Good Old Boat – Newsletter October 2015 Page 1
We’re on a crusade!
The Good Old Boat Facebook and Twitter pages are on a quest to gather useful tips for all kinds of sailors: coastal cruisers, passagemakers, and liveaboards. We’re calling the short tips Life-Aboard Tips and want to post 100. Some of the tips are about recycling products and containers for further use aboard. Some are about safety or convenience. Some are just fun.
By the time this newsletter is published, we’ll have 30-plus tips posted. But we need more and would like your tips too. Please visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/goodoldboat and add yours! You know you have some. We’re certain that seeing ours will inspire yours. By the way, we’re proud to say that we have almost 4,600 Facebook followers and growing. Thanks for being our Facebook friends, for your comments, and for your thumbs up.
Twitter has a shortened version of each tip posted as well. If you’ve ever tried to say anything in 140 characters or less, you know the problem! If you don’t have much time, please have a look at the “Cliff’s Notes” version of our tips on Twitter @GoodOldBoat.
Marine man caves
We hate to mention it, but the days are getting shorter. Winter will soon be here. Art Hall asks fellow subscribers to send information that we’ll post in the next newsletter about shelters you’ve built for your sailboats.
Art says this would include: “Either temporary shelters for restorations or permanent structures for storage. Marine man caves, so to speak.” Or your shelter might be just for the winter season ahead. Send your comments to .
Sailboat twins
Cliff Moore recently confused an O’Day 25 with his Paceship 26 because the two are nearly identical. Later he learned that the rights to the Paceship 26 were also sold and morphed once more into the Tanzer 27. (Interesting, isn’t it, that the stated lengths are not even the same?) It got him to thinking.
Cliff says, “I wonder how many other boats are out there that are virtually identical, designed by one guy yet built by several other builders with different names and few changes? I’ve heard of a few, usually after the first builder goes out of business and sells his molds.”
There was another reason for sailboat twins among our good old boat fleet: an unscrupulous builder would often rip off a designer by changing a few details and claiming he was building a whole new boat (thereby avoiding royalty payments to the designer) when anyone could see that the design had been pirated.
If you know of identical sailboats with different brand names and manufacturers, please let Karen Larson hear from you (). Pearsons, Bristols, Albergs, Ericsons, Ontarios, Tanzers, any number of the teak princesses built in the Pacific Rim countries, and many more come to mind.
What’s coming in November?
For the love of sailboats
* Mug Up, a 46-foot Bowman yawl feature
* MacGregor 26D review
Speaking seriously
* Mainsail Reefing 101
* Anchor windlass remote
* The ship’s log
* When a rudder needs replacing
* Sailing for love and money
* Sail-repair essentials
* Rollaway square sail
* Taming a hanked-on headsail
What’s more
* Loving Scarlett
* Battery à la carte
* Reflections: A eulogy to Johnson
* Simple solutions: A portable vise
* Quick and Easys: Dinghy doormat; A see-through hatchboard
* The view from here: Sailing with ice
In the news
Healy reaches North Pole during historic
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy arrived at the North Pole on September 5, 2015, becoming the first U.S. surface ship to do so unaccompanied. It was also only the fourth time a U.S. surface vessel has ever reached the North Pole, and the first since 2005.
Healy’s crew and science party, totaling 145 people, departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on Aug. 9, in support of GEOTRACES, a historic international effort to study the geochemistry of the world’s oceans. This National Science Foundation-funded expedition is focused on studying the Arctic Ocean to meet a number of scientific goals, including the creation of baseline measurements of the air, ice, snow, seawater, meltwater, and ocean-bottom sediment for future comparisons.
Healy is the United States’ newest high-latitude vessel. It is a 420-foot, 16,000-ton, 30,000-horsepower icebreaker, capable of breaking over ten feet of ice. In addition to performing the Coast Guard’s other statutory missions, such as law enforcement and search and rescue, Healyis a research platform with extensive laboratory spaces, multiple oceanographic deck winches, and berthing for 50 scientists.
As the Arctic region continues to open up to development, the data gathered onboard Healy during this cruise will become ever more essential to understanding how the scientific processes of the Arctic work, and how to most responsibly exercise stewardship over the region.
To see a video of theCoast Guard CutterHealycrew operating in the Arctic Ocean during a search-and-rescue exercise on July 14, 2015, go to
Capt. Jason Hamilton, commanding officer of the Healy, talks about the cutter's missions in the Arctic in a video at
For the latest blogs about Healy's voyage go to
GLCC and CCA Collaborate on Safety for Cruising Couples Training Initiative
The Great Lakes Cruising Club (GLCC) is collaborating with the Cruising Club of America (CCA) to help make its “Safety for Cruising Couples” seminar more widely and very affordably available over the Internet.
To register for this and other upcoming webinars visit click “Upcoming Classes” or “Recordings” to view the various webinars presently available for registration. To register for a class you must first enroll in GLCCSchool, a simple and free process of clicking “Free Enrollment” at the top of the screen. If you can’t make a scheduled live webinar there are opportunities to view and register for a recording of the live event on demand after the initial live broadcast.
Laser Class Announces New Sail Design
The International Laser Class Association (ILCA) is pleased to announce the release of a completely new class-legal design for the Laser standard rig sail. The release marks the first time in over 40 years that the Laser sail design has been substantially updated.
Known as the Standard Mark II Sail, the newly patented design is the result of thousands of hours of design work and on-the-water testing involving the Laser builders, the Association, two major sailmakers and some of the world’s top sailors.
The Mark II featuresbi-radial panels, a heavier 4.5-ounce cloth, and optimized reinforcement patches, all intended to maximize the sail’s competitive life. The sail also features tapered battens with Velcro batten pocket closures, a larger window for improved visibility, and a patented redesignedluff tube to eliminate wrinkles at the mast joint.
As with all changes to the Laser, the new sail has been carefully designed to be backwards compatible with the existing equipment, meaning it was not designed to provide improved performance. Instead, the Mark II promises improved durability and ease of use.
According to ILCA Technical Officer, Clive Humphris, “The main objective of the design project for the Mark II was to create a sail with equal performance to the existing sail, but with better durability. We worked very hard to ensure that the Mark II was not a faster sail and wouldn’t make all the existing sails obsolete overnight. The original Laser standard sail will continue to be available through authorized Laser dealers and we fully expect to see the two designs racing side-by-side for a number of years.”
The initial run of class-legal Mark II sails will be available starting 1 November 2015, with worldwide availability by early 2016. Because of the timing of the release, by agreement with International Sailing Federation (ISAF) the Mark II will not be used in the 2016 Olympic games or any Olympic country qualifying events for 2015 or 2016.
The use of the sail will be controlled by the Notice of Race for each event until after the 2016 games. After that time, the Mark II will be allowed in all ILCA-sanctioned regattas along with the original standard rig sail.
“Because many of the Olympic qualifying events have already occurred, we’ve agreed with ISAF that we shouldn’t make any major changes to the equipment for the 2016 games at this time,” says Usher. “Our goal is to have the Mark II sail available worldwide for the start of the next quadrennium, leading up to the 2020 games in Tokyo.”
In coordination with ISAF and the Laser Builders, ILCA will make further announcements about the availability of the Mark II sail and its use at events over the coming months.
For more information contact:
Jeff Martin at +44 7775 830591 or .
150 Years for Riverton YC
Riverton Yacht Club is continuing to celebrate its 150th anniversary with special events and honors befitting the oldest club of its kind on the Delaware River, oldest in New Jersey, and one of the oldest in the United States with continuous service. It is a celebration of the club’s long history as a fixture in its community, an institution along the Eastern seaboard, and a contributor to the global sailing community.
Riverton Yacht Club engages more than members, with an open invitation for the public to enjoy the sights and sounds from the club’s pier during races. All season long the club’s unique swallowtail burgee flies from the mast. That symbol includes a stars-and-stripes design that reportedly was outlawed soon after RYC was formed, making it one of a kind among United States organizations.
“This yacht club is more than a collection of sailing enthusiasts who maintain a quaint looking building and very serviceable pier for their own purposes,” said Nick Mortgu, chairman of 150th Anniversary events. “We want to show members and non-members why Riverton Yacht Club holds a place in sailing history.”
Go to to see the October and November events.
Calendar
Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta
October 3 – 5
Irvington, Virginia
The 20th Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta will take place on October 3, 4, and 5 in Irvington, Virginia. Hosting the regatta are the Rappahannock River Yacht Club and the Yankee Point Racing and Cruising Club. Shore-side activities will be based once again at Rappahannock Yachts on Carter’s Creek in Irvington. An added attraction this year is the spectacular spectator boat Godspeed, the Jamestown-based replica of one of the trio of ships that brought the founders of the first permanent English settlement in North America.
Go to < to read about the regatta and click through to register.
Carter’s Creek has plenty of room for anchoring and marina berths are available at Rappanannock Yachts and the Tides Inn or farther upriver at Yankee Point Marina on the Corrotoman River.
46th Annual United States Sailboat Show
October 8 – 12
Annapolis, Maryland
The 46th Annual Sailboat Show is the oldest in-water sailboat show in the world. For more information and to buy tickets, go to < and don't forget to stop byAB-8,Good Old Boat's booth, to meet Jerry, Karen, and some of the crew.
New this year during the boat show, the Cruisers University Fall Series will help you learn all you need for living aboard a boat. Plan your cruise, equip and maintain your boat, and feel at ease heading out. Select a program best suited to your cruising needs. Cruisers University offers the most comprehensive curriculum on cruising available anywhere. For more information go to <
Weems & Plath Announces Its Annual Tent Sale, DeepDiscounts!
October 8 – 18
Annapolis, Maryland
Weems & Plath, manufacturer of fine nautical instruments, hosts its annual Tent Sale at theirheadquarters in Annapolis, Maryland. This eventcoincides with the Annapolis Boat Shows, October 8-18,2015. There will be huge savings on discounted,overstock, and sample items. These include fine navigation tools, clocks, barometers, lamps, binoculars, compasses andmuch more. As in past years, they will offer free shuttle rides atthe Tent Sale to and from the Annapolis Boat Show. More information can be found at
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
November 5 – 9
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, the "Yachting Capital of the World," will host the 56th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show starting on November 5. Show exhibits range from yacht builders and designers to exotic cars and brokerage yachts. For more information, go to
Ice Boat Swap Meet
November 7
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Sailcrafters (7450 Oxford Street, St.Louis Park, Minn. 55426) will host the 6th annual Minnesota Ice Boat Swap Meet. Setup begins at 9am, with no fees for sellers or buyers. Just bring your gear, tell a few sailing lies, and go home with some different gear. It’s a great way to prepare for the upcoming sure-to-be-epic ice boating season. Contact Tim Carlsonat tim@sailcrafters or 952-693-6089 for more information.
Looking for
I have a question for good old boaters. I have a Garmin 70s and have spoken with Garmin Support with no luck.
The scenario: in our club racing we have many different courses. Some consist of rounding the same mark and finishing at the same start point. The problem is that if you put in a route that finishes where you start, the Garmin basically says you are already here and stops the route.
For a triangle course we have to go around twice. Now you have double waypoints on your route.This GPS unit is still new to me and there are new little bugs to work out. With my handheld I was able to put in two waypoints at each mark, and it worked (sort of).
I welcome any suggestions.
Tim Aseltine
Book reviews
Over the Dunes by Michael Kahn (Brilliant, 2015, 140 pages; hard cover coffee table presentation $85)
Review by Karen Larson
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Perhaps we all hold the interface between land and sea as a special place. I certainly do. Photographer Michael Kahn clearly does as well. Michael has just released a coffee table book with scenes taken at the water’s edge.
The sepia-tone prints in Michael’s annual calendars take your breath away, as did those in his earlier coffee table book, The Spirit of Sailing: A celebration of Sea and Sail, published in 2004. Now 11 years later, he has released a second work of art showing the enchantment of the dunes, the rippled sands, the rocks and pebbles, the surf, the endless sky, and the riveting mirror images that occur in moments of absolute calm.
For those who are taken with his sailing photographs, Michael also includes a section of the photos you’ve come to associate with this master craftsman: traditional sails, rigging, ships, and the sailors who run these vessels.
If you already know the name Michael Kahn, you will want his newest book. If you are unfamiliar with Michael’s work, paging through this book will make you a fan.
The Boat Improvement Bible: Practical Projects to Customize and Upgrade Your Boatby various authors (Adlard Coles Nautical (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing), 2015, 304 pages; $40hardcover; $19.79 Kindle)
Review by Brian Koger
Severna Park, Maryland
When I first glanced at the title of this book, I wondered why anyone would publish yet another volume about boat improvements, but as soon as I cracked the cover of this book I found projects that I wanted to try on my boat. Based on the premise that most boat owners love to tinker with things (and I have yet to meet a boat owner who would disprove that theory), the book “scratches that itch” by illustrating close to 90 projects, ranging from the relatively simple (e.g., various ways to make a nameplate for your boat) to complex undertakings such as designing gantries and “goalposts” for mounting solar panels, radomes, wind vanes, etc., in the optimal position.
The book is lavishly illustrated, featuring multiple color photographs on each page. I found it particularly helpful that for the more complex projects, inset photos were included that provided greater detail. While some projects may not apply to every boat (for example, some vessels don’t have a diesel power plant), there were enough projects with universal appeal to keep a boat owner busy for quite some time.
Not every project was especially practical or even sailboat-centric, however (e.g., underwater LED lights to light up a powerboat’s wake), but I found myself wondering if I couldn’t find a way to adapt them to my boat (such as mounting underwater LEDs beneath the bow to help with docking at night). Granted, I still haven’t figured out a sailboat application for powerboat trim tabs yet, but far and away the majority of projects are applicable to any type of boat.