A big trailerable boat with a lifting keel Issue 1...
May 6, 2026
A critical conduit fails in old age Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 Buried in the bottom of the hull, the stern tube is one of those invisible parts of a boat that rarely calls attention to itself. When it d...
A bespoke table for those who like to sit in steerage Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 Whenever I sense an opportunity to improve comfort aboard our Islander 36 or to enhance our experience while cruising, I ...
A hierarchy that puts the coolest at the bottom Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 When sailing our 1978 Hughes 26 up and down the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland, we rely on ice in ...
How sailboats stand up to the wind Issue 108: May/June 2016 In a letter to Mail Buoy in the September 2015 issue of Good Old Boat, Rich Morrow of Herring Cove, Nova Scotia, called me to task for putti...
A flopper stopper makes untenable anchorages amenable Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 We were anchored in Resolution Bay on the island of Tanna, Republic of Vanuatu. Although we had arrived only that morning...
Surface weather maps, part 2 Issue 108: May/June 2016 In the March 2016 issue I introduced surface weather maps, meteorological time-keeping systems, the difference between issued and valid date and t...
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...
From one extreme to another Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 In Part 1 of this article, in the May 2016 issue, Rob described how sailing vessels achieve their stability. Using the C&C 39 as an example of ...
Take one tabloid six times a year Issue 108: May/June 2016 When we hang out in our booth at boat shows, subscribers stop to resubscribe, of course, but we’re amazed by the number of times they tell us...
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...
Repair-centered missions bear unexpected fruit Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 While cruising down the U.S. Pacific coast we have had hardware break, alternators seize, water pumps give out, and all manner of...
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...
How they form and how they are named Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 Sailors have been watching clouds since the first boat was launched. As aficionados know, clouds come in an infinite variety of shapes and...
If it ain’t broke, it just needs cleaning and painting Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 The inspiration to rebuild, rather than replace, the non-functioning Whale Gusher 10 bilge pump on our Ericson 31 had two...
A rack where phones stay dry, charged, and in reach Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 Here’s a simple project for 21st century sailors who want a safe and dedicated place to stow expensive little gizmos. I desi...
. . . 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 ...
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...
The talent on Good Old Boat’s masthead Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 Back in 1997, Jerry Powlas and I had no idea what we would be creating with this magazine. In nearly 20 years, a community has formed ar...
Eradication attempts wither to a ritual cleansing Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 I have morning rituals when cruising. Though I try to sleep late, I usually rise with the sun, but with deliberate care so a...
It opens and closes with a throttle lever Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 I’m one of those sailors who likes to keep seacocks closed when they’re not in use. My problem was that the inlet valve for the head...
A car trunk organizer brings order to misfit stowages Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 Aboard Stingray, I use a padded car trunk organizer to keep gear organized, secure, and accessible in deep lockers or in...
The humble boathook performs a clever rope trick Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 I have recently come across several gadgets that, when affixed to a boathook, hold a loop of line so it can be dropped over a...
Spaces between deck beams beg to be filled Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 On vessels with well-defined deck beams, the spaces between the beams can be ideal sites for hinge-down storage lockers. And when s...
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...
Instant desk space: a liveaboard writer’s muse Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 Living on a 34-foot cruising boat requires being flexible, comfortable with small spaces, and doing a lot with a little. Being ...
Making two wires do the work of three Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 While I have never seen it in a physics textbook, I think there is an electrical law particular to good old boats. I call it Churchill’s...
The best decision was to call for help Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 Having plied the Great Lakes on sailboats for more than 30 years, I was thrilled when my brother Jim informed me that he was getting hi...
Don’t be shocked by aging insulation Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 When we were in Patagonia a few years back, we tied up at a marina in Puerto Montt for several weeks. We dug out our power cables a...
A dry suit is put to the test on the Gumby immersion course Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 Most sailors who venture upon cold water have given considerable thought to the consequences of having to abandon ...
Traveler controls belong in the hands of the helmsman Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 Rat’s axiom, that there is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats, is ...
