Good Old Boat digitizes archive, partners with Sailrite to launch Sail Data

Good Old Boat has expanded digital access to its archive and announced an integration with Sailrite to make classic articles and sail and canvas data more accessible to the DIY owner community. Sailrite owners Matt and Hallie Grant took over the Good Old Boat website in late 2024 after acquiring the magazine’s intellectual property and content; Matt Grant said, “We bought the IP [intellectual property] and Good Old Boat content.”

The site describes a new project called Sail Data and calls it “coming soon. Stay tuned for updates on that project.” Sail Data is billed as a free Good Old Boat resource that will provide model-specific information, including specs and drawings, aimed at “aspiring amateur and experienced sailmakers.” The announcement frames this as a way to let sailors “learn as much about their boat as possible,” with the resource slated to sit alongside the magazine archives.

Sailrite is actively posting archived back-issue material to the Good Old Boat website while digitization and indexing continue, with a stated emphasis on refit and repair articles targeted at DIY owners. Good Old Boat began in 1998 under founders Karen Larson and Jerry Powlas and published 155 issues through its run; the final issue was released in digital form as the March/April 2024 edition. The magazine halted new editorial production and social activity early in 2024, and a February 2024 Facebook post explained the closure: “Unfortunately, for us, skyrocketing operating costs, paper, printing, and shipping, have become too much and there is no viable path forward. After trying to come up with a more tenable business plan and analyzing alternative publishing options from every angle, including deeply cutting costs and even pivoting to a digital only publication, the result is the same. A pathway forward would only be a temporary fix and the magazine’s quality would suffer.”

Good Old Boat’s site copy recounts that rising printing costs in 2024 forced the original owners toward closure and that Sailrite had a longstanding relationship with the magazine, having “partnered with the magazine at inception and held the back cover ad space.” Since late 2024 Sailrite has been maintaining the Good Old Boat website and posting archives at no charge; the site states, “In late 2024, Sailrite took over the Good Old Boat website. Sailrite is actively posting archived articles from Good Old Boat back issues. All resources available on the website will remain available at no cost to you.”

Readers will find archival articles such as “Fishing for a Halyard,” “From Soft Dodger to Hardtop,” and “Wrenches in Wraps Won’t Wander,” as well as free tools the site highlights, including the Sailrite Fabric Calculator and the Meet Our Customers blog. The site footer now shows “Copyright © 2026 Goodoldboat, Inc.” While Sail Data is promoted as a free, model-specific resource, the site provides no firm launch date or comprehensive timeline for digitizing and indexing all 155 issues. The Good Old Boat website currently posts updates and promises more details on Sail Data as work continues; “Thanks to the folks at Sailrite who’ve taken over website upkeep and content publication, Good Old Boat sails on.”