Skip to content
Good Old Boat Logo, sailboat icon
  • Saildata
    • Boats
    • Designers
    • Builders
    • Sailmaker’s Series
    • Sail Calculator
  • Projects
    • Cushions & Upholstery
    • Electrical
    • Engine
    • Gear
    • Hull & Structure
    • Interior
    • Maintenance
    • Plumbing
    • Restoration
    • Rigging
    • Sails & Canvas
  • Sailing
    • Fabric Foils
    • Sailing Stories
    • Sailing Tips
  • Reviews
    • Boat Reviews
    • Book Reviews
  • The Dogwatch
Main Menu
  • Saildata
    • Boats
    • Designers
    • Builders
    • Sailmaker’s Series
    • Sail Calculator
  • Projects
    • Cushions & Upholstery
    • Electrical
    • Engine
    • Gear
    • Hull & Structure
    • Interior
    • Maintenance
    • Plumbing
    • Restoration
    • Rigging
    • Sails & Canvas
  • Sailing
    • Fabric Foils
    • Sailing Stories
    • Sailing Tips
  • Reviews
    • Boat Reviews
    • Book Reviews
  • The Dogwatch

Category List

  • Anchoring(16)
  • Boat Reviews(118)
  • Book Reviews(656)
  • BWI Award-Winning Articles(21)
  • Cushions & Upholstery(6)
  • Dogwatch(860)
  • Electrical(48)
  • Engine(36)
  • Gear(17)
  • Hull & Structure(65)
  • Interior(93)
  • Maintenance(65)
  • Monohull(88)
  • Multihull(5)
  • Plumbing(18)
  • Product Reviews(28)
  • Projects(450)
  • Restoration(31)
  • Reviews(345)
  • Rigging(54)
  • Sailing(335)
  • Sailing Stories(271)
  • Sailing Tips(134)
  • Sailor Profile(39)
  • Sails & Canvas(31)
  • Technology(1)
  • Search Boats
  • Sail Calculator
  • Visit Sailrite
    Home / Reviews

    Reviews

    Sub Categories:Boat ReviewsMonohullMultihullBook ReviewsProduct Reviews
    Bowman 46, Mercer 44, Explorer 45 comparison table
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Bowman 46 . . .

    . . . and partners from the era of split rigs Issue 105 : Nov/Dec 2015 The Bowman 46 was designed originally with a deep-draft fixed keel and the majority of the boats built from that tooling retained...

    Rob Mazza
    April 28, 2026
    Read More
    Her black hull and tanbark sail make Orca, John and Julie Mohr’s Bay Hen 21, instantly recognizable on Indiana’s Lake Monroe.
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Bay Hen 21

    A cat-rigged unballasted sharpie for gunkholing Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 John and Julie Mohr of Seymour, Indiana, own a 1992 Bay Hen 21 named Orca. John, a cartographer, was looking for a simple boat ...

    Allen Penticoff
    April 27, 2026
    Read More
    Picture of an Ontario 32
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Ontario 32

    An oceangoing cruiser by C&C and Ontario Yachts Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 Gregg and Jean Tranter may list Calgary, Alberta, as their home, but they have spent every summer aboard grasal, a 1981 Ont...

    Ferd Johns
    April 23, 2026
    Read More
    Sea sprite, Luders 16, and Shark 24 Comparison Chart
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Sea Sprite 23 . . .

    . . . and two very different daysailers Issue 107 : Mar/Apr 2016 Carl Alberg established his reputation as a designer with the Pearson Triton in 1958, the same year he designed the Sea Sprite 23. He u...

    Rob Mazza
    April 22, 2026
    Read More
    Although they live in New York, Joel and Lynne Schuman, above, keep Ms Lynne G, at left, in Door County, Wisconsin, and sail her there during their summer visits.
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Ms Lynne G, a Sea Sprite 23

    Restored to order, she’s a daysailing delight Issue 107 : Mar/Apr 2016 “Bill, you really ought to come over to Yacht Works this morning. There’s a sleek, small boat being rigged right now and her owne...

    Bill Jacobs
    April 22, 2026
    Read More
    Picture of Catalina 25
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Catalina 25

    A ubiquitous trailerable cruising sailboat Issue 107 : Mar/Apr 2016 Catalina Yachts of Woodland Hills, California, produced the Catalina 25 from 1978 to 1990 from a design by the company’s founder and...

    Mike Nelson
    April 22, 2026
    Read More
    Todd Baker sails his Lancer 27 PS, California Dreamin’, out of Sandusky Bay, Ohio. With its raked bow and steeply sloped cabintop, the boat has an unmistakable appearance.
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Lancer 27 PS

    An unusual “powersailer” that will get you home in a hurry Issue 108: May/June 2016 Richard “Dick” Valdes, founder and former chief executive officer of Columbia Yachts, established Lancer...

    Gregg Nestor
    April 21, 2026
    Read More
    Picture of Beneteau First 285
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Beneteau First 285

    A versatile ’80s-era racer/cruiser from the world’s largest builder of sailboats Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 A classy car and a boat with a storied history say a lot about Wayne Barnard and his wife, Mar...

    Allen Penticoff
    April 21, 2026
    Read More
    portable phone charger
    • Product Reviews
    • Reviews

    Product Profiles

    Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 A headlamp for on-the-water use Mantus Anchors, the company started by a couple of cruising sailors in 2012, has released a headlamp designed for life on the water. According t...

    Chuck Koucky
    April 21, 2026
    Read More
    Table Comparing the Cheoy Lee Offshore 33, Fuji 35, and Mariner 35
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Cheoy Lee Offshore 33 . . .

    . . . up against a pair of two-stickers Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 Here is a trio of cruising ketches in a very traditional style from the late 1960s and early ’70s. That is, split rigs with full keels ...

    Rob Mazza
    April 20, 2026
    Read More
    When Clark isn’t sailing her, Solitude spends her time in Deltaville, Virginia, in the company of boats of all types, ages, materials, and purposes.
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Solitude, a Cheoy Lee Offshore 33 ketch

    Hobby, haven, labor of love, and a great escape Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 Chesapeake Bay water runs in Clark Robins’ veins. “My grandfather captained the cargo schooner Ella Worden on Mobjack Bay in th...

    Zora Aiken
    April 20, 2026
    Read More
    Like all of Jim Taylor’s designs, the Starwind 27 is a quick and nimble sailer. Bruce and Sarah Miller sail Polaris on Missouri’s Mark Twain Lake.
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Starwind 27

    A smart weatherly sailer and able cruiser Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 Asmall cruiser that has good accommodations, pleasing lines, and offers exhilarating sailing is worth a second look. Such is the cas...

    Tom Wells
    April 20, 2026
    Read More
    Under sail in the capable hands of Burnie Turner and Tim West, the Slipper 17 cuts a fine profile, top left. The transom shape is derived from traditional designs, top right.
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Slipper 17

    A daysailer with gunkholing aspirations Issue 110: Sept/Oct 2016 What better place to review boat than in my own backyard? The Slipper 17 that is the subject of this article came into my care when a m...

    Allen Penticoff
    April 17, 2026
    Read More
    Comparison Table between the Alerion III, Alerion Express 28, and Fantail 26
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Alerion Express 28

    . . . meets a precursor and a follower Issue 110: Sept/Oct 2016 As Bill Jacobs notes in his article on page 10, the design of the Alerion Express 28 was inspired by Alerion III, the boat Nat Herreshof...

    Rob Mazza
    April 17, 2026
    Read More
    Nathanael Herreshoff knew how to make a boat look good and sail fast, so it’s no surprise the Alerion Express 28, main photo, drew its inspiration from The Wizard of Bristol, who would have appreciated the technology in the eye-catching carbon fiber sails on Stephen Neumer’s Dress Blue, upper inset. In the absence of lifelines and stanchions, the view from the helm is of a clean foredeck, lower inset.
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Dress Blue, an Alerion Express 28

    A Bristol modern daysailer with a Bristol heritage Issue 110: Sept/Oct 2016 From my Florida condo over- looking Sarasota Bay, I frequently scan the water with binoculars, looking for interesting boats...

    Bill Jacobs
    April 17, 2026
    Read More
    boat on water
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Gozzard 31

    A classic-looking cruiser with an unorthodox interior Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 Viewed alongside the sleek cookie-cutter yachts of today, a Gozzard sailboat may look like a throwback to a past era, but ...

    Joe Cloidt
    April 8, 2026
    Read More
    boat on water
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Bayfield 29

    A well-crafted cruising boat with character Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 John and Nancy Butte began their sailing adventures in a West Wight Potter 19 on blustery San Francisco Bay. Although Nancy, a retir...

    Ferd Johns
    April 8, 2026
    Read More
    boat on water
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Hunter 20

    A handy trailer-sailer that’s easy on the boating budget Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 Boats to review often come to me via interesting paths. In response to a request by Good Old Boat editor Karen Larson f...

    Allen Penticoff
    April 6, 2026
    Read More
    sailboat on water
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Downeaster 38

    A shoal-draft cutter for blue water Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 Mike Gover, the owner of the Downeaster 38, Cabezon Café, holds a U.S. Coast Guard certification for up to 100 tons. An avid sport fisherman...

    Richard Smith
    April 1, 2026
    Read More
    O'day 25 boat
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    O’Day 25

    A keel-centerboard family cruiser Issue 113: March/April 2017 Dan Benjamin has been coastal cruising since 1976, in boats ranging from a 17-foot Com-Pac Sun Cat to a 35-foot Hallberg-Rassy and in cond...

    Ferd Johns
    March 31, 2026
    Read More
    boat spec chart
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Aloha 34 . . .

    . . . and a pair of post-IOR racer/cruisers Issue 113: March/April 2017 The Aloha 34 incorporates design features that were becoming the norm in the 1980s. The separate keel and rudder, radical for th...

    Rob Mazza
    March 27, 2026
    Read More
    Aloha 34 boats
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Two Aloha 34s

    Sister ships for sailing brothers Issue 113: March/April 2017 Brothers Peter and David Herring came to sailing early. They grew up near what is now Cambridge, Ontario, close to a few small lakes. Thei...

    D.B. Davies
    March 26, 2026
    Read More
    sailboat on water
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Hunter 30

    A good example of an early conservation Hunter Issue 114: May/June 2017 Starting in the early 1960s, Florida became a hotbed of sailboat designers and builders, particularly in the Tampa Bay area. Whi...

    Joe Cloidt
    March 24, 2026
    Read More
    boat spec chart
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Spirit 28

    . . . and two early IOR cruiser/racers Issue 115: July/Aug 2017 Here is a trio of moderate 28-foot cruiser/racers from the 1970s. This was an extremely popular size during this period and builders oft...

    Rob Mazza
    March 12, 2026
    Read More
    sailboat on water
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Spirit 28

    A versatile boat for different owners Issue 115: July/Aug 2017 For this review of the Glastron-built Spirit 28, I looked at two boats with identical hulls that have taken on vastly different character...

    Allen Penticoff
    March 12, 2026
    Read More
    boat comparison chart
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Viking 33 and 34 . . .

    . . . evolve alongside a contemporary cousin Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 The Viking 33 is one of a small number of boats designed for another builder by C&C Yachts after the company’s creation in 196...

    Rob Mazza
    March 9, 2026
    Read More
    sailboat on water
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    Viking 33

    A rakish C&C design that races and cruises equally well Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 Restoring an old boat is much like falling in love. Not much about it is logical or rational, but when we fall for ...

    Robert Lovell
    March 9, 2026
    Read More
    boat spec comparison chart
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Pearson 323 . . .

    . . . and designers’ contrasting takes on the IOR Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2018 As Gregg Nestor mentions in his accompanying review of the Pearson 323, Bill Shaw and Pearson Yachts prided themselves on prod...

    Rob Mazza
    March 5, 2026
    Read More
    Shurhold Deluxe Water Sprite Mop
    • Product Reviews
    • Reviews

    Product Profiles

    Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 SmartPlug Marine Cordset Friends on two different sailboats have had electrical fires that originated in their shorepower connections. Corrosion on the contacts and internal co...

    David Lynn
    March 4, 2026
    Read More
    boat specs chart
    • Boat Reviews
    • Monohull
    • Reviews

    The Niagara 26 . . .

    . . . and a trio of Canadian contemporaries Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 George Hinterhoeller, with his company, Hinterhoeller Yachts, was one of the four founding members of C&C Yachts in 1969. By 197...

    Rob Mazza
    March 3, 2026
    Read More
    123...28

    Featured Posts

    1Industrial sewing machines are made of metal and have few, if any, plastic parts, top of page. Leslie’s machine is fitted with a portable motor, cogged monster wheel and hand crank, and a strong wooden case. For sail work, it must be able to sew straight and zigzag stitches, above left. Different materials and fabric assemblies are best accommodated by a variety of presser feet, above right.
    Sail-repair essentials
    April 28, 2026
    2Even in her least favorite conditions, light air, Mug Up strikes an eye-catching stance in Gloucester Harbor, above. Give her some heavy air and sea room, Mark says, and she’s off like a thoroughbred. The name is appropriate to the hailing port, at right. “Mug up” was the Gloucester fishermen’s break for coffee — perhaps with a dollop of rum on cold days.
    Mug Up, a 46-foot Bowman yawl
    April 28, 2026
    3Speaker? What speaker? top left. Jim had already glued his cover over it and couldn’t take a “before” photo, but the founding editors have a similar protruding speaker back on their C&C 30, also in the head, above. Luckily for them, it’s in a locker and not in plain view on the bulkhead, and the unsightly speaker and wire that Jim so expertly covered on Sundew are less obvious.
    Disguising a speaker
    April 27, 2026
    4Picture of the Sport-brella
    Sport-Brella
    April 27, 2026
    5Showing off a device made of pipe cleaners to clean the mainsail slot
    A slick slot for sail slugs
    April 27, 2026
    6Shoal Survivor’s trampoline presents a convenient surface for Drew to lay out and measure his anchor chain for marking, top left. A discarded cardboard box protects the trampoline from overspray, top right, and is easy to dispose of afterward. Notches in the sides of the box prevent the chain from slipping. After 100 nights of anchoring in sand and mud, the first mark is well-worn but still very functional, above.
    Marking anchor chain
    April 27, 2026
    • Saildata
    • Sail Calculator
    • Designers
    • Builders
    Contact Us
    About Us
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
    Visit Sailrite
    Sailrite Fabric Calculator
    Meet Our Customers

    Copyright © 2026 Goodoldboat, Inc