Diagram of a transducer signal

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...

Hard body winch cover picture

Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 Like most sailors, I take pride in ownership. Every item not in use is stowed in its proper place, and anything with a cover is covered. It is because of this attention to det...

Karen Larson checks out the new navigation tool aboard Mystic, a Weems & Plath Chartkit Plotter. The plotter comes with a case, facing page at left, to protect it when stowed. It fits flat against one side of Mystic’s wet locker. Facing page below right: a portable charting table which can be used in the cockpit. What a concept!

Two very different aids to navigation Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 Back in 1968 when I was a navigating officer on the USS Newport News, we had a chart table that would hold a full-sized chart without fol...

Berth types, amidships of a typical 38-footer

A prominent yacht designer discusses the importance of beds Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 IN THE NOVEMBER 2003 ISSUE OF GOOD Old Boat we discussed arrangement plans: aft cockpit, center cockpit, and pilothou...

There is good access to the new primary filter, facing page. But the fuel has to be able to get out of the filter. Two identically numbered parts from the same manufacturer: the old, above right, and the new, above left.

How a mysterious mechanical malady was finally cured Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 The other day we were out sailing and headed home when the wind died. We turned on the engine and motored back to the harb...

Picture of a radio wave scale

Understanding and using your marine-band radio Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 The primary short-range radio-communication system for most small craft is the VHF-FM marine-band radio. It is the communication...

Illustration of chain storage

A crafty sailor converts a water tank into a chain locker Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 The stock water tank in my 1965 Columbia Defender 29 was a plastic, 25-gallon, tapered, trapezoidal thing under the V...

Commemorative photo of Autohelm 3000 aboard Mystic, the editors’ C&C 30. This autopilot ran frequently for nearly 10 years. The day following this photo session, it failed. An indicator of how important this feature is aboard Mystic: a new autopilot was ordered immediately.

Significant advances in new generation of autopilots Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 Not long ago, autopilots were little more than powered aids to steering with somewhat primitive designs and a reputation f...

Diagram of halyard repair

Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 Whether your halyards are of braided or laid rope, as long as they are external, new ones can be reeved without sending a person aloft. Two things are needed: a nearly windless...

Shovel handle + PVC pipe + swim noodle + wooden dowel + eyebolt + screws and locking nuts + chain or BBs or both = the North Coast mooring pick-up buoy

Say hello to the North Coast mooring pick-up buoy Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 North Coast sailors (those sailing on the Great Lakes) count on two major seasons: sailing and snowing. The two minor seasons ...

Simple and versatile, cable ties bind things together quickly and securely, leave no sticky residue, and are inexpensive and easy to remove.

Instant anti-flap for the rigging before you hit the freeway Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 One of the biggest advantages of trailersailing is that you are not limited to one sailing area in a single sailing...

Original pipe configuration, above. An improved configuration would eliminate the middle connector and locate the injection point higher on the pipe.

How a can of fruit salad and some hose clamps saved the day Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 Day two of our planned trip up to Lake Michigan to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula dawned like the previous day: hot, hum...

No problem winching Bill up the mast with the electric drill.

Using an electric drill to drive sheet, halyard, and anchor winches Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 The idea originated with Jim Schmitt, a friend and Freedom 33 owner, who said, “There is a lot of talk on th...

Kotchka, above, shows her classic lines while sailing downwind. J and Marci Kolb were attracted by her reasonable price, when compared with the Hinckley Bermuda 40 and Pilot 35. The revised foredeck with a repositioned windlass layout, on facing page.

Their Hinckley 38 dreamboat came with a multi-year project list Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 Nixon was in the oval office, the Vietnam War was dividing the country, and up in quiet Southwest Harbor, Maine,...

An alternator is coupled to the engine by a belt drive.

Generating electricity — how the alternator and regulator produce their magic Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 Although sailboats are usually small and compact, they have the infrastructure of a large city: th...

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