Cruising Tips

Dinghy Seamanship

by Fay Mark, Posted August 18, 2009

There’s an old saying that some of the most dangerous moments in sailing occur when people are in their dinghies. Over the years we’ve had lots of opportunities to see dinghies being handled well and poorly, and we’ve seen a lot more good and bad examples since we have been cruising in the Caribbean aboard our 54- foot cutter New Morning. We carry an 11-foot Zodiac

Towing - The Bottom Line

by Chuck Baier, Posted April 27, 2010

Many sailors have memberships with TowBoatUS, Sea Tow and other organizations. But how many understand what services their membership includes, what their own responsibility is if they do call for assistance, and what level of assistance they should expect to receive? Most memberships have different levels of coverage, and if you’re unsure

Sudden Turn

by Steven Fink, Posted April 20, 2011

One beautiful, sunny July day I was sailing Rondo, my Beneteau 423, about a mile off the famed Santa Monica pier in picturesque Santa Monica Bay, California. The wind was blowing gently at around 8 knots, and I was reaching along on port tack making about 5 knots. It was a typical Southern California day with a typical Southern California breeze. Suddenly, at a distance of about 300 yards, I saw

A Memorial Day to Remember

by Bruce Hartmann, Posted January 26, 2012

It was a pleasant day in May when our family boarded Val-De-Ri, our Catalina 34. We were preparing to sail from our homeport in Bath, North Carolina, to Chesapeake Bay, a long-anticipated cruise. Little did we know that we were in store for a smoking engine, medical issues, a storm from the north, and an unintentional grounding.

How to Store Wine Aboard

by Jan Irons, Posted April 11, 2012

Wine connoisseurs will always agree that life is too short to drink bad wine. But wine can be difficult to keep on a sailboat.

Best Stern Anchors

by Peter Nielsen, Posted November 29, 2012

If you’re getting into serious cruising, there will be times when you want to set a stern anchor. Usually this involves emptying fenders, lines and whatnot out of a cockpit locker until you unearth the kedge and its rode.

Ring Around the Headstay

by Charles J. Doane, Posted February 28, 2013

The first bareboat I ever hired in the Virgin Islands, many moons ago, was from a small hole-in-the-wall charter outfit with a rather motley fleet of vessels.

Stanchion safety

by Don Casey, Posted February 7, 2006

Stanchion Safety (January 2006)When 200 pounds of force is applied to the top of a 30-inch stanchion, as much as 3 tons of pull can be exerted on the stanchion's base. That is more than enough to rip poorly mounted bolts up through the deck. Make sure all stanchion bases have oversized metal backing plates (not just shoulder washers), and check all the bases periodically for

Cruising Cat: Performance Primer

by Richard Woods, Posted August 26, 2008

Follow these performance tips to get the most from your cruising cat.By Richard WoodsI’ve been sailing and designing catamarans since 1976. I’ve cruised tens of thousands of miles and have won several national titles in racing boats. Years of experience have taught me how to maximize sailing performance. For starters, nothing turns a cruising cat’s polar potential

Seamanship: Twin power

by Chip Lawson, Posted June 19, 2009

I was looking up at the masthead from the deck trying to see how the main halyard and the mainsail’s headboard were interacting and how the upper swivel for the jib furler was aligned. I took my 7x50 binoculars but I was still unable to get the close-up view I wanted. Then, in a eureka moment, I pulled out my digital camera, with its zoom capability, and put its lens to one of the binocular’s