Sail Magazine

by David Schmidt

David Schmidt, a SAIL editor-at-large, is a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest from SAIL's Boston offices

Heavy Lifting

by David Schmidt, Posted October 22, 2008

We all want our boats to be more stable, but how can this be accomplished? The conventional solution is to hang more ballast off a deeper keel. Think more progressively, and you’re talking about water ballasting, which, while effective, also adds extra weight. Go sci-fi, and you’re canting your keel to windward—which is very effective, but is complicated, accident-prone, and still depends on

Bases Loaded

by David Schmidt, Posted October 22, 2008

So, you want to campaign a Volvo Open 70. The 2008–09 Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), a fully crewed around-the-world marathon, started on October 4, 2008, in Alicante, Spain, so you're out of luck unless your time frame is far downstream. As in, the next race. When the time comes, you could model yourself this way: You could start by buying the VO70 that holds the monohull 24-hour distance record

Busted!

by David Schmidt, Posted August 27, 2008

Sailors have been tying knots for millennia, and no doubt innovators have been trying just as long to invent both stronger rope and better knots. Yet the basic problem still remains: Every rope is weakened when its fibers are bent. Loading a knot with a large amount of weight creates a sheer force on the fibers; given enough force, the fibers break and the rope fails. Today’s

Slippery Solution

by David Schmidt, Posted August 27, 2008

Have you noticed that it was easier to hoist your mainsail when it was new? This may be because the luff hardware (typically metal or plastic sliders or slugs) has become worn or deformed, causing excess friction. Chris Caldwell of Piranha Sails in Marblehead, Massachusetts, has a neat short-term solution that’s as simple as making a quick stop at the supermarket for a bottle of dish

Choose Wisely

by David Schmidt, Posted August 26, 2008

How to find the favored end of the lineDetermining which end of a starting line is favored can be tricky. At a recent J/World racing clinic, North Sails sailmaker and J/World instructor Geoff Moore provided three useful methods for determining a line’s favored end. It’s important to test the line before the warning gun is fired so as not to interfere with another start; you’ll

Masthead Magic

by David Schmidt, Posted August 26, 2008

Tips for safely going aloftThe list of reasons for going aloft is long: checking the rig, rerunning a lost halyard, fixing a broken wind instrument. There are two basic ways to go up the mast: You can climb a halyard or you can be hoisted. While there are a number of devices available to help you ascend, the best method is to use a bosun’s chair or to use a mast-climbing device

J/122

by David Schmidt, Posted August 8, 2008

The new J/122, a 40-foot cruiser/racer, was designed by Alan Johnstone of the legendary J/Boats family and is being built in France by J/Europe. Its sporty credentials include light-to-moderate displacement (14,900 pounds), minimal overhangs, and a slippery, flat-bottomed hull form. A swept-back double-spreader Hall Spars carbon-fiber rig and a retractable carbon-fiber bowsprit are standard; the

Friendly Competition

by David Schmidt, Posted August 7, 2008

CREEEEEEEEEEK.Five heads snap toward the boom as an eerie sound emanates from the gooseneck on our Freedom 30. There were once four bolts binding the boom to the fitting, but now only two remain, and, judging from the groans of the metal-on-metal joint, this is one marriage that will likely be separated by death. And soon. “Traveler up, main out two inches,” barks Rod

Bound For Cruising

by David Schmidt, Posted August 6, 2008

Every sailor yearns to voyage beyond the horizon, but most of us have to settle for an annual cruise of a week or two. Make sure your boat is well prepared, and you’ll go far toward guaranteeing that you’ll spend your time trimming sails, chilling out in quiet anchorages, and enjoying early-morning swims rather than visiting the nearest boatyard. Know your boat “As a rule, every

Pocket Sword

by David Schmidt, Posted July 7, 2008

Pocket SwordIf you like folding knives with a million built-in gadgets, stop reading this review. But if you value exceptional workmanship, excellent quality materials, and the sharpest blade that this sailor has ever used — bar none — meet the Basic 3 from the studio of boutique knife maker David Boye. After using countless stainless-steel diving knives that always end