A big trailerable boat with a lifting keel Issue 1...
May 6, 2026
. . . and replaced with mixed results Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 I have lost rudders five times over the course of owning two different boats, each time for a different reason, each time requiring a diff...
A rudder head succumbs to its mixed-metal construction Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 As the proud new owner of a 1985 Gloucester 22, I’m taking time to go over her thoroughly and return her to near-pristine...
Tired, sole-scorching teak decking gets the heave-ho Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 “You’re delirious — come out of the sun right now!” my wife, Heidi, called to me from the shade of the cockpit. For the rec...
Protect bright-finished handrails with snap-on covers Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 Teak handrails are not just functional, they add a beautiful, classic aesthetic to a sailboat, especially when the teak is...
An old sail helps the night watch rest easy Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 After we purchased a new suit of sails recently, I was determined to give our old sails a second life. I couldn’t find a recycling p...
It began with reclaiming space from in-deck storage Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 Our Down East 45 has a large aft cabin with an attached en-suite head compartment. Entry to this cabin is by way of a passag...
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...
Could old boats be the new old cars? Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 When reader George Chase offered his perspective on owning good old boats, we decided to share it with all good old boat caretakers. –Edito...
A sailboat evokes a certain kind of emotion Issue 113: March/April 2017 Many a captain will tell you a sailboat is a conscious being. She can be a jealous thing, a sensitive gal whose dependability ri...
Stirring paint without the Pollock effect Issue 113: March/April 2017 Our Creekmore 34, Eurisko, always looks sharp with her new black bottom paint, but we don’t wear it nearly as well. Bottom paint i...
Secondhand silverware made ideal tools Issue 113: March/April 2017 Nurdle’s toerail was leaking and I had no choice but to remove and rebed it — all 70 feet. While most of the Dolfinite compound used ...
Protection for fiberglass countertops Issue 113: March/April 2017 Molded fiberglass galley countertops are fairly common on older boats. When taken care of, they look good and are easy to keep clean. ...
Saying farewell to a first small boat Issue 113: March/April 2017 In the two-page color advertisement, the million-dollar yacht was sailing briskly across blue water against a background of the white ...
Explore the world through sailors’ YouTube channels Issue 113: March/April 2017 More and more sailors are capturing their exploits and adventures on video and sharing those videos online. Still photos...
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...
Two dollies make keel hauling a one-man job Issue 113: March/April 2017 When I pulled Carolyn’s Eyes, our 1984 Catalina 22, out of Chesapeake Bay in the fall of 2015, I saw at once that her retractabl...
Tactics that help the dark hours pass lightly Issue 113: March/April 2017 As an early-to-bed person, I find a night passage offers special and sublime opportunities for stargazing, precious alone time...
A little stiffness could have become a big problem Issue 113: March/April 2017 We had been tied to a dock for several weeks enjoying the city of Seville, Spain. It was a day just like any other day: I...
From essential spar to useful accessory Issue 113: March/April 2017 Once upon a time, all sailboats that carried headsails had bowsprits. In the days when masts were cut from trees, there was a defini...
The cost of wood made aluminum the way to go Issue 113: March/April 2017 I was up the foremast of my 1977 Down East 45 schooner, Britannia, raised there by the electric windlass bolted to the bowsprit...
. . . 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...
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...
A latecomer to rowing dips in her oar Issue 113: March/April 2017 The title of Richard Bode’s wildly popular little book says it all: First You Have to Row a Little Boat. I don’t know how many copies ...
Do not poo-poo the smarts of swallows Issue 114: May/June 2017 Birds and other wild creatures that inhabit our boating waters are tough, adaptable, and innovative — and sometimes annoying. But always ...
The answer when “universal” isn’t quite Issue 114: May/June 2017 You can buy a key for the old-style slotted deck-fill caps, but about the only type available is a universal key designed to fit severa...
Clip-on solar lights illuminate and identify Issue 114: May/June 2017 For about $5 each, I made wireless lights that I can install anyplace on the boat we have a 1-inch rail to clip them on to. They b...
Shedding water is the key to longevity Issue 114: May/June 2017 When inflatable dinghies are stored outdoors, they need protection from the sun, rain, windblown leaves, and wildlife droppings. Of the ...
A traditional seaman’s artifact is a step up Issue 114: May/June 2017 Getting into our bunk aboard our PDQ 32 is a rather athletic endeavor: I have to crawl in face-first over a seat that is too...
Looking up is no longer embarrassing Issue 114: May/June 2017 One of the inescapable downsides of owning a good old boat is, it’s old! Much on board a boat that’s pushing 40, like my Down East 45 scho...
Issue 114: May/June 2017 While the first fiberglass auxiliary sailboats were introduced in the mid-1950s, and the 28-foot 6-inch Pearson Triton (1959) was widely considered the most successful series-...
