The inevitable, unpredictable, freshwater fertility frenzy Issue 108: May/June 2016 Each year, along the south shore of Lake Ontario in late April when it’s time for painting and varnishing boats, the...
Cheap and effective, they don’t wrap or slide Issue 108: May/June 2016 I sail my Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2, Quee Queg, on lakes and reservoirs in Arizona, where accurately discerning wind direction ca...
A wet towel puts a damper on a loose helm One morning, we were at anchor in a pretty cove when an empty water bottle blew overboard. We raised the anchor and chased down the errant bottle. Once the an...
A cell phone signal booster brings the world aboard Issue 108: May/June 2016 Like many sailors who still work, I like to keep abreast of things back at the office every few days, even when on vacation...
A twin-keeler from across “the Pond” Issue 108: May/June 2016 First we’ll address the elephant in the room: the wild paint job is the result of work done by William Barnhart of Mesa, Arizona, for an I...
An oil change that led to a life change Issue 108: May/June 2016 The convergence of boat and boat owner is serendipitous. We expect the new owner to find the boat; sometimes the boat finds the new own...
Thoughts about the little boat that tends the big boat Issue 108: May/June 2016 Conditions at Fire Island Inlet on the south shore of Long Island were “a bit sporty,” as they say in New England, but n...
Better backing plates restore rigidity Issue 108: May/June 2016 When a concentrated load is applied to a structure, that load must be distributed widely enough that the surrounding structure is not ov...
Keeping leafy greens fresh without a fridge Issue 108: May/ June 2016 When my partner, Robin, wants to get my attention, he’ll come home with a big beautiful bouquet of freshly cut collard greens. If ...
A former tightwad reflects on shoestring budgets Issue 108: May/June 2016 The pastime of sailing has often been compared to standing in a cold shower while tearing up 20-dollar bills. Yacht ownership ...
Ice-cooled air for a cool night’s sleep Issue 108: May/June 2016 Some nights in mid-summer it’s just too hot to sleep on the boat. Even with the companionway and all the ports and hatches open, ...
Installing air conditioning was a cool move Issue 108: May/June 2016 My Down East 45 schooner, Britannia, had neither air conditioning nor heating when I bought her one December in Fort Lauderdale. In...
A big makeover for a cramped water closet Issue 108: May/June 2016 When we bought our 1977 Down East 45 schooner, the forward head was a poky little place with a tiny “unstainless-steel” wash-basin an...
Generating electricity via the prop shaft Issue 108: May/June 2016 When we are anchored for any period of time, our solar panels and wind generator pretty much keep up with our power needs. On a passa...
Ways to dispose of expired pyrotechnics Issue 108: May/June 2016 Your flare caddy was overflowing with mostly expired flares. You bought a bigger one. Now it, too, is almost filled with expired flares...
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...
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...
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...
