A momentary mistake with a jib changes a family’s summer sailing plans Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 There comes a point in every adventure aboard our boat when my husband and I ask ourselves, “Why are we ...
A second head is transformed into a cozy cabin for a blended family of five. Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Sailors are no strangers to tight spaces, but when two die-hard liveaboards find love and decide t...
A young couple finds a boat to call a home, from San Francisco Bay to the Chesapeake Bay Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 The idea of buying a boat came about one afternoon in my apartment off Mission Street ...
Tape can provide a quick fix for torn or cracked vinyl windows Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Eventually a vinyl window will crack, either because of extreme age or extreme cold. The right fix is new vinyl,...
A timely prompt leads a DIYer to create new chainplates Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 It all started because of a sailor named Ed, which is somewhat odd since I don’t even know Ed. But maybe I should...
A novel use of Formica makes a convenient place for to-do lists Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Creating project lists is a common tactic among boat owners. Some sailors scribble their to-dos on the backs of...
A bluewater cruiser in a small package Issue 152: Nov/Dec 2023 I was singlehanding on our Islander Bahama 30 on a spectacular fall afternoon, whitecaps dancing on the blue waters of Plumper Sound in t...
Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 As we approached the marina in downtown Poulsbo, trees clad in brilliant orange, gold, and red leaves along the town’s waterfront came into view. It was a spectacular fall wee...
After a lifetime of sailing, an ideal last boat creates enduring memories Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 There are many resources for learning how to sail. It is a fascinating subject with so many things to ...
Creating usable storage in a deep galley locker Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 “Got it.” I wiggled out backward from my shoulderdown position inside the locker, clutching a bag of blueberry muffin mix. I fou...
The late Gordon Lightfoot’s ’70s-era Ericson gets a proper rig and hull refit Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 The calls, emails, and texts started coming in to my wife, Lisa, and me on the evening of Ma...
Giving an old galley a fresh face Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 “We’ll just have to try and squeeze it in,” I said pleadingly, trying to convince my wife to pack one more thing into our already overpacked c...
Installing a foot pump in the galley is a great way to save water Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 On many sailboats, the biggest use of fresh water is for washing dishes, which was the case on our 1993 Moody ...
Memories of food and boats swirl together, powerfully evoking time and place Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 Eating while afloat ranks among my greatest pleasures, with the old saw about salt air quickening t...
An engine failure prompts an unexpected road journey through three states Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 I was pushing up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) approaching mile 403 when the engine quit. Again. I w...
A lack of insulation leads to a fridge overhaul and new stylish countertops Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 When my husband, Chris, and I were first looking at boats in 2018, we were young college students in...
Grimsby to Georgian Bay, and why you should never bring bananas on board Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 In the cold days of January 2023, my wife and I made the move from Hamilton to Barrie, Ontario. There w...
A DIY cutting board that works in the marina, underway or at anchor Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 I love it when a piece of boat gear has multiple uses. One favorite example is an angled cutting board I spo...
A pert little catboat for daysailing and napping Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 Bob Ryan, 75, handed me his business card at Dock on the Bay Marina on Longboat Key, Florida. Below his name was his occupation...
Hitting a Tanker in the Dark Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 Sailing through the night is a phenomenal experience. I have had some of my best and worst moments in the inky black of night — ghosting, coasting,...
On an ill-fated voyage home, a young family learns lessons in seamanship and community spirit Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 All sailors start somewhere. As a teenager, I was infatuated with stories in Natio...
A DIY soda machine satisfies a couple’s bubbly water obsession Issue 153: Nov/Dec 2023 We had just pulled into Ketchikan, Alaska, and we were desperate people. It wasn’t the days on end of rainy weath...
The challenges and rewards of 48 days sailing the Florida Keys Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 It took hours to rig, pack, and launch the boat. We suffered in the heat and humidity, sweating through our too-...
A desert native goes cruising and takes a leap into unfamiliar territory Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 The story starts in Kanab, Utah, where we bought a sailboat. Nobody thinks of sailboats when they thin...
When the pandemic scuttles her study abroad plans, a college student undertakes an extensive boat refit. Issue 150: May/June 2023 You might think that after growing up on old boats, I would have opted...
To rest or wait out weather, heaving to remains a tried and true tactic at sea Issue 150: May/June 2023 Some seafaring traditions are worth carrying on, especially those based on knowledge and techniq...
What started as a joke between sailing partners became a transformational DIY bow thruster project Issue 149: March/April 2023 David Jolly and I are partners on Kindred Spirit, a 1985 Bayfield 32C tha...
The ins and outs of replacing your stainless lifelines with synthetic. Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, abbreviated UHMWPE and best known by the trade names Dyneema an...
A well-planned economy cruiser Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 Rich and Carolyn Sutorius of St. Charles, Missouri, sailed a Seafarer 26, Manana, for more than 30 years. We reviewed the boat in the July/August...
