Make holding-tank chemistry work in your favor Iss...
March 12, 2026
A small project that brings satisfaction and pride. An acquaintance raised the question concerning those little wedges that hold the mast in column on many boats. On a recent sail in blustery conditio...
Vang/preventer: a fast, effective safety device I was guilty of contempt. Never a good thing, in this case it turned out to be a serious error. I had held a thunderstorm cell in contempt all morning. ...
The Valiant 32 was designed by Bob Perry as a smaller version of the successful Valiant 40. In the 1970s, a 30- to 35-foot boat was considered the optimum-size boat for a cruising couple. In response ...
Ease that fear of falling: Techniques for making a trip up the stick safer. The only sure things in life are death, taxes, and that – sooner or later – you will have to go up your mast. Ma...
Beefing up a retired racer with aluminum My mate, Karlene, and I looked long and hard for a sailboat suitable for world cruising that we could afford. I’ve become convinced that boat speed is an...
Epoxy, fiberglass, and a little cunning fix an old problem Tillers in some boats are known to break with regularity. If you’ve ever taken part in a drill of this nature, I don’t need to ex...
People may be impressed by a millionaire’s rocketship, but “ooohs” and “aaahs” are saved for the classic. A British author once wrote, in effect, that you can go away for...
You’ve found your dreamboat, had it surveyed, and signed up for a long and happy relationship. The broker said it holds 20 gallons of fuel and 40 gallons of water. He didn’t say where the ...
Whether constructed of steel or aluminum, metal yachts deserve a second look In the 1960s and early 1970s we rarely saw metal yachts in North American waters. Steel yachts had been built in Holland an...
Bent stanchions and delaminated decks When we were unloading our boat following a recent week-long cruise, I noticed the midship stanchion on the port side was slightly bent toward the stern. It was a...
Top designer Ted Brewer explains stability and how it affects safety and speed The speed of a sailing yacht in any given wind is determined, to a large extent, by the amount of sail she can carry. In ...
Your job requires a sealant. You don’t have to be a chemist to choose the right one. In my experience, there are always two things trying to get into your boat that you don’t want there: w...
The rig Americans made their own is still “scooning” after 300 years It’s not discreet to say this, but I’ve been having an affair, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. It...
Build a one-off holding tank Like most good old boats, All Ways, my 28-foot Pearson Triton, was built with an overboard discharge marine head. Since my favorite cruising area was recently declared a N...
Buying, selling, new and used: Sail brokers can stretch your sailing dollars Those of us who love good old boats do so out of aesthetic preferences, sailing abilities, and – let’s face it ...
Rescue that rusting tank Tucked away under the cabin sole floorboards, the average fuel tank doesn’t get much attention from those of us who like to sail. In fact, it may be totally neglected un...
Well-known marine author Don Casey described how to remove the old engine from your good old boat. Now it’s time for the final exciting step … Even though engine brochures generally provide all ...
What you need to know before removing the old engine. The engine and shaft must be in precise alignment. This is the only hard, fast rule for installing a new engine in an old boat. Everything else yo...
New engine or rebuild? And should you install it yourself? Chances are your boat is like a member of the family. You could no more dispose of it than sell your only child. But, inevitably, the day arr...
Tips on how to extract the old one and install the new one. In the September/October issue of Good Old Boat, we discussed the decisions to be made when the inevitable day comes that your power plant n...
Ted Brewer explains how racing rules affected seaworthiness – but not always for the better The purpose of any rating rule is to enable yachts of different sizes to race together fairly. Without...
Common on many newer stock boats, pushpit or stern pulpit seating is a great addition to any good old boat as well. The pushpit is the stainless steel framework aft of the cockpit. It’s an impor...
It bakes bread, makes hearty soups, distills water, and holds the kids’ “critters.” Who could ask for more? Long, long ago in another lifetime far, far away – well, 17 years ag...
Starting in a garage, cousins Clinton and Everett Pearson initiated an era in yachting history It’s a familiar story to sailing buffs. The Pearson cousins, Clinton and Everett, began the modern ...
When your good old back’s not up to it anymore, let a windlass do the donkey work It’s strange how much difficulty we owners of older boats have in finding $500 to $1,000 to replace an old...
Superstition got you down? John Vigor offers tips for renaming your boat and keeping it lucky I once knew a man in Florida who told me he’d owned 24 different yachts and renamed every single one...
Don Moyer didn’t start out to become the Atomic 4 guru, he just loved ‘messing about with engines,’ and an Atomic 4 was the engine he had … the rest, as they say, is history In...
You may not be able to win the war, but you can win occasional battles. Regardless of the odds, you must fight! Now’s the time to meet your opponent. It’s the ultimate mismatch: you versus...
In a previously published article, I touched upon the use of a quick and easy way for the lone sailor to raise or lower the mast on the typical small cruiser. Ensuing months brought a number of inquir...
Guidelines for evaluating and installing wet exhausts The most popular sailboat exhaust system today is a wet exhaust system which includes a waterlift muffler. This system offers many advantages and ...
