Cruising

SAIL's Tip of the Week

Peter Nielsen
May 16, 2013

When you have to make a docking line fast to a ring or bollard, a round turn and two half hitches is better than a bowline. Why? Because you can untie the round turn and two half hitches when the line is under load; try that with a bowline and you’ll soon be reaching for a knife. As a fringe benefit, the round turn also resists chafe.

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Tartan will Build Fleet for 2014 Gay Games

Becca Oken
May 09, 2013

Ohio-based Tartan Yachts will be supporting the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland by building 20 boats for the sailing portion of the world’s largest LGBT multi-sport event.

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Wounded Nature--Working Veterans' Unique Mission

Becca Oken
May 07, 2013

Even with the more recent rise of environmentalism, marine life is perishing after eating remnants of party trash from the sea. Wounded Nature—Working Veterans is an organization dedicated to stopping this problem at its source.

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Feeling Blessed

by Kimball Livingston, Posted December 19, 2008

Here’s what hit me on my last trip to Catalina. It happened on the wrap-up night of a Seawind Catamaran rendezvous, and we were six cats abreast, rafted in cozy Cat Harbor across a narrow neck from Isthmus Cove. The few scattered lights ashore stole little from a starry sky. The guitars and the singing went on for a bit. A few dozen people were sated by a potluck spread (and whatever else). Tales

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Cat vs. Mono: The Family Factor

by Charles J. Doane, Posted December 12, 2008

Selecting a boat to cruise on inevitably involves compromises, but this is especially true when searching for a good family cruiser. Families often make ideal cruising crews in that they already know each other well, but they do have particular requirements as to living space and sailing performance that differ from those of all-adult crews. Some of these are perfectly fulfilled by modern
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Personal Bests

by Wally Moran, Posted November 21, 2008

Ask any two sailors what they like most about traveling the Intracoastal Waterway and you’re unlikely to get much, if any, agreement. We can all gripe agreeably about the downsides of the Ditch—long turns at the wheel, shoaling, brutal currents, inconsiderate boaters—but rarely, if ever, do you hear the upsides of one of the most fascinating water routes in America.

Do we snowbirds ever

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Avoid a GPS-induced incident

by Steve Henkind, Posted November 21, 2008

GPS has greatly simplified certain aspects of navigation; at the mere touch of a button, a boat’s position can be determined within about 30 feet. Despite the reliability of these devices, boats are still being damaged because of navigational errors. After several decades of both navigating and teaching navigation, I’ve suffered a few close calls of my own and can recommend some ways to use your
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Muddling Towards Golden Gate

by Michael Petrie, Posted November 21, 2008

They say you never forget the first time. For me, cruising offshore began back in 1976 onboard Azulo, a 20-year-old, 31-foot Mariner ketch. Three friends—Dave, Karl, and Allen—and I set out to follow the path of 19th-century writer Richard Henry Dana, up the California coast. A motley crew of four young sailors off sailing the high seas!

I kept a journal during that first cruise,

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