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.

This design combines the efforts of the V. Ahlen design office with the Sirius Design Team. The overall design is highly unusual and I’m not sure I have ever seen so many features combined in a boat this size. Keep in mind that these boats are semicustom, so the layout and finish details are up to the owner working with the yard’s design team. I have drawings for six layouts, but the company built 14 different layouts on its previous 31-foot model. I think we can expect a lot more variations on the new 40.

The Oceanis 60 is the flagship of the Beneteau fleet, designed by Berret Racoupeau with help on the interior by Nauta Design. This is a very good-looking boat in the European modern style punctuated by a mainsheet arch over the cockpit.

 Keeping both partners happy when one finds a new passion is an age-old dilemma; even Penelope stayed home in Troy when Ulysses sailed off. So often, one partner gets hooked on sailing, but their companion doesn’t; one has a boating background, while the other’s water-based activities are limited to the bath.If you’re having a hard time getting your loved ones into sailing, now might be the time to sweeten the deal. Sailing schools exist in every beautiful corner of the world and who can turn down a learn-to-sail vacation in paradise?

 On September 4, 2012, best friends Jessie Zevalkink and Katie Smith cast off the docklines in Northport, Michigan, aboard a capable pocket cruiser named Louise. The 23-year-olds had little sailing experience, yet they were determined to tackle one of the continent’s great adventures—the Great Loop.

 Abu Dhabi bashes to Brazil

For half a century, sailing schools have taught people of all ages how to get out on the water. School fleets were often full of aging boats and instructors’ experience could vary dramatically. There was no certification and no universally set standards. We asked some of the owners of the oldest sailing schools in the country what things were like then and what they are like now.