Issue 9 : Nov/Dec 1999 December of 1899 was particularly vicious along the coast of Maine. Just off a promontory jutting into the sea, rose a wind-swept half-acre of bare granite named Kinery Rock, on...
While the rest of the boatyard slumbers beneath a blanket of snow, he steals aboard to reminisce Issue 10 : Jan/Feb 2000 Barnegat Bay lies on the New Jersey coast between Manasquan and Atlantic City. ...
As Einstein pointed out, it’s relative — but even for lesser mortals who sail good old boats, it’s relatively complicated Issue 10 : Jan/Feb 2000 I received a radio license in the mail some time ago, ...
Tacking’s so easy you won’t know what to do with yourself Issue 15 : Nov/Dec 2000 I’m alone in the cockpit of my schooner, Delphinus, short-tacking up a narrow section of the bay. Half aloud, I say to...
The rig Americans made their own is still “scooning” after 300 years Issue 16 : Jan/Feb 2001 It’s not discreet to say this, but I’ve been having an affair, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s been a...
Handholds are an easy and inexpensive way to increase your security afloat Issue 17 : Mar/Apr 2001 Dodgers are not necessary — that is, if you’re a masochist or a Spartan who enjoys being hit in the f...
Issue 20 : Sept/Oct 2001 One thing for sure about being aboard a boat is that the weather is never the same for very long. There are times when you don’t need hatch doors at all, times when heavy-duty...
German-born sea adventurer settles in Florida Issue 20 : Sept/Oct 2001 The term Renaissance Man has been used with abandon in recent years, but for boatbuilder Chris Bauer the term is not misapplied. ...
Solving the problem of icing up in winter Issue 20 : Sept/Oct 2001 For those of us who live the higher latitudes, the approach of the fall season reminds us of an upcoming conflict between our boating...
Tried and trusted old fittings give character to modern yachts Issue 21 : Nov/Dec 2001 If you remember when all sailboats had wooden spars, manila lines, galvanized fittings, and cotton sails, chances...
These relics of nautical history still have practical modern uses Issue 22 : Jan/Feb 2002 As sailors, sometimes our most basic feelings come to the surface when we go aboard an old boat. Whether it be...
Make them last longer and perform better Issue 23 : Mar/Apr 2002 Blocks, or to use the landlubber’s term, pulleys, are as indispensable to the operation of a sailboat as an engine is to a powerboat. T...
Issue 24 : May/June 2002 Getting back aboard most sailboats from the water without a ladder is next to impossible. Although many sailboats can have a stainless-steel, pull-down ladder on the transom, ...
Don’t wait until it happens; get your boat ready now Issue 24 : May/June 2002 My first memory, as a small child, was being in the middle of a hurricane in the North Atlantic. It was the 1930s. Our fam...
Issue 25 : Jul/Aug 2002 At our dock we have three shore cables: the 35-amp AC power cable, the telephone cable, and the cable-TV. To keep the shore-end plugs of these cables out of the weather when th...
Hard work converts a classic Hinckley from total wreck to total delight Issue 25 : Jul/Aug 2002 For sailors, one of the worst nightmares is to be driven into the breakers of a lee shore. At 2:35 a.m. ...
Tips on how to extract the old one and install the new one Issue 27: Nov/Dec 2002 IN THE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ISSUE OF Good Old Boat, we discussed the decisions to be made when the inevitable day comes t...
New engine or rebuild? And should you install it yourself? Issue 26 : Sept/Oct 2002 Chances are your boat is like a member of the family. You could no more dispose of it than sell your only child. But...
Driven mad by noisy halyards, a sailor plans his revenge Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 I’M BAD. I ADMIT IT. I’VE BRAZENLY JUMPED aboard other people’s boats without even asking “permission to come aboard” an...
This unique paint-stripping material won’t rip off your gelcoat Issue 29 : Mar/Apr 2003 Chances are your boat has many years’ worth of paint on the bottom. Removing the paint buildup without rui...
Oars: How to choose ’em and use ’em Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Although some dinghies can handle outboards and some have sailing rigs, every dinghy has a set of oars. The ease and pleasure of rowing a sm...
A little tender loving care brings longer trouble-free life Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 DIESEL ENGINES ARE NOW THE ENGINES OF CHOICE FOR auxiliary sailboats, and with good reason. They have a superior reco...
Here’s how to maintain your winches for long, reliable service Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 In the early history of sail, all sail handling was accomplished through brute strength or with the help of multi...
Here’s how to help a good old body keep sailing Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Growing old is the most unexpected thing that happens in one’s lifetime. When that three-score milestone fades into the distance...
Why there will be no magnetic compasses for future generations Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 AROUND A.D. 1090 THE CHINESE first reported the use of a magnetic needle to indicate north. This primitive compass...
How to stop a diesel that’s running amok Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 A runaway diesel engine can be a destructive, dangerous, and terrifying experience for people nearby. Although it happens infrequently,...
The short course — the first in a series of overview articles for those who want just the big picture Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 Two thousand years ago, during the age of the Roman Empire, weights were m...
Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 Many diesel engines aboard sailboats have compression-release or decompression levers on top of the engine for each cylinder. As their name implies, these levers hold open the...
Understanding and using your marine-band radio Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 The primary short-range radio-communication system for most small craft is the VHF-FM marine-band radio. It is the communication...
Simple ebb and flow results from highly complicated physics Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 Poets and ancient cultures have long compared life itself with the tides. Historically, a flood tide has been consi...
