SAIL.SailMagazine

More Height, More Reach, More VHF

Sailors in Southern California now have more access to VHF communications. The difference will be noticed especially by boats south of the border, as far south as Ensenada, and well off the beach around San Diego. The difference-maker is a VHF radio transmission tower installed by BoatU.S. at the crest of 2,565-foot-high San Miguel Mountain, one on

If it gets your juices flowing to imagine circumnavigating Africa on a replica of an ancient ship, the Phoenicia Expedition is for you.

The story begins with one Philip Beale and his conviction that Phoenicians in ancient times, not Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias in 1488, were the first to make the 17,000-mile voyage around the African continent.

Drawing parallels to

Since July 1, boats clearing into Thailand have been issued bright orange pennants marked with an identification number and the words "Phuket Immigration". Theses flags must be flown for the duration of the boat's stay in Thai waters and returned upon departure.

Armed Thai officials are conducting regular checks to ensure that all foreign vessels have properly cleared customs.

Scud, our 44-foot St. Francis catamaran, was going like a train before a fresh southeast breeze in the shadow of five volcanoes, some rumbling, others slumbering. Two fishermen emerged out of the haze, casting nets and beating the azure waters with bamboo poles to herd

We emerged from the darkness of an overnight passage 10 miles off the North Carolina coast when Joe asked an ordinarily easy question: “Should we turn off the engines and sail?” The light breeze had finally clocked around so that it wasn’t hitting us on the nose and—having spent