Having capitulated, here’s how to raise the waterl...
September 25, 2026
Home canning is the answer for fridge-less cruisers Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 On Lake Superior’s north shore one brilliant sunny day we met a lovely young couple who informed us that, in spite of having...
This tough, flexible, shiny oil penetrates old gelcoat Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 OVER THE YEARS, I’VE OWNED SEVERAL “EXPERIENCED” FIBERGLASS sailboats. These are boats that have already had at least one ...
Make them yourself this easy way Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 A LIFELINE CUSHION IS SOMETHING YOU CAN THROW TOGETHER from materials intended for other projects, and you can save a nice wad of cash while you...
How to equip your boat for the wild blue yonder Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Visit a marina, yacht club, or boat show, and you will meet or hear of sailors who are planning a long cruise or circumnavigatio...
Barbecue charcoal does the trick Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 SINCE I PERFORM THE BULK OF THE MAINTENANCE ON MY SAILBOAT, not to mention on my cars, pickup, tractor, and house, it’s only reasonable that I w...
A DIY kit to soothe those aching teeth Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM ANY CHANCE OF HELP, THERE WAS a blinding pain. I found myself staring down at a chunk of metal in my hand. The hole it...
This nice fat one won’t jam in a block Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 HAVE YOU EVER HAD A JIB SHEET RUN OUT OF ITS BLOCK AND blow overboard on the leeward side? The consequence of this temporary loss of jib c...
An inspired solution to an intimidating problem Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 BELOW THE WATERLINE OF VESPERA, THE 51-FOOT CUTTER I had chosen as a refit project, the entire gelcoat surface was star-cracked. ...
The basic rules of anchoring — and staying put Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Everyone who owns a boat have occasion to anchor at one time or another, perhaps when cruising overnight, clamming, fishing, swim...
A pioneering designer of many early production fiberglass sailboats Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Philip L. Rhodes (1895 -1974) was one of the most distinguished yacht designers of the past century. Indicat...
How changes can affect the strength of a rig Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 In recent weeks I’ve had several inquiries from boatowners asking for advice on mast rigging. Their questions prompted me to write ...
A major refit for a 1967 Ted Hood 24-foot trailersailer Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 She was a wreck. When I first saw her, she was sitting on a derelict trailer with two flat tires. Her hull was faded fro...
Built for comfort with Robert Perry performance Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 If you and your spouse have ever designed and built a house (one of the few activities that rivals a married couple trying to an...
A shoal-draft schooner for family cruising Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Finding three similar boats for comparison purposes is never simple, but finding three to compare with a keel/centerboard schooner wa...
He’s a jack of all trades and master of most Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Renaissance man was not a term in use when Good Old Boat contributing editor Don Launer was growing up prior to World War II. It wa...
Soon a dream of escape will come true Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 I have a large dog. She’s a Rottweiler/shepherd mix: no tail, like a Rott, but looks like a shepherd in the face. At my yard, here i...
And we’re keeping this one to ourselves Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 In the summer of 2004, the largest U.S. sailing magazine ran a list of the top 10 towns that are perfect for sailors: “Sailville, USA,” ...
Here’s a handier way to keep it in place Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Our boat has halyard winches to port and starboard near the base of the mast and another winch on the boom for the outhaul and reefs. I...
An automatic cycle counter for next-to-nothing Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Living in Colorado, with my Pearson 424 tied up in New Bern, North Carolina, I sometimes awaken in a cold sweat, wondering if my ...
Classic varnish solves boater’s problem Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Any owner of a good old boat will, at some time or another, be confronted with the sight of brightwork that no longer lives up to the na...
Use these socks on your portlight screens Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 I dream of there mass extermination but, alas, it remains a dream — no-see-ums (midges, punkies, sand flies, and sand fleas) are a fac...
Or how a desperate sailor drilled out a sheared stud Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 So there we knelt, staring at the bolt head in my hand in horror. What was once a beautiful 5⁄16-inch x 3-inch bolt was now...
It’s easy to help these pesky pests on their way Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Drat those wretched fruit flies! Here’s an odd, but quick and effective, way of dispatching them. Keep a plastic bag with...
A crafty idea to help singlehanders raise and lower sails Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 One of the chief hassles when sailing alone is raising and lowering sails while maintaining your usual dignity and dec...
How to read your boat’s “birth certificate” Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Unless you have a really old boat, you probably have a set of 12 characters embedded on the upper starboard side of your boat’s tran...
Rescuing a rare classic: a Cape Dory Typhoon daysailer Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 I retired in July and, after clearing up a few projects around the house, I began searching for a new summer project. As ...
Old leaking portlights? Here’s one solution Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Just about every sailboat over 20 years old has the same basic construction for its fi xed portlights. Clear plastic or glass in the...
A better way to keep the crew on board Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Commercial vessels have a lot to teach their recreational cousins, yet many of their lessons go unheeded. A prime example is cabintop han...
Certainly not twins, the 33 and 36 share characteristics Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Our subjects are two sloops manufactured by the Columbia Yacht Company during its heyday in the 1960s when it was the p...
Available fuel choices for cruising sailboats Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 The selection of the best galley stove for use aboard your sailboat depends on the size of the boat, the layout of the galley, and...
