Having capitulated, here’s how to raise the waterl...
September 25, 2026
For a group of Air Force wives, it’s been 43 years of learning to sail Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 ALOVE OF SAILING AND THE SEA brought a group of women together in 1961, and the group they founded has bee...
A canoe-sterned, yawl-rigged, trailerable pocket cruiser for two Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Start with shallow draft. Add handcrafted quality and a dash of salty conservatism. Voila! You’ve got a Rob Roy...
A comparison with three of its rivals Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 AVID NUMBER CRUNCHERS WILL SEE I’ve added a new item to the table below: the dates the boats were built. I feel this is significant for two...
An expert tells how to pick the right stuff for the job Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 I’m going to suggest something that may sound a lot like the TV pitchman who promises miracles for only pennies. It is a...
This enthusiastic couple cruises the greatest Great Lake Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 ALL HUSBANDS QUAKE WHEN GREETED by their wives with the words, “Sit down. We need to talk.” Six years ago, those dreaded...
Meet the sailing inventor who circumnavigated in an Alberg 30 Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Words fail the writer who would describe Yves Gélinas. Maverick? Free spirit? Innovator? Genius? Adventurer? Dream...
The pleasures (and perils) of prairie trailer sailing Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 We happened to see her parked at the Glenmore Reservoir. A “For Sale” sign hung on her trailer, and the price was right. W...
A famous designer tells how to discern real quality in a yacht Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Those who have read that fascinating book Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance will be aware of the author’s...
South Pacific cruisers think smaller is smarter Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 As I write this article we are anchored in the lovely bay of Taahuku on the island of Hiva Oa, having just completed a 24-day pa...
Here’s how to maintain your winches for long, reliable service Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 In the early history of sail, all sail handling was accomplished through brute strength or with the help of multi...
Here’s how to help a good old body keep sailing Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Growing old is the most unexpected thing that happens in one’s lifetime. When that three-score milestone fades into the distance...
Look before you take the leap from tiller to wheel Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Thinking of converting (or buying a boat that’s been converted) from tiller steering to wheel steering? Read this first. I wo...
How one cruiser converted from tiller steering to wheel and pedestal Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 The longer you own your sailboat, the more you upgrade it. Some of the upgrades are planned from the time y...
Meet Mark Ellis, designer of a most unusual catboat Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Mark Ellis, the energetic designer of the Niagara 35, Nonsuch 30, and many other handsome production and custom boats, is a ...
A classic Alden yawl becomes a treasured family cruiser once more Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 THE 1961 ALDEN CHALLENGER yawl looked quite large on the jackstands that brisk fall day. The price and this som...
No compromises in this powerful cruiser Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 The Nicholson 31 is a deceptive boat. Above the waterline she has the lines of a sleek modern racer/cruiser. Her cabintop is low and str...
Trucking isn’t easy, but docking is worse Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 Jerry named it Yeti, another name for Big Foot. It is the largest truck we can imagine driving. We’d been driving small sedans and spo...
Why there will be no magnetic compasses for future generations Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 AROUND A.D. 1090 THE CHINESE first reported the use of a magnetic needle to indicate north. This primitive compass...
Down below, the weight wars are raging Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 Aboard our cruising home, Siandra, battlelines are drawn. It starts innocently enough. Jamie announces his intention to buy one of those ...
Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 One of the problems all cruisers face is what to do with onboard trash between visits to town. Not only is it bulky, but let’s face it, it does tend to smell after a few days, ...
How to stop a diesel that’s running amok Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 A runaway diesel engine can be a destructive, dangerous, and terrifying experience for people nearby. Although it happens infrequently,...
Taming the lazarette and unplugging the drains Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 During nine years spent sailing a 25-foot Yamaha sailboat in the waters of the Puget Sound, I have found space to be at a premium...
A convenient holder created in thin air Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 While checking out the “goodies” offered for sale at a neighborhood flea market, I came across a used, handheld GPS receiver. The unit c...
This technology means no holes in the hull or deck Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 My solutions to the problems, concerns, and mandates about marine toilets had been to use a Porta Potti and a few jury-rigged...
Secrets to help you navigate the galley Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 Keeping the galley as efficient as possible goes a long way toward maintaining morale and even invites crewmembers to take up cooking ch...
Fishing-net locker shelves provide vital ventilation Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 Most boats from the 1970s and early 1980s came with cavernous hanging lockers, big enough to get at least one or two crew c...
Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 The founders/editors of Good Old Boat magazine have absolutely nothing against racing. In fact, Jerry Powlas figures he’s been in more than 900 races. Nonetheless Good Old Boat...
Fire on board is terrifying; here’s how to deal with it Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 For a brief moment, there is a tense quiet — just the heady, dangerous stench of spilled gasoline wafting on the wind. T...
The short course — the first in a series of overview articles for those who want just the big picture Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 Two thousand years ago, during the age of the Roman Empire, weights were m...
A good first boat, made for gunkholing Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 In 1965, the South Coast Seacraft Company, then located in Shreveport, Louisiana, introduced two fin-keeled sailboats, the South Coast 21...
