Good Old Boat Newsletter April 2012 Page 2

Good Old Boat – Newsletter April 2012

The traveling team

It is boat show season in the United States and we are doing our part to further the cause. In January some of the crew were at Strictly Sail in Chicago, after a 6- year hiatus; in February it was off to the Havasu Pocket Cruisers Convention in Lake Havasu, Arizona, (more about that below); March was the Maine Boatbuilders Show in Portland; and later this month we will be attending the Strictly Sail Pacific show in Oakland, California. Whooooooooosh.

If you need a sailing fix right now, go to the Havasu site, http://www.sailhavasu.com/, where you can see photos of the gorgeous boats and video from that event.

One of the highlights of the show was the awarding of the first-ever Good Old Boat Coolest Owner Modification Ever, and just so we’re clear, the contest was for a boat modification done by an owner, not a modification of the coolest owner. No plastic surgery was required to participate.

The winners, Don and Debbie Boyko, won for their installation of Forespar’s Mini- Galley in their Catalina 22. Watch for a story about their project in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

After Oakland, it will be sailing season for us and we plan to spend some quiet quality time on Mystic and continue working on Sunflower.

If you are planning to attend the Strictly Sail Pacific show, please stop by and say hello. We will be in booth 54 on the ground level of the exhibit hall.

Blogs and sites

If you haven’t checked our website lately, one page you don’t want to miss is www.goodoldboat.com/resources_for_sailors/sailors_blogs_and_sites.php. This page lists weblogs and websites we thought might be useful to fellow good old boaters, including some of the crew, contributors, and authors of some of our favorite books.

Know of others? Let us know too. Contact [email protected].

Don’t forget our Facebook site . We’re up to 1643 friends. News and notes from our travels often make it to this site first. Thanks to all who have signed up. More will be forthcoming from the editors as they travel to Oakland . . . stopping to smell at least some of the roses, and perhaps testing some of the waters, along the way.

Bits and pieces

We have two more years of back issues of Good Old Boat, 2008 and 2009, available for download only and we’re busily working on 2010 and 2011. They’ll be out soon. We’re no longer making CDs and will not make more of the previous years’ CDs. Sign of the times? Everything is downloadable these days.

If your favorite chandlery sells magazines but doesn’t sell Good Old Boat, let us know how to contact them. We’ll be gentle but firm with them. Really.

Also let us know about any libraries you’d like to see subscribe to GOB, ditto for doctors’, dentists’ or other waiting rooms. And if you don’t keep your copies of our magazine, please recycle them by dropping them off where others can enjoy them.

In the News

West Wight Potter Hull #001 found West Wight Potter Hull #001 was located by International Marine/West Wight Potter and is now in their Inglewood, Calif., shop for restoration. Upon completion, this first West Wight Potter, which was made in the United States in the 1970s, will get reacquainted with the water in Marina Del Ray, California.

Photos and follow-up stories about Hull #001 can be found at www.westwightpotter.com.

California DPR approves Coppercoat paint After working with the California Department of Pesticide Regulations for two years, Coppercoat USA has earned the coveted approval to sell Coppercoat anti- fouling paint in that state, which is required in addition to the US-EPA approval they have held since 2009.

Coppercoat is a water-based 2-part epoxy. It does not slough off or ablate and it is non-toxic during the application and subsequent years of hull cleaning. Since Coppercoat is an epoxy, it does not drop chemicals or minerals into the water like an ablative paint.

For more information, please contact Jim Edwards at Coppercoat USA at 321- 514-9197 or [email protected]. Their website is www.coppercoatusa.com.

Swiss Tech is now SWI-TEC SWI-TEC America is the new name of Swiss Tech, the well-known manufacturer and distributor of innovative, high quality marine accessories. Since late last year the company also has a new owner, and yes he is of Swiss origin. The company, and an extensive inventory, are located in the mid-Atlantic region but will provide

© 2012 by Good Old Boat magazine Good Old Boat – Newsletter April 2012 Page 3 the same great service nationwide. SWI-TEC America also offers products from WASI, PROPProtector, WinchRite and Räber Electronics, and look for their ad in the May issue of Good Old Boat and check out their website: www.swi-tec.us .

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla The U.S. Coast Guard reminds us:

Put yourself on your boat . . . your fuel gauge fails and you run out of fuel on the open water. What do you do?

You can call on a commercial towing service, and spend hundreds of dollars trying to get back to your home dock. Or, just maybe, a member of your local flotilla has a five-gallon can of gas and can come to your rescue.

That’s just one of the many benefits that you can enjoy as a member of a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla. Camaraderie. Not to mention doing something meaningful that might help protect the environment or, yes, result in actually saving another person’s life.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers any citizen 17 years or older an opportunity to give back something to their community while enjoying the benefits of being a member of the only Congressionally-authorized auxiliary of a military unit in the U.S.

If your talent is teaching, the Auxiliary offers countless courses on boating safety that are made available to the public for little cost . . . and your teaching skills just might save a boater’s life.

Or maybe you own a boat and want to offer it for use on missions such as search and rescue or routine patrols that help the Coast Guard by taking on a share of duties that the Coast Guard would otherwise have to undertake.

Regardless of what you do in “real life,” there’s a place for you in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Just call a flotilla in your area and learn firsthand what you can do for your fellow sailor . . . and how you can benefit yourself.

For more information on the Coast Guard Auxiliary and a flotilla near you, visit www.cgaux.org.

What’s coming in May 2012

For the love of sailboats

• Alberg 35 feature boat • Cabo Rico 38 review • Caliber 28 review

• Hallberg-Rassy Mistral 33 refit

Speaking seriously

• Boom Vangs 101 • Cockpit mats for dogs • How sticky is your sealant? • Boats are teachers • Finger Lakes Sailing Services • Landfalls with bull’s-eye precision • Affordable housing • Homemade deck prisms • An inexpensive whisker pole

What’s more

• Voyages in Desperate Times • Cruising in the golden years • Going nowhere • Simple solution: No longer a non-starter • Quick and Easy: Amazing transparent bags, Refinishing rack, and Get a grip… • The view from here: Collecting stories

Calendar

Hospice by the Sea Regatta May 19, 2012 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Beginning at 11:00 a.m., skippers and crews competing in five racing classes will test their skills on a 12-mile course just off the shores of Fort Lauderdale Beach in the 2nd annual Hospice by the Sea Regatta.

Hospice by the Sea, Inc., is a not-for-profit provider of hospice care, palliative care, home health care, and caregiver services and support in Palm Beach and Broward Counties. For a copy of the official Notice of Race for the 2012 Hospice by the Sea Regatta or to purchase advanced tickets to the post-race awards ceremony and celebration, please call Hospice by the Sea, Inc., at 561-416- 5132, or visit www.hbts.org.

Midwest Women’s Sailing Conference May 19, 2012 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Registration is limited to the first 100 paid attendees, so sign-up quickly for this event.

Nancy Erley is the keynote speaker. Nancy, the captain of two world circumnavigations with all-women crews, holds a USCG 50-ton Master of Oceans and 100-ton Master Near Coastal licenses and is an instructor-evaluator for the International Sail and Power Association. Go to http://womenssailing.org/ to see the class schedule and register.

45th Dickerson Rendezvous June 15-17, 2012 Oxford, Maryland Festivities begin at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon, June 15, with a parade of Dickersons up the Tred Avon to Mear’s Marina, led by Kerry O’Malley’s 59-foot bugeye, Chesapeake, built by Bill Dickerson in the mid 1950s.

The Commodore’s Reception and welcome to the Dickerson boatbuilders, their relatives, and Dickerson sailors will begin at 6 p.m. on marina grounds. Sailors and guests can sign up to crew during Saturday’s race. Races begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 16. Last year saw record boat attendance and even more are expected this year.

The Salute to Dickerson Boatbuilders Dinner is at 6 p.m. at the Tred Avon Yacht Club. Commodore Bill Toth has promised a memorable evening with a look into the historic Dickerson era, including a review of Dickerson Boatbuilders history and a discussion with the boatbuilders and their relatives, accompanied by good food and fellowship. For additional information contact the Rendezvous Program Committee at 757-333-1641 or [email protected].

12th annual Summer Sailstice — Celebrating sailing wherever you sail June 23, 2012 Everywhere Summer Sailstice is a global holiday celebrating sailing. It’s held annually on the weekend closest to the summer solstice, the longest sailing days of the year. By signing up for free, sailors become eligible to win fabulous prizes, sailing charters, Hobie kayaks, winch handles, sailing gear from West Marine, and numerous other prizes available to all sailors signed up and sailing on Summer Sailstice. For more information, contact John Arndt, [email protected], 415-412-6961, or check the website, < www.summersailstice.com >.

Pacific Northwest Albin Vega Rendezvous July 13-14, 2012 Thetis Island, British Columbia This year’s Rendezvous is being held at Telegraph Harbour Marina onThetis Island in the Canadian Gulf Islands, located at 48°58.950'N, 123°40.217'W, on Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14.

This informal and relaxed event is not limited to Albin Vegas; all can attend, with or without boat. Please contact the marina, 800-246-6011, for reservation and

Penobscot Bay Rendezvous August 16-19, 2012 Rockland, Thomaston, and Camden, Maine Register now for the Second Annual Penobscot Bay Rendezvous, Maine’s newest sailing and power event presented by Wayfarer Marine and Lyman- Morse Boatbuilding. Super-yachts to classics to performance racers, daysailers, and powerboats of all vintages, are invited to enter. The Penobscot Bay Rendezvous is a celebration of boating and boatbuilding. Featuring daily races for sailboats and a Poker Run and Photo Pursuit for powerboats, the participants will have access to both Wayfarer Marine and Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding and will be hosted each night at a different venue. Lobster bakes, barbeques, dancing, and fireworks are all a part of the ticket. Go to for more information.

Wannabe sailors by Eric Redmon

It started in the early ’70s. Years later, Dad said he purchased our first sailboat — a 14-foot trailerable — to get closer to his boys. My older brother, my Dad, and I became three wannabe sailors.

I’m not sure that status has ever changed. We towed the boat to Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans. Just backing the trailer down the ramp was interesting, always taking more of our time, and that of others who were waiting, than it should have. Who can forget not replacing the drain plug before launching?

From the 14-footer, we graduated to a 28-foot full-keel Pearson, Sea Gullable, in the late ’70s. We had hit the big time and continued to try to look like sailors on brief outings. A fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy, this was right up my alley. The other education we were pursuing did not allow time for reading up on sailing. We became familiar with the basics of sail trimming and other details, such as avoiding (most) other boats and (most) piers.

Unlike others around us who knew what they were doing, we were out there regularly doing it the wannabe way. Did I mention terminology? “Pull on that rope over there,” and “Fetch me that thingamabob we left next to the toilet down there,” was some of our new lingo.

During our college years, we had many a great day out on the lake, sailing with friends and family. Miraculously, we were protected by a very powerful, invisible

© 2012 by Good Old Boat magazine Good Old Boat – Newsletter April 2012 Page 7 guardian angel. I did several overnighters with my friends, once even venturing out into the Rigolets approaching the Gulf.

My brother and I moved away from New Orleans following our careers, and Dad sold Sea Gullable. More than 20 years later, The Captain, like some adventurers, remembered his sailing experiences fondly. He wanted to get back into sailing and had forgotten that his little brother had spent more time, and logged more nautical miles (by far), than he had. We looked around a bit on the Internet. The Captain was interested in a Hunter and I was pleased with what we saw for sale. Working with a broker, we were soon the owners of a 40-foot 1985 Hunter Legend named Elegance. She had been kept in near-Bristol condition by her previous owners. The love they had for her was obvious, and it was now our turn.

We had never been aboard a boat this size before, much less sailed one. She was also about 100 miles from her intended new berth. We had no knowledge of her diesel engine or any of her systems. We had no idea of the condition of her fuel, but hoped it was in good order. My wife dropped us off on a day with headwinds in the range of 25-plus knots. She left us with one thought, “They are nuts,” and we departed on a two-day trek to get the old girl home. By the end of the day, I was not speaking to The Captain, who had ignored or argued with me about every suggestion I made about anything.

At the end of the day, we entered a marina with barely adequate depth for our 5- foot 6-inch keel and were ushered to a very narrow inlet and a tight slip surrounded by huge motor yachts filled with partying people, all of whom stopped what they were doing to watch me try to back our new boat into the slip. As the keel was in sludge, I could not turn the boat in stern-first and, after multiple tries, had to go in bow-first. The Captain was quick to remind me of what a poor job I had done.

Alcohol did not hurt that evening, but the Captain and I were still not speaking well into the next day. On Day 2, we did a lot of motorsailing to make up some of the distance we had not traveled on Day 1.

Did I mention that we’re not familiar with diesel engines? At one point the engine wouldn’t start. After several attempts, we started to ponder why. I had purchased an engine manual and the answer seemed to be bad or inadequate fuel or air. I looked at the fuel in the fuel filter and it looked good. I mustered courage and bled the fuel filter at the engine. No bubbles. Still no answer. This was baffling because this engine had started very quickly the day before and had run perfectly. Just as we were about to give up, one of us wondered if the fuel shutoff lever was in the down/run position. Problem solved. Motoring most of the way, we made it to Cobb Island that evening before sundown. Driving home that night, I have never been so tired, having not slept well on this trip.

Now that fuel had become a priority, I did some Internet research and decided we needed a strong magnet to help break down the cell membranes of organisms growing in our tank. I purchased a really good one. Unfortunately, the fuel system is very close to our digital compass, which turned out to be allergic to this powerful magnet.

Through the months, as we have sorted out many other problems. I have found that a new problem generally crops up before the last one has been resolved. And money? Ha! Let’s not even go there. A new this and an upgraded that; I wish I had a dime for each time I said, “I hope we’ve seen the worst of the big expenses.”

Last summer, The Captain and I went out into the Potomac on a day with no wind. We saw the storm coming in the distance and made (this time) a mutual decision to stay out in the wide Potomac rather than risk being hit with strong wind in the narrower Cobb Island inlet. We put a double reef in the main, but darn it, we should have taken down — not just reefed — the genny! Lee helm, loss of control, and lightning all around. As I struggled with one hand for the boat and one for the tangled sheet, I saw some object fly from above, landing in the churning water next to the boat. It sank quickly. I certainly didn’t expect to be losing battens on a day with no wind! In retrospect, coming away with our lives was a good tradeoff for having both sails ripped to shreds. This storm was brief but had 65-knot winds. More money. The sail repairers were in awe of our threads.

We have discovered that some projects (such as holding tank problems) are the sort handled only by boat owners. I am now an expert on our holding tanks. I never thought I would go there, but my wife says I am possessed. I even used an empty glass rum bottle and two straws to simulate a holding tank. See photo. The rest of the details of this project will remain private, especially those involving exchange of rum for “pink-colored” water. If anyone wants details of how to convert a sippy-cup for use with an air compressor, I can help!

Sailing has been an interesting part of my life. It’s fraught with trial-and-error experiences for all who venture out . . . perhaps more so for wannabes!

Editor’s note: the author (SeaDoggie) and The Captain live a healthy distance from each other in Virginia, but they have sailing dreams that may collide in the future!

Puff’s Persistence . . . or, how John Wayne sails by Kathy Gaye

When the Safety Harbor Boat Club fleet set sail from the north end of Tampa Bay for the St. Petersburg Sailing Association Good Old Boat Regatta, all were ready to have some fun and compete, and for one skipper among them, there was an even stronger determination.

Puff, a 27 Island Packet, had sailed, but did not finish, the regatta the two prior years. Now, with newly outfitted sails, including a custom-made spinnaker, her owner, Captain Mike Denny, knew this was the year to make it happen, and maybe even place in the top of his class.

With fair winds and plans to celebrate another club member’s milestone birthday at a nautical watering hole along the 25-mile route, all were in great spirits for a New Year race event.

Even Captain Mike Penley, aboard Let’s Go, a 28 Cape Dory trawler, couldn’t completely shake his sailing persona. Having traded his 28 Pearson, he agreed to take the helmsman position on Sea Jewel, a 31 Allmand, set to race the next day.

As the wind died, the group motored along, heading south under the bridges of Tampa Bay. That’s when Puff began to experience engine problems. With a stop for lunch and the birthday celebration, there was much conversation and conjecture over what the problem could be.

Back out on the water, the engine died and Let’s Go came to Captain Mike Denny’s rescue, towing Puff into the transient docks at St. Petersburg Municipal Marina. Captain Mike could have been discouraged, and maybe a little worried, about what caused the engine to die, but he was still determined that this was the year to finish the race.

The weather forecast called for light winds on race day —10 to 15 knots. So the Safety Harbor Boat Club captains all agreed that towing Puff out to open water would be his best (and only) shot at starting the race — and finishing it.

On Saturday morning, Sea Jewel, captained by Mel Nichols, with Mike Penley at the helm, headed out with Puff in tow. Once in the Bay and under sail, Puff was on her own. With Captain Mike Denny was Dale Cuddeback at the helm, an old salt of a sailor, up for the challenge. Puff took a wide berth to avoid the contenders jockeying for starting positions.

With Puff crossing the starting line last, Captain Mike was ready to put the new sails to the test. He took the first leg with spinnaker flying, made up the distance, and never looked back, finishing the race ahead of two other contenders.

As Puff crossed the finish line, Sea Jewel was waiting, ready with towline. Back at the dock, a welcoming party of sailors (at least those from Safety Harbor Boat Club) was waiting to congratulate Captain Mike.

Turns out finishing the race wasn’t the highlight of the day for Puff — Captain Mike Denny was recognized with two awards in the St. Petersburg Sailing Association Good Old Boat Regatta — Last boat to cross the start line, and the John Wayne Award — for persistence.

No magic dragon powered this Puff across the water, just the camaraderie and sailing spirit of the Safety Harbor Boat Club.

Book reviews

Lesson Plans Ahoy! Hands-on Learning for Sailing Children and Home Schooling Sailors by Nadine Slavinski (Slavinski-Schweitzer Press, 2nd Edition, 2011; $26.95; 267 pages)

Review by Carolyn Corbett Lake Shore, Minnesota

Lesson Plans Ahoy! is an excellent educational guide for cruising families. Author Nadine Slavinski is a teacher, a parent, and a sailor, and has capitalized on her knowledge in each of those roles in this fine book. She has a master’s degree in education, has taught in international schools for 15 years, and took a year-long sailing sabbatical with her husband and 4-year-old son.

The book opens with “How To’s of Home Schooling on a Boat,” which encompasses information on choosing an approach — a balanced look at the pros and cons of both packaged home-schooling programs and self-designed home schooling. Slavinski’s book is an effective component for either end of the spectrum. She goes on to offer general strategies for home schooling aboard a boat and structuring the curriculum, from creating an overall educational plan for the cruise all the way down to daily lesson plans.

Units include: • Earth & Space Science • Biology: Fish Dissection • Chemistry • Mathematics: Data Management • Mathematics: Measurement • Writing • History: The Voyages of Christopher Columbus • History: The Voyages of Captain Cook

• Navigation with Map & Compass • Physical Education: Heart Rate & Exercise

Each of these 10 units of study is directly related to life aboard a cruising boat and all are accompanied by suggestions for enrichment activities, cross- curricular links to other subject areas, and resources, including books and educational web sites. Each unit can be condensed to be covered in just a few lessons or expanded for in-depth study. “The idea is not to strictly follow the text,” the author says, “but rather to use it as a guide for student-driven inquiry.” Slavinski has provided directions for differentiating the lessons that allow parents to modify the material for the individual child, as well as to easily adapt the lessons to children ranging in age from 4 to 12 years old. It’s amazing!

It is difficult to convey in a short review how applicable the lessons are to life aboard a boat. For example, the section dryly labeled “Mathematics: Data Collection” is actually about graphing water consumption on board, though it can be modified to cover fuel consumption, the nationalities of boats in the anchorage, or most anything on which the family chooses to practice simple to complex graphing. “Earth & Space Science” covers the lunar cycles, eclipses, time zones and the moon and tides. The history units on Captain Cook and Christopher Columbus are divided into subsections that cover a variety of curricular areas taking a sailor’s point of view and emphasizing that history can be seen through different perspectives. Navigation covers map reading, topography, taking fixes, compass exercises, and dead reckoning. Yup, all of this adaptable even for 4- and 5-year-olds.

Appendix A demonstrates how the units can be divided into manageable daily lessons of 45 to 60 minutes each. In order to help parents identify how each of the 10 units related to schoolwork back ashore, Appendix C offers a comprehensive cross-reference for science, math, and writing units with the national or state curricula from four different countries. This covers the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom for grade levels from early childhood through grade seven and helps families to recognize expectations in their land-bound schools.

There’s a whole lot more packed in this 267-page book, and I strongly recommend all “boat schooling” families check out this valuable resource!

Outfitting the Offshore Cruising Sailboat: Refitting Used Sailboats for Blue- Water Voyaging, by Peter I. Berman (Paradise Cay Publications, 2012; $19.95; 256 pages)

Review by Karen Larson Minneapolis, Minnesota

The subtitle, Refitting Used Sailboats for Blue-Water Voyaging, of Peter Berman’s new book, Outfitting the Offshore Cruising Sailboat, tells why it’s an important new reference for good old boaters. Peter’s basic premise is that new offshore cruising sailboats are prohibitively expensive and somewhat uncommon, while the market in used cruising sailboats is rich and vast and flourishing. There’s something there for everyone.

His 45-year experience as a cruiser in nearly a dozen different designs (CCA through modern racing designs) is enlightening. While Peter has formed strong opinions about many features, he does not recommend one design type over another. He knows, perhaps better than most, that every sailboat is a compromise and that priorities and budgets will vary from sailor to sailor.

What he offers is a series of observations and a logical review of onboard systems that will help any prospective offshore cruiser consider the pros and cons of each system, feature, and sailboat type. In the end, the reader of Outfitting the Offshore Cruising Sailboat will be able to determine which features are personally important and which have a lower priority.

I chuckled occasionally at Peter’s dry wit but found that I didn’t agree with every word of his sage advice. I’m just one sailor, after all, with one set of values and preferences, but I was surprised, for example, to note that Peter overlooked the value of freshwater sailboats, as they apparently do not figure in the experience of this East Coast (and beyond) sailor.

Peter starts his discussion of good used boats by ranking the most expensive systems: the rig, the engine, and the ground tackle. As these are the most expensive items to replace, he gives each system a thorough and thoughtful critique based on his experiences as a cruiser. There are many nuggets here for every would-be cruiser. In particular, he includes good tips about good and bad construction features in the rig, bearing in mind intended use for coastal vs. offshore work. This section clearly spells out features to look for if you will be cruising offshore.

Over all, Peter offers great advice about buying a good old cruising sailboat and how to refit it for several more decades of offshore cruising adventures. Like the rest of us, Peter has conflicts about the best possible cruising sailboat. After saying that larger is always better, that system redundancy is critically important, and that you should replace practically everything before going offshore, Peter admits that his first cruiser was probably his favorite. A primitively equipped wooden Dickerson, this boat cost only $16,000, had fewer systems to maintain, and was his most affordable cruiser. After telling readers they should probably invest the purchase price of the boat in the refit, and to replace all the important and expensive systems, he reminds us that the first priority is to “just go.” Time is the enemy, he says, so don’t spend your life in “endless outfitting.”

In the end, as in all things, it’s up to the reader to make his own choices based on his own list of priorities. But Peter offers great advice that may help each reader rank his own list of priorities and consider some systems and construction methods that he may not have thought about.

If you’re still searching for your offshore sailboat and juggling the hundreds of variables, Peter Berman — a guy who’s been there and done that — has some very useful advice for you.

Read this book. Then go get the boat, get to work on the refit, and get going . . . now —while you can.

Reeds Knot Handbook; a Pocket Guide to Knots, Hitches and Bends, by Jim Whippy (Paradise Cay Publications, 2011; $9.95; 128 pages) Review by Wayne Gagnon Antigo, Wisconsin

As a kid I was kind of a klutz. In fact, I can still hear my buddy Chuck calling out to me from second after yet another strikeout, “Wayne, I’ve never seen anyone as uncoordinated as you!” Almost 50 years later, I still have to laugh at Chuck’s honesty. When I was a Boy Scout we had to learn some basic knots, and that same lack of hand-eye coordination haunted me there too. I managed to learn a few and I was amazed to find that, after many years, I could still tie a bowline and whip the end of a rope. So when I was asked to review Reeds Knot Handbook I thought it was nothing less than karma.

Reeds Knot Handbook is a pocket-size, easy-to-use, color-coded guide to tying almost 60 different knots. There’s a two-page introduction to the terminology of knot tying that explains the difference between the working end, the bight, the standing part, and the end of a rope, and a very brief explanation of the different materials used in various types of ropes. The book is divided into six categories of knots: overhand knots and hitches, figure-of-eight knots, bowlines and bends, crossing knots, wrap-and-tuck knots, and “Other Useful Knots.” There’s a brief description of the application of each knot, a color illustration of each step in the tying process, and a color picture of the finished product. If more than one rope is involved, each one is a different color to help the reader keep them separate.

Having a resource liked Reeds Knot Handbook is certainly handy, but the only way to learn a new skill is to simply do it. With that in mind, I grabbed an old length of clothesline, opened the book to page 50, and attempted a bowline on a bight. The next thing I knew it was abracadabra, zippity-do-dah, yadda-yadda- yadda, and I had done it. Well, not the first time, but with my lack of hand-eye coordination I was pleased with the results and, with practice, I’m sure it will get easier. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use guide to knots that are useful and, in some cases, just plain cool, Reeds Knot Handbook will work quite nicely for you, and it won’t take up a lot of space on a bookshelf or on a boat.

The Limbus of the Moon by Bill Mego (, 2011; $24.95; 360 pages)

Review by Chas. Hague Des Plaines, Ilinois

The Limbus of the Moon is a novel in the mold of a Dan Brown thriller, or at least it tries to be. Viator venenatus is a sea urchin, very rare, incredibly valuable, and possibly the source of life-saving drugs. A mysterious eccentric thinks he can breed them in captivity. He’s persuaded a rich Chinese shipping magnate with ties to Asian criminal organizations to fund an expedition to locate this possibly extinct animal.

Recruited into this expedition are Robert McLaren, researcher, teacher, mentor, and man of action: seeing an airplane a half mile out on final approach, he immediately starts running to the spot on the runway where the wreckage eventually comes to rest.* On that airplane is Jessica Meyer, a State Department facilitator who is supposed to help this project run smoothly. Other characters involved are Gus Kolar, reef expert and captain of the Hina Ko’a, and his assistant Andreas Hook. There are also glamorous island residents, pirates, and operatives for different organizations who may or may not be on the same side as the explorers. Nobody is quite who they first appear to be.

The story runs to several exotic locales, such as mysterious islands and the reefs of the East coast of the Caribbean. Even so, it’s about as exciting as a business trip to Vancouver, with occasional instances of violence thrown in. The sailing doesn’t begin until 200 pages into the book, and then it’s on a big catamaran with every luxury, including solar-electric motors and an Artificial Intelligence computer. There is a climactic pursuit that ends at a well-known nautical landmark, followed by a series of coincidences as the author wraps up all the plotlines.

The book needs better descriptions of the people and locations, and more excitement in the plotting. There is one great laugh-out-loud scene based on a foreign intelligence chief’s idea of how to not be noticed in Chicago. Mego has a wonderful ear for dialogue, but the book is like sailing a big catamaran on calm seas — pleasant enough, but not as exciting as tearing along on your beam ends.

*This reviewer is grateful to the author for reinstating Meigs Field, which is more than the current mayor of Chicago has done.

Mail Buoy

CrewConnect I’ve been racing sailboats for the past five years and have become accustomed to organizing the boat and crew with spreadsheets, email groups, and even on paper. Having a background in web development, I put my skills to use a couple of years ago by posting our schedule online and creating a form in which the crew could RSVP for each race of the season. Because the entire crew could view and update their race availability from anywhere at any time, this really streamlined our crew-management work and allowed us to focus on more important things—like sailing.

Because we had a lot of success with this little web app I made, I thought to myself, why don’t I make this available for all boats? I added more features like a crew contact list, sail inventory manager, and a crew to-do list. I call it CrewConnect. Since I officially launched the website last December 24, 2011, over 150 boats and crews have registered.

It’s easy to get started and is completely free. Go to sign up, create a boat network, invite your crew to sign up, and join your boat network. I hope everyone finds CrewConnect as useful as my crew has! –Matt Makris, Creator, CrewConnectOnline.com

Davit toppler I was given a Good Old Boat magazine from someone in a dinghy (possibly Karen) in Marathon, Florida, this winter and decided to build a “toppler” device, based on the article on davits written by Alan Lucas (“Davits – their ups and downs,” January 2012). It actually worked. Attached are some pictures of it. I guess I’d better subscribe to your magazine now.

Our davits are a bit low and, for several years now, I’ve been worried about what might happen if a big wave came over or under the dinghy. I thought it might work to somehow get the dinghy flipped up on top of the davits, and when I saw your article I said, “Wow!” Our dinghy is almost 11-feet long and maybe weighs 150+ pounds so I thought it best to use two toppler devices. I used schedule 40 1⁄2-inch aluminum tubing for the crossbar between the davits and noticed they sagged a bit even though the contact points for the topplers were about 10 inches from the ends. I would recommend 2-inch aluminum for heavy dinghies. The clamping devices (I call them “ele-clamps”) have a long lever so you can close and lock them from the stern of the boat. Otherwise, the pole is pretty far away from the stern. The long arms also help raise the dinghy the last few inches, if needed. I liked the idea of the clamps being firmly attached to the dinghy just in case it decided to do something funny during the turning. I actually thought the dinghy would just spin over once we had it clamped to the pole, but we had to use the winched mainsail

© 2012 by Good Old Boat magazine Good Old Boat – Newsletter April 2012 Page 16 halyard to get it most of the way around, and then another “downhaul” line to get it to come the final 45 degrees. Once you have these in place, however, it works great! The “ele-clamps” are built to be as light as possible, provide horizontal and vertical stability, and to come apart and store flat. Materials were one 2 x 2-foot piece of ¾-inch plywood, two 1 x 6-inch 4-foot pine boards, six 2 x 2-inch deck rail balusters, and about 30 galvanized bolts and nuts.

It was really fun to put this together.

–Chris Reynolds

New classic boating website launched A new classic boating website has been launched, featuring a collection of high quality videos and authoritative blogs. OffCenterHarbor.com focuses on well- designed boats with classic appeal.

In addition to the extensive video content, OffCenterHarbor.com has recruited an international group of knowledgeable and articulate “guides” who write blogs on a wide range of topics that are of interest to boaters with an eye for graceful lines and exceptional seaworthiness.

“Nothing transmits what we have learned about these boats over our lifetimes as well as video,” says Maynard Bray, world-renowned traditional boat authority and a co-founder of OffCenterHarbor.com. Visit their website to see a highlight video: http://www.offcenterharbor.com/.

In addition to Bray, the OffCenterHarbor.com founding team includes Ben Mendlowitz, whose Calendar of Wooden Boats has set the standard in boat photography for three decades; Bill Mayher, maritime author and regular contributor to boating magazines; Eric Blake, a talented young boat designer and builder; and filmmaker/entrepreneur Steve Stone.

“We started out by shooting how-to-build videos in the shops of leading boatbuilders in the field,” says Bray. “Then we went out on the water to profile legendary boats, and we couldn’t believe how the results jumped off the screen. I have been writing about techniques and designs for 40 years, but these videos raise things to a new level.

“When we discovered the power of video to bring the world of classic boats to life, we created OffCenterHarbor.com to bring others inside.”

Wooden boats, tool sharpening, how to sail, how to build a boat, boat repair, how to get kids involved with the boats we all love — these are just a few of the topics we’re covering, and we’ll be bringing our members aboard boats and into boat shops that would be difficult to gain access to without this site.

Sometimes when I’m shooting, I have to pinch myself. I get to learn from these leading experts in the field, in an up-close and personal way, and then we get to share that experience with our members in the comfort of their own lounge chairs or shops. How lucky is that? –Steve Stone

Temporary diesel tank While I like my approach to this problem (“Temporary Diesel Tank,” November 2006), Larry Schremmer’s use of a portable gasoline tank is also a good idea (March 2012). An advantage of his approach is that, once you have created the tank, it is available for use as an auxiliary tank for a longer cruise. –C. Henry Depew

CommuterCruiser As more and more boaters split their time between home and destination cruising, addresses issues common to good old boaters needing to safely secure their boats, whether across an ocean or a 30- minute drive to the marina. The site features over 200 articles, with new articles added weekly, with practical advice and downloadable PDF checklists on topics such as “Leaving the Boat for the Summer,” “Re-Commissioning the Boat When You Return,” and “Leaving the Dock.”

My original focus was on boaters who, like us, decided there was no way they could cruise the San Blas Islands in Panama and return to their home marina annually. The site was conceived as information for friends who kept returning to Mystic Seaport each spring and could never get farther than the Rio Dulce, Guatemala. While they were cruising it always seemed like they were either going or coming, never just relaxing and enjoying the cruising.

Chock-full of tips, techniques and real-world info from commuter cruisers with over 10,000 miles and 11 years of experience, topics include the most popular post, “7 Things We Wish We Had Known Before Leaving the U.S.,” and pointers on “How To Select a Marina,” “On the Hard or In a Slip,” and “10 Tips for Leaving Your Dock Lines for a Hurricane.”

Also included are practical how-to tips on search topics that cruisers Google regularly, such as “How to Remove a Roller Furling Jib,” “How To Get Rid of Boat Odors,” or “How to Splice Anchor Rode to Chain” — all complete with photos and step-by-step how-to advice. Go to for more information. –Jan S. Irons

Days of Déjà Vu I am thrilled to inform you that, after 10 long, hard years, I have finally managed to finish my first book, Days of Déjà Vu, and have it published it on Amazon.com

© 2012 by Good Old Boat magazine Good Old Boat – Newsletter April 2012 Page 18 in Kindle format. It is a true account of my building the boat in the back yard of a small holding on the outskirts of troubled South Africa with my wife, Judi. The boat was completed and taken to the ocean one thousand miles away to Cape Town, where the adventure really starts. Déjà Vu set sail from the Royal Cape Yacht Club in February 1985 and sailed to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, Palmyra, Tonga Samoa, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and back to Hawaii. It is full of fun passages, drama, terrible storms, and descriptions of the places along the way in a novel form. It’s available for purchase from Amazon.com, or it can be downloaded using their free software, “Kindle for computer.” It is retailing at a very modest price of $2.99 and has several color photos (one can browse the first five chapters for free). –Jonathan Reid

Good old tonic Subscription note: Renewal of current prescription. ;-) Yes, I do mean prescription — you guys are the best boat medicine available! –Michael Alyea