...
Mastering the machine assures entry to the club Issue 81 : Nov/Dec 2011 Defining moments can occur at any time. I was sewing a couple of covers for the new (larger!) winches Jerry installed this past ...
Compassion for the lost transcends species Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 Once, for two nights and a day, in the middle of the Sargasso Sea, I made an unlikely friendship with a castaway bird. He was no bigg...
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 ...
A new faceplate accommodates new gadgets Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 After more than 25 years sailing, I decided it was time to get an autopilot for Unicorn, our Catalina 30. When it came to installing th...
Silent and stowable, they are easy to love Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 Shakespeare said it best: “A hatchboard by any other name would still be a nuisance.” Anyway, I think that’s what he said. It’s late ...
Lightning induces a review of current lighting Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 When a nearby lightning strike zapped my sailboat’s electronics and lights, I learned a lot more about the implications of conver...
Its irregular shape dictated DIY Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 My 1986 Pearson 28-2 had a rubber-bladder waste tank that had seen its day. After being filled and emptied many times since it was installed, i...
. . . meets veterans designed for similar goals Issue 83: March/April 2012 In this issue we have three 30-foot-waterline cruiser/racers, all designed originally for serious ocean racing with cruising ...
. . . with two variations on the theme Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 Note: In an editorial snafu, we didn’t make it clear to Ted that the feature boat is a centerboard version of the Bristol 35.5 so his com...
In Bristol condition and a fine place to be Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 Her dark blue hull laid down to a building breeze funneling through the Mississagi Strait, one of three entrances to Ontario’s North...
Degrees, decimals, and the synthesis of cultures Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 As we go about our daily rounds, whether on land or sea, it’s critically important that we be able to identify and describe exa...
How a piece of flotsam became an asset Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 One side effect of continually making improvements and upgrades to Sigfrid, our 34-foot 6-inch steel ketch, is that my partner, Magali, a...
A safe and reliable installation takes thought Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 Davits provide the ultimate system for launching, retrieving, and stowing a tender while offering a few bonuses beyond their desi...
Coming to an anchorage near you Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 During a 2010 cruise to Barkley Sound on the west coast of Vancouver, we found ourselves anchored for two days in a tree. Not tied to a tree, bu...
Leftover home flooring brightens up a boat Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 When I bought my Eastward Ho 31, her cabin sole was delaminated teak-and-holly plywood. The first project I took on was to remove tha...
Expanding storage and improving their function Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 One of the rewards of owning good old boats is overcoming the challenges they inevitably present. It helps to prioritize and pick...
A project boat helps a young man set his life’s course Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 For as long as I can remember, I was scheming to buy my first sailboat. I spent many hours of my childhood poring over cl...
She’s seen a lifetime of devotion Issue 83: March/April 2012 John Keats wrote, “a thing of beauty is a joy forever.” And although it’s unlikely that the poet was thinking about a sailboat as he penned...
A compulsive boat fixer share some advice Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 Over the last few years, I have restored a 1972 Helms 25, reconditioned a 1977 Irwin 28, and begun researching another project boat. B...
Advanced concepts in styling and design Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 Walking down the dock on review day, I couldn’t help but notice the sharp contrast between Jeff Carey’s 1989 Hunter Vision 32, Endolyne,...
How the CCA rule influenced sailboat aesthetics Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 It’s not unusual for people to look at older boats and marvel at their beauty and remark how today’s boats just aren’t as good l...
Classic classes are given new life Issue 83: March/April 2012 A few paces down the first dock, I was captivated by a bright red hull. Radio Flyer is long and lean with the beautiful overhangs commonly...
A novice learns some tricks from the pros Issue 83: March/April 2012 Stew must have had a good reason to schedule his knee surgery while our 47-foot Cheoy Lee was in the yard for two weeks, but for th...
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...
Systems that make stuff cool Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 When considering refrigeration for your boat, it’s imperative that you match the type of refrigeration system to the boat’s potential sources for e...
