Cruising Grounds

Sailing Scene: San Diego

by Lisa Gabrielson, Posted December 14, 2012

As the sailing world gears up for the America’s Cup, it seems that all eyes are on the City by the Bay. But 500 miles south, just grazing the Mexican border, lies a city where you can sail year-round, the weather is nearly perfect and sailors are friendly as can be.

Cat Christmas in the Caribbean

by Bill Springer, Posted December 14, 2012

Our hosts, John and Caroline Charnley, and my wife, Caroline, were already swimming in the cool, fresh water, but of course, I just had to jump in from the “cliff” (about 10 feet high) above the pool.

Home by Another Way

by Bob Burgess, Posted December 12, 2012

It was the summer of 1946. Three of us teenagers from Grand Rapids, Michigan, all about to join the military, caught a car ferry to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and backpacked through the Porcupine Mountains on one final adventure together.

ICW by the Numbers

by Wally Moran, Posted November 25, 2012

Everyone fears the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway the first time they attempt it. I know I did. I’d heard so many stories—about shoals, rough water, tricky inlets, narrow channels, aggressive tugboats.

How a Racer Learned to Cruise

by MacDuff Perkins, Posted November 19, 2012

After working together at SAIL for two years, my coworker Christa asked me if I’d teach her to sail. Having never “learned” how to sail with either a coach or in a classroom, though, I knew my limitations as a teacher.

Cruise Notes: The South Pacific

by Lisa Gabrielson, Posted November 1, 2012

Enjoyed our stories on chartering in the South Pacific? Learn more about where to go and how to get there. The South Pacific enjoys a tropical climate year-round. From May to October the weather is cooler and drier, with temperatures in the high 70s; November to April is hurricane season.

Stories from the South Pacific: Whitsunday Magic

by Adam Cort, Posted October 30, 2012

Australia’s Whitsunday Islands, on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef just off the Queensland coast, are one of those “bucket list” destinations, known far and wide for great snorkeling, great sailing and some of the best beaches in the world.

Stories from the South Pacific: Entranced in Tahiti

by Wally Moran, Posted October 25, 2012

I yearn to return to Tahiti. I was there in 2010 for the Pearl Regatta and fell in love with the islands. I can still hear the crash of surf outside my room that first night, smell the scent of orchids at the top of the mountain on Raiatea...

Stories from The South Pacific: Time Out in Tonga

by Peter Nielsen, Posted October 22, 2012

Eskimos, according to urban legend, have 32 words for snow. Or perhaps it’s nine, or 15. No matter. Tongans must have at least that many words for the color blue.

Isla Beata

by Tor Pinney, Posted September 20, 2012

I was singlehanding, bound for Ile à Vache, Haiti, 200 miles west along the south coast of Hispañola. Any break along the way would be welcome. So when I cleared out of the Dominican Republic in Las Salinas, I planned to stop over at remote Isla Beata...