Make inspection and maintenance your watchwords Issue 97 : Jul/Aug 2014 During the golden age of sail, old salts greeted new crewmembers with the advice, “One hand for the ship and one hand for yourse...
The elusive measure of comfort at sea Issue 97 : Jul/Aug 2014 The subject of seakindliness comes up any time the conversation turns to long-range cruising. Someone who asks about a particular boat, “H...
Some sailors still value the printed world Issue 98: Sept/Oct 2014 In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson recognized the necessity for accurate coastal navigation charts. Since 1862, the U.S. government ...
Being prepared for the “what ifs” Issue 97 : Jul/Aug 2014 Decades ago — when I took driver’s education in anticipation of my 16th birthday and in the hope of earning a much-valued driver’s license — t...
. . . and realizing that “perfect” is the enemy of sailing Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 I once helped a friend who was looking for an apartment. We found one I thought was especially cool and in a convenie...
How to find an anchored boat at night Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 Normally when traveling from the shore by dinghy I have no trouble finding my boat at night . . . except, for some reason, in the Great Sa...
Sailing a new boat is a mega adjustment Issue 98: Sept/Oct 2014 Sehnsucht is a German word for yearning and intensely missing something or someone. Standing on the deck of Mystic, our C&C 30, not ...
A clear, calm night at sea evokes awe Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed by the sea. As I look back, I can see where my experiences on the sea and the lessons I...
An indoor shower for a boat that lacks one Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 Afew years ago, a friend told me a story about taking a hot shower as the boat he was helping deliver passed through Hell Gate in New...
Neenah-Nodaway Yacht Club celebrates 150 years Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 Picture the United States 150 years ago as the Civil War was drawing to a bloody conclusion. Long before the Green Bay Packers, s...
A boat acquisition unfolds like a board game Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 Autumn in the Pacific Northwest brings fickle sailing weather, and given that our Cal 20 needed a keel-off refit anyway, we pulled ...
A boat-selling ad was bait for a phish Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 During the winter, when temperatures were well below zero, we decided to sell our modest 27-foot sailboat in hopes of upgrading to someth...
The seduction was short, sweet, and complete Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 Whenever my husband, Kevin, suggested sailing together on his parents’ boat, my response was always “no.” I had spent many days fis...
A solo sailor uses a basketful of tricks Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 This is the second in Karen Sullivan’s series of articles about prepping a boat and sailor for singlehanding. She’ll discuss sail chang...
Two boats, one storm, two outcomes Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 In November 1981, my wife, Nancy (known as Boo), and I chartered a Ranger 33 out of Everett, Washington, with our friends Jay and Nancy. Vela...
When solo, planning is the key to smooth sailing Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 This is the third in Karen Sullivan’s series of articles about prepping a boat and sailor for singlehanding. In the March and M...
Ahoy! Who goes these? Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 AIS, the Automatic Identification System, allows vessels to “see” and identify each other (and for shore stations to “see” vessels). It was developed as a...
But we are united under one: sailor Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 I’ve grown weary of the labels that divide us: deniers, alarmists, extremists, centrists, greens, tree-huggers, libertarians, progressives, ...
The good memories eclipse the bad Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 As I sit here writing this in my shed a million miles from the ocean, I gaze longingly at the chart on the wall. The winter rain gently patte...
Reflections upon entering the good old years Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 Most of the time it is dark and hot inside during the summer months. It’s late July and for the past nine months I have lived in a...
The head-to-wind drop under sail or power Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 No matter how you anchor, the basics are the same: have your ground tackle ready for instant use, choose your anchorage with care, an...
A family’s unplanned evening swim Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 Every third week our weekend sailing routine was interrupted by . . . work. There I’ve said it. I know you’re not supposed to use such langua...
The diagnosis was elusive and surprising Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 Our passage up France’s Seine river from Honfleur to Rouen was uneventful. We ran all day with Entr’acte’s engine humming along at 3,1...
How sailors measure accomplishments Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 Nearby dock neighbors and friends spent a summer with a new-to-them sailboat after being boatless a few years due to health issues. The rein...
Sea horses for different courses Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 The first time I heard it, the song brought tears to my eyes. It has had the same effect every time since. It wasn’t meant to be sad; it’s a s...
It’s a springtime rite in a boatyard Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 It begins slowly. Just a rustling of loosened winter covers and the occasional soft thump as hatches open and close. It’s not that the boa...
A life-changing lesson in wind against tide Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 In New England, the seasons change quickly. I found myself rowing my dinghy out to Encore, my 22-foot Columbia Midget Ocean Racer, ...
Great Lakers explore a New Zealand favorite Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 It could have been the gannets. In the few weeks we spent on or near the water in New Zealand, I learned to love these great diving...
Advanced methods enhance options, safety, and fun Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 The art and science of making a boat stay put in an anchorage is vast and interesting. In part 1 of this series, in the March...
Sailing solo and being social Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 We three set off on an autumn day bound for nowhere in particular. Jerry in Raconteur, his race-worthy Ericson 32; Stuart in Over Easy, a well-fo...
