Dash off little jobs with dispatch Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 When I’m desperate to get a relatively small teak finish job done in a hurry I . . . Allen Penticoff, a Good Old Boat contributing editor, i...
It uses a feature common to many devices Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 It started with a search for an anemometer, as I was curious about wind speeds while sailing my Seaward 24. Sure, I had an idea of wha...
Keep out their prey and spiders won’t move in Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 Over the more than 40 years that I’ve been messing around in boats, I’ve had to deal with a variety of uninvited guests that have...
The practiced art of setting and weighing anchor under sail Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 In four years of cruising aboard MonArk, we’ve lost our engine twice. On the second occasion, in San Francisco Bay,...
A simple springline takes the heat out of docking Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Many boaters, power or sail, have a little trouble docking cleanly, sometimes made worse by a “helper” on the dock taking char...
Viewing vessel traffic with a smartphone app Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 A couple of times a year, I find myself on Virginia’s Hampton Roads, a large natural harbor close to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. W...
. . . and the safety significance of MMSI and GPS Issue 119: March/April 2018 When we replaced the fixed-mount VHF radio on our 1986 cutter back in 2002, we noticed the new radio featured a red “distr...
The kink-free lifeline daisy chain gives wet rope a good airing Issue 120: May/June 2018 For sailors, wet rope is a fact of life. Coil and stow that wet rope after a sail, and green rope may become a ...
How to keep newcomers to sailing calm and engaged Issue 120: May/June 2018 Now you’ve done it. A week after talking up sailing at the office party or neighborhood barbecue, you’re surprised that your ...
Those nightmare threads that become unthreadable can be avoided Issue 122: Sept/Oct 2018 Sailing is all about feel. And sometimes it’s through feel we get the first hint that things are about to go al...
Notes for creating harmony on board Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 On a torturous August crossing of Lake Superior from Isle Royale to Grand Marais, the wind was either light and on the nose or roaring up ra...
They’d set sail tomorrow if it weren’t for . . . Issue 125: March/April 2019 We see it all the time. A boat is purchased and an announcement made, but, after some time has passed, either realit...
Ready to buy a boat and sail away? Try this first. Issue 132: May/June 2020 I blame YouTube. I blame those sailing channels filled with bikini-clad sailors living carefree lives in tropical paradises....
A quick dismasting led to months of navigating insurance claim waters. Issue 136: Jan/Feb 2021 Five seconds is all it takes. Five seconds for your entire rig to come down, causing tens of thousands of...
A pulpit-mounted spotlight can make all the difference when navigating in the dark. Issue 136: Jan/Feb 2021 I tend to sneak up on new ideas, so it took me many years of night sailing in the Chesapeake...
Trailer getting in the way of your boat work? Here’s a no-crane solution. Issue 139: July/Aug 2021 Trailers are great for moving modest-sized sailboats from one place to another. They’re also a good p...
Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 I spend a lot of time navigating shoal waters, and my dedicated (and expensive) chart plotter only gets fresh information about such places when I install an updated SD card, y...
A luff tape cleaner makes mast groove maintenance easy and sail hoisting smoother. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 The most basic part of sailing—hoisting your sails—should be easy and straightforward. While ...
Do you really need to splice a thimble into that line? Maybe not so much. Issue 143: March/April 2022 Traditional wire or metal thimbles are common gear on boats, usually spliced into a line where a r...
Storing the dinghy on the hip while moored is an easy, useful practice. Issue 143: March/April 2022 A mother often finds it convenient to rest a toddler on her hip. A mother ship can benefit from the ...
As electric propulsion technology leaps forward, that’s a question worth constantly revisiting. Issue 143: March/April 2022 When we repowered our Liberty 458, Nine of Cups, a decade ago, we took a clo...
Issue 144: May/June 2022 Circuit Certainty The Hubbell Circuit Tester (LED, 125VAC, 30A) is a handy, affordable little device that could save a boater a great deal of electrical frustration when deali...
The only thing predictable about lightning is how scary and potentially destructive it is. Issue 144: May/June 2022 Joe Miano was relaxing on the deck of his Endeavour 42, Bonzee, in a Punta Gorda, Fl...
It’s time to ditch the disposables. Issue 144: May/June 2022 When it comes to batteries, dockside debates nearly always default to the rapidly evolving technologies that are changing how we power our ...
Lobster pot lines aren’t the only things to avoid while cruising Maine’s coast. Issue 144: May/June 2022 It had been a gorgeous Maine sailing day up from Biddeford Pool across the wide mouth of Portla...
For owners of older sailboats, the insurance market is getting complicated. Issue 144: May/June 2022 David Sharp, who’d sailed his 1969 Tartan 34C, Pegasus, for many years out of Newport, Rhode Island...
Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 Taking the Nip Out of Flies Sailors who assume mosquitoes are the pastime’s main insect issue clearly haven’t experienced biting flies. Mosquitoes primarily come out at night,...
Trailer-sailing depends on finding a good launch ramp. Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 One advantage of owning a trailerable boat is being able to explore distant and unfamiliar waters on a tight timeline an...
Here’s a cook’s tour of seaworthy recipes suitable for a good old boat’s chef. Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022 Pity the poor cook. Think of the limited space for a galley on most good old b...
A fun night sail after a dinner out with friends turns harrowing for a father and son. Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 In the moment before disaster struck, I distinctly remember working on the foredeck of my...
