Having capitulated, here’s how to raise the waterl...
September 25, 2026
A slender pocket cruiser from the other Howard Hughes Issue 49 : Jul/Aug 2006 Hughes Boat Works Limited was the largest Canadian sailboat manufacturer for several years, building a total of approximat...
This classic Pearson 36 whispered in his ear Issue 49 : Jul/Aug 2006 Zora Neale Hurston nailed it when she wrote, “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.” True. But do boats have wishes a...
Improper thoughts about the properties of bottom paint Issue 49 : Jul/Aug 2006 The nice thing about many routine boat jobs is that you can unplug your brain from the task at hand and allow it to wande...
Domestic bliss returns after a short-lived middle-aged fling Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 If you are, or were ever, married or even a long-term relationship, you will know what I mean when I admit to havi...
A place for everything and everything out of place Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Gridlock is a condition easily achieved . . . way too easily on a boat in the spring. I was able to manage it with a can of ...
Portable refrigerator provides economical ice Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Older boats lack many of the amenities found in newer boats. Chartering a newer Beneteau in the British Virgin Islands brought th...
Try the two-handed method for better results Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 A dedicated heaving line should be supple and easily handled, weighted at the end by tradition with a monkey’s fist knot. It is us...
This hitch is often better than a bowline Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 The most common knots on and about boats are the bowline and the reef knot (commonly known as the square knot). Beyond that, it seems...
Extra guest? No problem with this jumpseat Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 When we have guests sailing with us, there never seems to be enough room around the cabin table. To add another seat quickly, I inst...
Turn your cockpit into a porch Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 It’s annoying to have to stay in the cabin during all-day rains. Some days it’s also annoying to have to be out in the cockpit, regardless of ho...
Prevent your roller-furling sail from unfurling Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Considering the number of roller furlers in use around the world today, the accidental unfurling of a sail on a moored or berth...
Keep your sanding disks flat Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Ashore or afloat, the loose stowing of the typical sanding disks of any size usually results in their curling like leaves. At best, this is a nuis...
A 1970s trailersailer that sails well and still looks modern Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 The trailersailer revolution began in the early 1970s, when there was a widespread public consciousness about prot...
Garbage out, good used stuff in; the saga begins Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 The game plan for Maruska would have to be aggressive to meet a June departure. My primary goal was to make her seaworthy and ...
“Post-trauma syndrome” might describe the impact on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 I was in a marine store the other day and saw an attractive ice chest for my boat on sale. I tho...
It’s as important for cruisers as for racers Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 How long have we been sailing? Twenty years? Thirty? How many different sailboats have we owned? Five? Ten? Had we ever tuned our ...
Extend your time cruising … in comfort Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Heating your boat in the off-season make sailing more enjoyable and extends your time on the water. For any planned heater installation,...
An old friend dies a sudden smoky death Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 In spite of the forcast, Memorial Day dawned clear and bright. Faint whispers of clouds traced the western sky, suggesting potential af...
The forgotten magic of our heavenly satellite Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 The next time there’s a new moon, go out and look for it. You won’t see it. In fact, the only way you’ll know the moon is n...
What it’s made of and how to check it Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 STANDING RIGGING IS THE TERM GIVEN TO THE CABLES that support a sailboat’s mast(s): the forestay, backstay, and shrouds, as well as special...
Two families choose Alberg 30s for living aboard Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Two months ago my husband and I brought our daughter home to our 30-foot sailboat. We live aboard a 1965 Alberg 30 sloop, whic...
What’s a retired Snipe and Catalina 22 champ to do? Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 WHEN IT COMES TO SAILING, Beattie Purcell has done it all. He was a major figure in the early days of Catalina Yachts and has...
Scores of continual little changes make life easier Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 The long you live with a boat, the more you try to make things easier for yourself. Certainly the goal is a well-functionin...
John Guzzwell’s cruising icon sails again Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Forty-four years after he last held Trekka’s helm solidly in his hand, John Guzzwell reflected, “She seemed so small and simple.” Joh...
Bats and a thunderstorm combine to make mayhem Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 We were a few days into the first leg of a three-season passage to the Canadian Maritimes from our home port of Bayfield, Wiscon...
Another idea on how to improve airflow below Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 In the March 2003 issue of Good Old Boat, Peter Bonsey presented his unique method of increasing belowdecks airflow in a small boa...
Space-age braids named after a biblical hero Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 A NYONE WHO EVER BRAIDED HAIR OR made lanyards in craft class knows the intricacy of the braiding process. Consider automating that ...
To upgrade or supersize . . . that is the question Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 There comes a day in many sailors’ lives when the prospects of either upgrading their vessel or acquiring a new boat sends t...
Installing an inboard engine in a boat that never had one Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Some sailors are hypocrites. I’m a hypocrite. We profess to believe in the power of the wind, yet few of us go ...
And why shouldn’t women share the stress of docking? Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 The National Marine Manufacturers Association recently released a survey stating that boaters, by a whopping margin, are hea...
