One more challenge before letting go Issue 90: May/June 2013 We could have kept sailing. We aren’t so old and tired that it’s no longer possible. The aches and pains are bad, but not intolerable. My e...
They block out heat, light, and prying eyes Issue 90: May/June 2013 When searching for our current boat, we developed a list of “must haves.” In addition to opening ports, we wanted more than one or t...
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 ...
A versatile trailerable that’s as divisive as it is popular Issue 90: May/June 2013 Perhaps there will never be a more controversial sailboat to appear on the pages of Good Old Boat than the MacGregor...
Satellite radio delivers data and images to the cockpit Issue 90: May/June 2013 It seemed almost magical. I was in the cockpit of our J/32 on Sequim Bay in western Washington state, yet displayed on t...
Creative solutions for hard-to-use spaces Issue 90: May/June 2013 In a smallish galley it’s hard to justify the space taken up by an oven. I removed the oven in my 31-foot ketch, Talisman, replaced it...
Simple original construction means a simple repair Issue 90: May/June 2013 I should have paid more attention to my loose rudder bearing when I put the boat in the water, but it didn’t seem any worse t...
Rubber roofing out of a can does the trick Issue 90: May/June 2013 Over the years I have tried several methods to create a watertight mast boot. As a temporary fix, I once used duct tape. It was inexp...
Adding a tee adds versatility Issue 90: May/June 2013 My Columbia 10.7 was suffering from hardening of the arteries. More specifically, it was hardening of the seacock. The Groco SV Series seacocks we...
Interior ventilation as an art form Issue 90: May/June 2013 Among the rituals we held during our many family sailing adventures, one was airing out the boat. For a family of six crowded in a small sai...
When super-human effort isn’t enough, humanity succeeds Issue 90: May/June 2013 This is a story of disaster, struggle, despair, and dreams lost . . . but also one of friendship, creativity, redemption...
Prevention demands diligence and vigilance Issue 90: May/June 2013 Ellen and I have been involved with two major boat fires over the years. The first was in the Caribbean on board Entr’acte, our Nor’s...
Years of tender care revived a wilting Watkins Issue 90: May/June 2013 Her name is Sundew. She’s a 1978 Watkins 27 shoal-draft cruising sloop. She was named after an award-winning tulip in Holland. Sa...
A simple way to power up or down the mainsail Issue 90: May/June 2013 Many mainsails have a cringle at the luff of the sail a few inches above the tack. It’s known as the Cunningham and is named after...
A fast racer/cruiser from the early ‘90s Issue 90: May/June 2013 C&C Yachts enjoys a hard-won reputation for building strong, high-performance sailboats without neglecting cruising amenities or ap...
Boat evolution is a non-linear process Issue 90: May/June 2013 Any search for exactly the right words can be a frustrating experience. This is especially true if you’re trying to explain a fundamental...
