Make holding-tank chemistry work in your favor Iss...
March 12, 2026
Finding hidden corners and using them for storage Issue 119: March/April 2018 Fitting out our 2003 Tartan 3700, Sapphire, for a cruise from Lake Ontario to the Bahamas, I realized that we needed more ...
. . . and the safety significance of MMSI and GPS Issue 119: March/April 2018 When we replaced the fixed-mount VHF radio on our 1986 cutter back in 2002, we noticed the new radio featured a red “distr...
Two boys buy a big wooden boat with their hearts, not their heads Issue 119: March/April 2018 On a warm June evening in 1969, my friends Scott and David drove with me from the Chicago suburbs to Michi...
Where the climate insists, a built-in system pays dividends Issue 119: March/April 2018 Summers on the Chesapeake are hot and humid, so we thought we were in high clover when our new-to-us boat came w...
A Vagabond 47 gets a multi-year makeover Issue 119: March/April 2018 Almost 40 years ago, walking the docks at Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle, I came across a new Vagabond 47 ketch. It was love at fi...
Swageless terminals were a hands-on sailor’s choice Issue 119: March/April 2018 When I purchased Pelorus, my Paceship PY26, she had suffered damage to the bow and starboard side during Hurricane Bob i...
Engine trouble, sail trouble, a repair stop, and a Celtic goddess Issue 119: March/April 2018 “Lindora?” “No. I don’t like it,” said my husband, Erik. “It’s Lincoln’s and Isadora’s names put together....
Banishing wet balsa, one stanchion at a time Issue 119: March/April 2018 When we bought our 1977 Pearson 365 sloop several years ago, the surveyor noted elevated moisture readings around just about ev...
His passion for boatbuilding helped jump-start an industry Issue 119: March/April 2018 Everett Pearson, rightly considered one of the most important figures in modern boatbuilding, passed away Christm...
It supports a whole lot more than an over-the-cockpit solar array Issue 119: March/April 2018 “Don’t do it . . . just don’t.” That’s the advice we got from nearly everyone we talked to after deciding ...
. . . and a pair of popular full-keelers Issue 119: March/April 2018 The Allied Princess 36 represents a design concept that persisted for the first half of the 20th century. That is, full keel, moder...
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...
Its breadth demands a diversity of content Issue 119: March/April 2018 Immediately upon assuming editorial responsibility at Good Old Boat, I started work on a mission statement. This magazine didn’t ...
Night-watch ruminations lead to an unsolvable riddle Issue 120: May/June 2018 I have a confession to make. It’s been six months and 6,000 miles since my mate James and I set sail from Portland, Englan...
The kink-free lifeline daisy chain gives wet rope a good airing Issue 120: May/June 2018 For sailors, wet rope is a fact of life. Coil and stow that wet rope after a sail, and green rope may become a ...
Issue 120: May/June 2018 Extend cell-phone range On much of the inland lake I sail, the cellular signal is often weak. WeBoost Drive Sleek, a cellular signal booster, promised to solve this problem. A...
Make strong connections with a needle and twine Issue 120: May/June 2018 Conventional splices are king for forming eyes in rope. They resist abrasion and snagging and retain nearly the full strength o...
Issue 120: May/June 2018 Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com...
How to keep newcomers to sailing calm and engaged Issue 120: May/June 2018 Now you’ve done it. A week after talking up sailing at the office party or neighborhood barbecue, you’re surprised that your ...
A neglected vintage sailing dinghy finds love Issue 120: May/June 2018 A couple of years ago, I realized that, if I wanted to sail more, maybe I should look around for a smaller boat. I started watchi...
Keeping up an older boat pays back in family time, not dollars Issue 120: May/June 2018 What is the point of all the effort and expense I put into owning a good old boat? I often find myself asking th...
A suspended zippered bag relieves crowded cockpit locker Issue 120: May/June 2018 Prepping Sapphire, our Tartan 3700, for a cruise from Lake Ontario to the Bahamas forced us to review our stowage opti...
It was not the best place for his rudder to jam hard over Issue 120: May/June 2018 On the day I purchased my first boat, the 30-foot Shallow Life, my sailing experience amounted to only two days aboar...
Storm windows on hatches and ports help keep the cabin cozy Issue 120: May/June 2018 How many northern sailors miss the glory days of sailing? I’m talking about the fall when, in many parts of the con...
Most everything, according to surveys Issue 120: May/June 2018 We spent two years preparing our boat to cross the Pacific. We read countless blogs and peppered experienced ocean sailors with questions...
. . . and a couple of companion centerboarders Issue 120: May/June 2018 I have to admit that I like centerboarders. It was no accident, after sailing International Fourteen Foot Dinghies (with centerb...
An update of a longtime favorite Issue 120: May/June 2018 I came upon this classic good old boat at Mazanet Marina, up the Yahara River in Madison, Wisconsin, but I was puzzled as to what it was. Andy...
Shared passions form a common bond between strangers Issue 120: May/June 2018 I rode motorcycles for years, first a 1982 Yamaha Virago 920, later a 1977 Honda CB550. Neither was a touring bike, but th...
A midlife course change has left a legacy in its wake Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 Short of getting married to begin with, starting a sailing magazine 20 years ago was one of the most risky and rewarding ...
Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 StopGull bird deterrents Our berth is near a clump of trees where starlings and blackbirds roost. They do their dirty work all over nearby boats; I jumped at the chance to tes...
