And we carry their lessons far from the water Issue 84 : May/Jun 2012 A boat — especially an old boat — is a good teacher. It teaches us how to fix things. We read manuals, magazine articles, and book...
Age and patience make up for fading youth and verve Issue 84 : May/Jun 2012 There comes a tide in the affairs of men that, taken at the flood, sucks them swiftly away from the sea and boats and strand...
Big Bobber marks the spot Issue 86: Sept/Oct 2012 As your boat swings around in a tight or crowded anchorage, it’s helpful if you can see where your anchor is lying. An anchor buoy enables you to do t...
A nifty boat-cover support that packs to nothing Issue 86: Sept/Oct 2012 As I drove slowly by this boat, the thought flashed through my mind that it sure would be easy to store this winter-cover frame...
Close it with a cord and a cleat hitch Issue 86: Sept/Oct 2012 In situations where more-normal people ask, “How can I fix this?” we on board Eurisko tend to think, “How can I use string to fix this?” ...
Tips for taking photos that “pop” Issue 85 : Jul/Aug 2012 The difference between a snap-shot and a beautiful photo is in the details, not in the cost of the camera it’s taken with or the advanced proc...
Why American sailors stuck with a movable appendage Issue 85 : Jul/Aug 2012 First, let me say it’s a humbling experience to take over the design comparisons in Good Old Boat from someone with the brea...
Car projects and boat projects don’t even compare Issue 87 : Nov/Dec 2012 When my fiancée, Jennifer, and I returned from our 11-month cruise from New Hampshire to the Bahamas aboard our 36-foot sloop,...
A good old springline suffices on a good old boat Issue 87 : Nov/Dec 2012 I recently came across a new Jeanneau with the 360 Docking system. A drive leg that rotates through 360 degrees, coupled with ...
A sewing sailor needs her own pair of pliers Issue 87 : Nov/Dec 2012 Here’s a little-known fact: any sailor who sews should have a pair of pliers in his or her sail-repair kit. Pliers are just the thi...
Old socks for laid-up standing rigging Issue 90: May/June 2013 We remove our boat’s mast every year when we lay her up and store her for the winter. When we’re doing the annual haulout, I have some ol...
Applying the principle without the cost Issue 90: May/June 2013 It’s impossible to build with fiberglass for very long without having occasion to think that a vacuum-bagging setup would be convenient....
Persistence pays off with a solo solution Issue 90: May/June 2013 Almost every boat manufacturer eventually tries its hand at designing a mast-raising system, with varying degrees of success. While I ...
The case for good old offshore-cruising boats Issue 88 : Jan/Feb 2013 The best used-boat bargains of all time are out there right now. Despite the cutbacks in new-yacht production, more boats are for ...
Getting a magnetic compass to tell the truth about North Issue 88 : Jan/Feb 2013 Most recreational sailors today navigate their craft using electronic devices. This is all well and good until an elect...
We asked — now it’s our turn to respond Issue 89 : Mar/Apr 2013 Earlier this winter — once the boat was put away — Jerry decided it would be a good idea to ask our readers for their input. He introduc...
It’s easy to lose sight of what it means Issue 91 : Jul/Aug 2013 We all know what a boat is and we can probably arrive at some definition of “old” without too much difficulty, but what exactly puts th...
Where you are depends on where you measure from Issue 91 : Jul/Aug 2013 A chart datum is a reference from which data or information displayed on a nautical chart is measured. One type of chart datum, ...
Variety is the spice of the sailing life Issue 92 : Sept/Oct 2013 One of the greatest aspects of offshore and coastal cruising is meeting other like-minded souls out there who are sailing the world’s ...
Shelter and a helm station are key features Issue 92 : Sept/Oct 2013 It’s a challenge to define what we mean when we refer to a pilothouse on a sailboat. Is inside steering a definite requirement? Wha...
It’s everything from taxi to truck Issue 98: Sept/Oct 2014 Selecting a dinghy is a critical step in outfitting a cruising boat, but amid the onslaught of outfitting decisions about whether to add sola...
What’s the D/L with the SA/D? Issue 93 : Nov/Dec 2013 Good Old Boat receives frequent letters from readers asking for an explanation of the formulas used to compare sailboats. We generally refer peopl...
After the storm, it’s decision time Issue 93 : Nov/Dec 2013 For some sailors, after a storm or hurricane comes relief. The mooring held. The neighboring steel boat didn’t break loose during the night ...
Sophisticated mechanisms that use a simple principle Issue 93 : Nov/Dec 2013 Windvane steering was pioneered by Blondie Hasler in the 1960s and is the autopilot of choice for many bluewater sailors. I...
A solo sailor is active in mind and body Issue 98: Sept/Oct 2014 In 1974, I owned a varnished wooden Folkboat in Branford, Connecticut. On my first try at sailing solo I was wracked with anxiety, not ...
Let how you cruise be how you choose Issue 94 : Jan/Feb 2014 Cruising in trailerable sailboats has its advantages. In the winter, you can get your boat from the frozen north to Florida at 60 mph in a ...
Savor the flavor but save the fuel Issue 95 : Mar/Apr 2014 The aroma of freshly baking bread fills the saloon and lifts our spirits. As coastal cruisers, we find it necessary and oh, so satisfying, to...
The cost to repair vs. the cost to replace Issue 95 : Mar/Apr 2014 Let’s say your 30-foot good old boat needs $25,000 worth of repairs and she’s only worth $20,000. Should you make the repairs? Many d...
Mitigating mayhem might be your best hope Issue 98: Sept/Oct 2014 In our travels aboard Nine of Cups, we’ve seen some dandy thunder-and-lightning storms. In some places, like the mid-latitudes in the ...
Nobility among metals has its benefits Issue 95 : Mar/Apr 2014 When two dissimilar metals are immersed in an electrolyte, they form a battery. If they are connected electrically, an electric current w...
