Having capitulated, here’s how to raise the waterl...
September 25, 2026
A little nip and tuck on a used spinnaker makes for an inexpensive upgrade Issue 150: May/June 2023 One of my most memorable sailing days was crossing the broad mouth of the Chesapeake Bay’s Potomac R...
A DIY teak box built onto a compression post enables movie-watching in style Issue 150: May/June 2023 When we bought Avocet in 2018, we knew we were in for a world of projects. From doing a total exte...
A quick racer/cruiser from Canada Issue 150: May/June 2023 When Jack and Marilyn Williams moved west from their home province of Ontario in 1977, settling near Victoria on Vancouver Island, one of the...
Issue 150: May/June 2023 It wasn’t two-foot-itis, but bluewater-itis, that sent us on a search for a new boat more than a decade ago. The desire for a seaworthy cruiser launched a quest that would tak...
Amid tumultuous times, a beloved Morgan 30 is a haven for a family of six Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 Clear skies, 12- to 15-knot winds, and a following sea made for smooth sailing from our mooring ball ...
Ruminations on sailing in years past drive home a fundamental truth Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 I’m climbing down the ladder from the stern of Affinity and pulling the tarp zipper as I descend, perhaps f...
Lessons learned while sailing down the East Coast to warmer weather Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 You’re ready. You have the boat of your dreams and you’ve spent enough time sailing your home waters to be ...
When a PLB is accidentally activated in a remote area, the Canadian Coast Guard responds Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 This past summer, my wife, Terri, and I set out to circumnavigate Vancouver Island on ...
An unpleasant surprise necessitates the replacement of a sole and stringer Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 I have a long list of projects on my boat that I want to complete. But replacing the cabin sole was ...
A coastal sailor jumps at the chance to cross an ocean Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 A lifetime of sailing the protected waters of Vancouver Island on British Columbia’s west coast had given me a wealth of...
Rings made from sections of pipe provide an easy way to hang gear Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 On most of our good old boats, storage in the forepeak and cockpit lockers is less than perfect. There is not...
A longtime sailor ponders the seemingly human qualities of an obdurate outboard Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 Over a long sailing life, I have found that there are times when, for no apparent reason, an ou...
Restoring a Dyer Dink 10 for dreamy daysailing Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 We hauled out our 1983 Sabre 30, Ora Kali, on a blustery day last November. In retrospect, we should have done it sooner. Winter...
The magazine’s co-founder reflects on the early days and what boaters and farmers have in common Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 Like many Good Old Boat readers, Jerry and I have been accumulating boats for ...
The right products and technique are key to separating those stubbornly cemented parts Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 I’ve tried solvents for removing sealants, but unless they are aggressive enough to melt...
What the numbers can tell you about boat performance, comfort, and stability Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 Yacht designers make many calculations in their work that help define the final shape and performa...
A modern racer-cruiser with two helms Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 This 2013 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 379 was less than 10 years old at the time of my review, providing a great opportunity to look at some of ...
Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 This issue of Good Old Boat, #151, marks 25 years since the magazine was first published in the summer of 1998. Great Lakes sailors Karen Larson and Jerry Powlas, who met thro...
A mariner grapples with an unfamiliar reluctance — and finds the cure Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 The grayer I get, the more of a serenity-seeking sailor I become. Or is “serenity-seeking” another way of...
Taming the lazarette mess with easy-to-make mesh bags Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Having a home base in a marina allows a sailor to spread out a bit. Lesser used items can go in a dock box or garage, din...
Creating an engine water bypass for easy winterization Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Our 1978 Tartan 27-2, Dawn, has a singlecylinder Farymann engine that is direct-cooled by lake water. The engine has its...
Why taking care of things big and small on your boat makes a difference Issue 152 Sept/Oct 2023 Perusing a Craigslist ad for a 40-year-old, 40-foot sailboat, I laughed out loud when I read, “Everythin...
A winged visitor catches a ride on a glorious late summer sail Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Early on a brisk September morning, as we motored out past the Absecon Inlet jetties on our way offshore and lef...
A momentary mistake with a jib changes a family’s summer sailing plans Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 There comes a point in every adventure aboard our boat when my husband and I ask ourselves, “Why are we ...
A second head is transformed into a cozy cabin for a blended family of five. Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Sailors are no strangers to tight spaces, but when two die-hard liveaboards find love and decide t...
A young couple finds a boat to call a home, from San Francisco Bay to the Chesapeake Bay Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 The idea of buying a boat came about one afternoon in my apartment off Mission Street ...
Tape can provide a quick fix for torn or cracked vinyl windows Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Eventually a vinyl window will crack, either because of extreme age or extreme cold. The right fix is new vinyl,...
A timely prompt leads a DIYer to create new chainplates Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 It all started because of a sailor named Ed, which is somewhat odd since I don’t even know Ed. But maybe I should...
A novel use of Formica makes a convenient place for to-do lists Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Creating project lists is a common tactic among boat owners. Some sailors scribble their to-dos on the backs of...
A bluewater cruiser in a small package Issue 152: Nov/Dec 2023 I was singlehanding on our Islander Bahama 30 on a spectacular fall afternoon, whitecaps dancing on the blue waters of Plumper Sound in t...
