June 2015 Table of Contents

Melges 14 This singlehander was designed Reichel Pugh Yacht Design, the same firm that designed the Melges 32 and Melges 24. 

Dear Boat Doctor, I need to replace the batteries in my house bank. They are about 6 years old and just don’t seem to hold a charge as long as they used to. But how do I know what type to buy? 

Dear Boat Doctor, I sometimes get a little lazy when sailing my Catalina 36 and just use the roller furling genoa. I endure a bit of ribbing on the dock for this, but I’ve also been told that I’

A Seascape 27 won the doublehanded division of last year’s Chicago-Mackinac race, so there is no doubt about its racing credentials. A lot of boats fall into the racer-cruiser classification, b

Every spring the waters off St. Thomas bustle as some of the world’s best sailors duke it out under the Caribbean sun. Among the 62 boats and eight fleets at this year’s St. Thomas International Regatta were a group of young sailors who are fast becoming the island’s best export. 

I’ve been diagnosed with OCD, or Outboard Cheapskate Disorder. It’s a malady that owners of sportboats seem predisposed to. The symptoms are clear. 

When I started sailing in offshore races, all of the boats in the fleet were hyphenated. They were all racer-cruisers. This included the hottest new designs, even radical ones with exotic features suc

American yacht designer Doug Peterson gained the attention of the world’s most competitive sailors when he unveiled the one tonner Ganbare in 1973. The 35-foot sloop was innovative below the waterline, and it was praised for its looks and sailing capability. It went on to win the SORC. By 1976, Peterson had designed the Peterson 34, an offshore racer-cruiser.

I have been a big fan of the Van De Stadt Design office since I was a kid and saw the first drawings of the mighty ocean-racing ketch Stormvogel. I think “Stormy” caught everyone’s eye. 

 The RTC-22 comes to us from Buckley Design in Southampton, England. It’s a good fit to review this month because it’s aimed at the same market as the Bente 24. The RTC-22 is even shorter tha

I like to think I truly understand small boats. I’m a fan of small, simple boats. My last boat, Perrywinkle, was small, and I enjoy reviewing boats that I can imagine owning. The Bente 24 is bu

An unreliable electrical system is seldom dangerous but can be a major inconvenience. The good news is that new, affordable technology and good old solid electrical engineering can combine to make a n

It’s been a tough decade for sailing. Between 2004 and 2014, one-design class participation declined 12%, and according to US Sailing, this is reflective of the sport as a whole. One-time and would-be sailors are still reeling from the recent recession’s economic aftershocks, and they’re experiencing dwindling amounts of free time while facing an exploding number of options for the limited time that’s left. Longtime sailors have left the sport, youth sailors stop after college and newbies are staying on land.

 Pocket Mariner, developers of Boat Beacon, SeaNav and several other tablet and smartphone sailing apps, now provides Apple Watch functionality. 

Dear Boat Doctor, I installed a new engine in my boat a few years back, but the control panel often stops working. I suspect this has more to do with the amount of water in the cockpit than the cont

 I just bought a new-to-me Baba 40. I love the boat and have spent lots of time cleaning it up and just making it mine. It came with a nice Bruce anchor, one of the original well-built ones. I really like the anchor but it could look better, it’s pretty rusty. Can I have it galvanized or can I paint it?

 George Nissan designed the new Contest 42CS for Dutch builder Contest Yachts. I’m inclined to call this boat the Option 42. There are multiple interior options and multiple cockpit options. You are going to be hard pressed to find a reason not to like this boat.