A race for chariots and classics alike Issue 95 : Mar/Apr 2014 While I’ve sailed and cruised much of my life, I’ve never been a racer, never even attended a race. So the day before the start of the 20...
Registries can reveal a lot Issue 96 : May/Jun 2014 We’re all curious about the good old boats out there. You’ve probably learned to recognize some boats by their sail insignias, cove stripes, the sha...
The alluring emanations of a seagoing home Issue 107 : Mar/Apr 2016 At any auto parts store in the country, you can buy an aerosol can of New Car Smell. Have you ever seen a can of New Boat Smell at y...
A soft solution to a hard-edged cockpit Issue 107 : Mar/Apr 2016 I’ve seen better cockpits. When Sparkman & Stephens designed the cockpit of our Fuji 40 in the late 1970s, I think the focus was on...
No deviations in Good Old Boat’s wake Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 Back in 1998, when Loran-C was in widespread use and the world’s attention was focused on Y2K, a couple of Great Lakes sailors noted that...
Signature sailboat designs seem to have gone by the board Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Doug Peterson drew a 35-foot sailboat, borrowed money from his grandmother to have it built in his hometown, raced it ...
Boat cards connect good friends and good times with places far and near Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 They’re a throwback to a time we seem to have moved past, a quaint time when all letters were handwritte...
Its breadth demands a diversity of content Issue 119: March/April 2018 Immediately upon assuming editorial responsibility at Good Old Boat, I started work on a mission statement. This magazine didn’t ...
Issue 120: May/June 2018 Extend cell-phone range On much of the inland lake I sail, the cellular signal is often weak. WeBoost Drive Sleek, a cellular signal booster, promised to solve this problem. A...
Shared passions form a common bond between strangers Issue 120: May/June 2018 I rode motorcycles for years, first a 1982 Yamaha Virago 920, later a 1977 Honda CB550. Neither was a touring bike, but th...
Saying no to wings, foils, carbon fiber, and satcoms Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 I’m embarrassed to report that I’ve long been a bit sour on the America’s Cup, as it’s evolved. Embarrassed because boats ...
Issue 122: Sept/Oct 2018 Hurricane-tested water shoe I live in sandals and don’t often wear shoes. When I received the Bzees Wink Water Shoes to give them a test run, I dutifully wore them around for ...
We learn to expect the unexpected, then tell the story Issue 122: Sept/Oct 2018 Fifteen miles off the coast of Mexico on a sunny New Year’s Day, 2012, the autopilot steering, my wife, Windy, and I and...
Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 Zippers made zippy I love this stuff. E-Z Snap Zipper & Snap Lubricant really works. I had some tough-to-use zippers aboard: the cheap plastic ones sewn into our dodger win...
Boat ownership triggers the gene for self-reliance Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 Acknowledging a bit of hyperbole, I think that Kenneth Grahame’s Water Rat was right: “. . . there is nothing — absolutely no...
Issue 124: Jan/Feb 2019 Hold that beverage Accon Marine’s quick-release stainless steel drink holders use the same mounts as the quick-release fender hangers I reviewed in the September issue (“Quick-...
Mantus and Mustang recently released their latest waterproof packs for boaters and we’ve spent time with both . . . Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 Mantus This pack represents Mantus’ return to the waterproo...
Issue 129: Nov/Dec 2019 It was a Sunday morning in early June when Jeremy McGeary quit his job at Good Old Boat , via email, without notice. It was the last thing in the world he wanted to do. “I’m af...
Issue 131: March/April 2020 “Do you miss living on a sailboat?” We traveled to visit extended family over the holidays, and I was asked the question a few times, in some form. The question was small t...
Off the grid and off most sailors’ itineraries, Lasqueti Island is a community unto itself. Issue 132: May/June 2020 “You should stop here,” said our new friend, Kevin, tapping his finger on our route...
Issue 132: May/June 2020 I’ve heard the refrain, over and over: “I would never leave the dock without paper charts aboard!” It rubs me the wrong way. I think it’s often used as a declaration of one’s ...
Issue 136: Jan/Feb 2021 Putting this issue together, Good Old Boat Senior Editor Wendy Mitman Clarke said to me, “Personally, I think it’s stupid, the whole ‘two happiest days’ adage. There’s no truth...
Issue 137: March/April 2021 Something’s been troubling me for a few months. Late last year, US Sailing, the governing body of sailing that’s been around for over 120 years, held several online forums ...
Issue 138: May/June 2021 I was a Southern California kid, still a bit lost in my early 20s, when I decided sailing was something I should be doing. It pains me to type these words, but my motivation s...
Issue 139: July/Aug 2021 Back in February, I decided it was time to step away from my role as this magazine’s editor. Being Good Old Boat’s editor has been a dream job, a fantastic opportunity, and on...
The catenary effect justifies carrying heavy chain rode. Right? Issue 138: May/June 2021 Every sailor knows that in polite company, it is best not to discuss politics, religion, or anchors. But rode i...
Issue 134: Sept/Oct 2020 If you’re lucky in this life, you uncover, understand, and embrace what makes you happy. And if you’re gifted in this passion, if you can make it the foundation of your purpos...
A night passage in familiar waters nearly ends in disaster. Issue 132: May/June 2020 I’m not a great sailor, not even a very good one. But I enjoy moving from one place to another in that way, and I’v...
Helping the next generation of sailors to find sailing Issue 128: Sept/Oct 2019 In 2016, my family and I were lucky to witness the dawn of the resurgence of youth sailing in American Samoa. I wish eve...
Memories make up for the deficiency in dollars recouped Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 Hopefully, by the time this issue goes to print she’ll be gone, out of my life. She’d better be, she’s sitting unattend...
