January 2024 Archives - Small Boats Magazine

A long-established favorite range of Boston Whaler outboards and the Banjo 20, a stitch-and-glue trailerable cruiser, are our Boat Profiles this month. An extendable boat hook for small boats and two compact air pumps for sleeping pads are evaluated in our Product Reviews; easy-to-make pot cozies enhance and prolong the pleasure of dining outside. A Washington-state solo sailor takes to the waters of Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River. A salvaged J24 keel facilitates the build of a double-ended modern classic in our Reader Built Boat feature, and our editor recalls cruising in the years before GPS and smartphones.

From The Editor

Getting Lost

Cruising before GPS

Taking months-long cruises in the ’80s, long before the proliferation of GPS-equipped devices, our editor usually knew where he was, but for days and weeks on end no one else did.

Boat Profile

The Boston Whaler Montauks

Unsinkable classic still going strong

The Montauk range has evolved over time and grown in size, but it remains a stable, unsinkable workhorse and family favorite.

Boat Profile

Banjo 20

Devlin’s compact, trailerable outboard cruiser

A trailerable outboard cruiser from Sam Devlin, the Banjo 20 has comfortable accommodations and is easy to operate.

Adventures

Lake Roosevelt

A summertime singlehanded cruise

For Bob Van Putten, traveling down the Columbia River’s Lake Roosevelt was a voyage of discovery through remote landscapes and scorching summer heat.

Technique

Pot Cozies

Keeping the heat in camp-cooked meals

Meals cooked outdoors taste better but they also get cold faster. Easy-to-make pot warmers prolong the dining pleasure at camp or at anchor.

Product Reviews

Eversprout Telescoping Boathook

An extendable pole and hook for a greater reach

A full-length boathook is impractical on a small boat, and telescoping alternatives are not always the most reliable. The Eversprout pole is stable, strong, and serves its purpose well.

Product Reviews

Compact Electric Air Pumps

Exorux 3-in-1 Solar Portable Air Pump and Flextail Tiny Pump 2X

At the end of a long day of cruising, blowing up an air mattress can seem a daunting task. The portable air pumps from Flextail and Exorux do the job with little effort.

Reader Built Boats

SOME PIG!

Jim Conlin builds a daysailer

Jim Conlin has always had a love for small double-ended keelboats with a classic style. When he found Joel White’s Fox Island design, he decided the time had come to build his own.

Past Issues

From The Archives

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