Dropboards give way to user-friendly doors Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Companionway dropboards are cumbersome to remove and replace and inconvenient to store. When you need them, they’re often buried deep...
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 ...
Adding a deck hatch transformed the head compartment Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 Even with an opening portlight, the head in our Island Packet 31 was a dark cave in need of more ventilation. Adding an ov...
Individuals of genius, and technical advances, laid the groundwork Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 Although fiberglass quickly overtook wood in the 1950s as the predominant material for building pleasure boa...
Rigidity and shade were just two of the benefits Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 As all things must, the old canvas dodger on my Westsail 32, Antares, came to the end of its life. We had sailed many a happy ...
Full metal jacket replaces aged-out on-deck woodwork Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 My Cal 9.2, Jade, was in a distressed state when I bought her. She’d experienced a chainplate failure and had a large numbe...
Worldwide connections give a 50-year-old sailboat a new lease on life Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 It’s midafternoon in late August 2015, and the wind is howling at a near gale. We’d put two deep reefs in ...
Adding a gate in the stern pulpit makes for easy in, easy out. Issue 130: Jan/Feb 2020 We love our 40-year-old Catalina 27, but it has the old-style stern pulpit with no easy access to the swim ladder...
Fabricating a spray hood changes the companionway game. Issue 139: July/Aug 2021 Our 1965 Alberg 35 has been a wonderful boat to us, but there are a few places where she could stand to be a little mor...
Nobody likes a leaky hatch. Here’s how to re-bed one. Issue 140: Sept/Oct 2021 My husband, Robin, and I met fellow cruiser Adva Reshef in a boatyard, and we became fast friends making repairs to...
Extensions make older-style cockpit coamings far more comfy to lean against. Issue 141: Nov/Dec 2021 Kicking back and relaxing in the cockpit of one’s sailboat, especially if it is well-designed, cons...
Great modifications make all the difference on three good old boats. Issue 141: Nov/Dec 2021 Spend any meaningful amount of time aboard a boat, and its shortcomings quickly become apparent. That wet l...
Issue 143: March/April 2022 What to do with rotted wood on a boat? Whether it’s a supporting internal structure or a wood-cored fiberglass sandwich exposed to the elements, either may be remedied with...
Hot-melt glue solves a sticky situation when rebedding deck hardware. Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022 Recently, we wanted to replace the Dorades on our 1979 Gulfstar 37 with lower-profile solar vents....
For certain applications, glued-on studs are an alternative to through-bolts. Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 Through-bolts are the gold standard for strength and security when it comes to attaching stuff to ...
How safe are your chainplates? Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 “What’s this? It looks like you have a crack in this chainplate!” my friend John said while dropping into his dinghy. It was our final afternoon ...
Custom treads made from composite decking take the pain out of a boat ladder. Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 In the sailing world, misery for feet abounds—from scorched decks to stubbed toes to Slocum’s tack...
Helping a classic Alberg come to life as a racer-cruiser Issue 149: March/April 2023 Sailing — moving a craft through the water using the wind’s energy — is a magical experience. Witness the var...
Regulating copper-leaching rates of antifouling paints may be better than banning them Issue 149: March/April 2023 Copper is lethal to many marine organisms. That’s why it works. Antifouling paints re...
Determined to reduce his environmental impact, a sailor seeks an alternative to ablative-based antifouling paint Issue 149: March/April 2023 Several years ago, my wife and I were cruising the Bahamas ...
When the surprise of a bad rudder comes to light, there’s only one direction to go — forward Issue 149: March/April 2023 I have to start this story with a few warnings. Your rudder matters. Don’t take...
The emotional roller coaster is an inevitable part of the boatyard journey Issue 149: March/April 2023 I have complicated feelings about boatyards. Strolling among the jack stands, with the boats and ...
New through-hulls and lessons learned during a marathon haulout Issue 149: March/April 2023 I first stepped on a sailboat in 2015 and met my now-husband, Scott, at the helm. A friend brought me along ...
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...
The late Gordon Lightfoot’s ’70s-era Ericson gets a proper rig and hull refit Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 The calls, emails, and texts started coming in to my wife, Lisa, and me on the evening of Ma...
Rebedding a cabin top eyebrow to solve a pesky leak Issue 154: Jan/Feb 2024 Winter covers come off boats late up here in Maine, leaving a short, often cold window to get ready for launch. Last year, b...
An inexpensive cure for a crowded cockpit Issue 155: March/April 2024 We are seasonal sailors on the Great Lakes, and summer is a time for having fun with our family and friends. We love having guests...
When the right boat proves elusive, a sailor tackles a major overhaul. Issue 155: March/April 2025 My search for the ideal beach cruiser started several years ago, when I decided to compete in the Eve...
A Montgomery 12 becomes a family project that perpetuates the love of sailing. Issue 155: March/April 2024 Restoring a 1974 Montgomery 12 sailing dinghy with my identical twin boys, Jackson and Connor...
Bringing an old boat back to life provides relief in trying times. Issue 155: March/April 2024 My husband lifted the shabby dinghy off the bed of the truck, slid the decrepit 8-foot hull onto a rollin...
