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Used Boat Notebook
2017 July 1 - 12:00 am

Balboa 26

You don’t have to spend a lot to own a seaworthy and sturdy pocket cruiser

By David Liscio
If the Balboa 26 had a motto it would echo the original marketing brochures that celebrated the boat’s ability to “go fast, go anywhere.” Designed by Lyle Hess, who in the mid-1970s would become well known for his 28-foot Bristol Channel Cutter design, the Balboa 26 fulfilled a growing demand for an economical cruising boat.
Features
2017 July 1 - 12:00 am

MAYDAY

The crew of a 56-footer is rescued in the Atlantic after taking on water during a race to Bermuda.

By David Liscio
Les Crane sat on the deck of an unfamiliar boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean watching his boat, a sturdy, well-maintained 56-footer that he’d sailed more than 40,000 miles, as it was swallowed by the water. It was 7 a.m., less than four hours after his crew heard a “thud” that they had no idea would lead to them boarding a life raft and waiting for rescue.
Used Boat Notebook
2017 June 1 - 12:00 am

Yankee 30

Graceful, sturdy and seakindly, this Sparkman & Stephens design is an enduring classic

By David Liscio
The Yankee 30 was one of many fiberglass boats that was affected by the global oil crisis of the 1970s, which curtailed production. The cost of resin raised boat prices above the budget of average sailors. In some cases builders simply lacked the raw materials required for construction.
Used Boat Notebook
2017 April 1 - 12:00 am

Alberg 29

Pretty to look at and tough to boot, this classic cruiser makes a fine family boat

By David Liscio
The Alberg 29 was designed by naval architect Carl Alberg and built by Nye Yachts in Canada from 1976 to 1985. The full-keel, masthead sloop was made to replace the much-admired Alberg 30, which had been in production since 1962.
Used Boat Notebook
2017 March 1 - 12:00 am

Cape Dory 28

This rugged Carl Alberg-designed classic is a bargain-priced family cruiser

By David Liscio
Cape Dory 28 Practicality coupled with a sense of style sums up the Cape Dory 28 sloop. This one-design, compact cruiser ranks among the more popular boats in its size and class. 
Used Boat Notebook
2017 February 1 - 12:00 am

Hunter 43 Legend

This cruiser is more functional than fabulous, but offers a great value

By David Liscio
The sales brochure from 1989 pretty much sums up the Hunter 43 Legend, noting it was designed to exceed the requirements of sailors searching for performance without sacrificing comfort.Schedule
Features
2017 February 1 - 12:00 am

Storm be damned

Flotillas offer support and camaraderie to cruisers, and never more so than when a hurricane is bearing down

By David Liscio
 The plan was to sail from Rhode Island’s picturesque Narragansett Bay to Cape Cod’s idyllic islands, but Mother Nature had a different itinerary in mind.
Features
2017 January 1 - 12:00 am

Herculean task

An obsessive refit transforms a Catalina 22 into a showpiece

By David Liscio
 Some people say Chip Ford is obsessed.Fourteen years ago, at age 52, the sailor from Marblehead, Massachusetts, bought a 1974 Catalina Mk I for $2,500 because it seemed like an inexpensive way to go daysailing.  ScheduleScheduleSchedule
Used Boat Notebook
2016 November 2 - 12:00 am

Com-Pac Sun Cat

This easy-to-sail catboat makes quick work of daysails, yet is spacious enough for a weekend coastal cruise

By David Liscio
 Clark Mills envisioned a trailerable boat that was easy to rig, simple to sail, and would draw just enough water to make it suitable for breezing across skinny water or spending the night in a gunkhole.ScheduleSchedule
Used Boat Notebook
2016 May 1 - 12:00 am

Westsail 28

Marketed as an alternative to the pricier Westsail 32, this compact cruiser is capable of offshore voyageing

By David Liscio
 The 1975 sales brochure described the Westsail 28 as a world cruiser and the boat lived up to that promise. Although only 78 hulls were built, far fewer than the impressively popular Westsail 32, most of the small cruisers are still sailing the far-flung corners of the globe. 
Features
2016 April 25 - 12:00 am

Trying it before buying it

The new sharing economy comes to sailing would-be sailors into owners through boat-sharing clubs

By David Liscio
 For many sailors, the dream of boat ownership is always present. But making it a reality means overcoming the big fear: the terrifying possibility that you could plunk down a fair amount of mone
Used Boat Notebook
2016 March 1 - 12:00 am

Baba 35

A beautiful and rugged offshore cruiser that is perfect for a small family or a couple

By David Liscio
 Sailors who admire the Baba 35 are quick to point out that the bluewater cruiser possesses both beauty and brawn. The full-keel, double-ended cutter was designed by naval architect Robert H. Perry. When it first splashed in 1979, the boat was dubbed the Flying Dutchman.
Used Boat Notebook
2016 January 25 - 12:00 am

Catalina 22

This pint-sized daysailer and family weekender packs a lot of sailing into a small package

By David Liscio
 Frank Butler had a dream. In July 1969, he designed and built the first Catalina 22 in North Hollywood, California. This petite, family-friendly cruising sloop was his fledgling company’s inau
Retrofits
2015 November 23 - 12:00 am

RETROFITS: Bristol 32

A classic, tough boat becomes a pleasure to sail with cruise-worth upgrades

By David Liscio
 The search for a vintage Bristol 32 sloop took us to six states by road trip and to three others via online research. We wanted the boat that has often been called the little sister to the class
Used Boat Notebook
2015 October 22 - 12:00 am

Morgan 34

Charley Morgan’s early yachts look great and sail even better

By David Liscio
 Charles “Charley” Morgan Jr. emerged as a top yacht designer and builder shortly after the 1960 launch of Paper Tiger, the 40-foot, fiberglass, centerboard yawl commissioned by New York yachtsman Jack Powell. 
Technique
2015 September 22 - 12:00 am

Maintaining a life raft

We go inside a recertification to show what happens and help you decide if a new or used raft is best for you

By David Liscio
The decision on whether to carry a life raft and what kind of life raft that should be can be a challenge for sailors. New six-person, non-commercial life rafts cost at least $1,700. Used life rafts can be a relative bargain, but all rafts need periodic maintenance. The decision on what is right for a boat can hinge on factors as varied as budget to the kind of sailing you do.
Features
2015 September 22 - 12:00 am

Laid back and loving it

A charter cruise along Florida's pristine Emerald Coast offers up the perfect opportunity to catch a concert and the casual vibe

By David Liscio
 We’ve been to plenty of concerts but never by sailboat, so when our friends in Florida called to ask if we wanted to join them to see the Dave Matthews Band via boat, we grabbed our bags and headed for the airport. 
Used Boat Notebook
2015 August 17 - 12:00 am

J/24

This compact one-design racer remains as popular as ever

By David Liscio
 The J/24’s story reads like the script of a Disney movie. It’s 1975 and amateur boat designer Rod Johnstone is tinkering in the garage at the family’s Stonington, Connecticut, home. 
Used Boat Notebook
2015 June 1 - 12:00 am

Peterson 34

This fast, tough racer-cruiser is well suited for offshore racing

By David Liscio
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.
Splashes
2015 March 3 - 12:00 am

The Great Navigator

By David Liscio
Nathaniel Bowditch didn’t look like Hollywood’s version of a swashbuckling sailor, but his contributions to maritime navigation more than 200 years ago made it possible to traverse oceans with greater speed and accuracy. And the mathematician’s hard-earned accomplishments haven’t been forgotten. The National Sailing Hall of Fame in Annapolis, Maryland, included Bowditch in its 2014 class of eight inductees during a September ceremony at the Detroit Yacht Club in Detroit, Michigan.
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