Sail Magazine

by Charles J. Doane

Charles Doane is SAIL’s Executive Editor. He has raced, cruised and lived aboard a variety of boats in harbors around the world.

Nautitech 441

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 26, 2012

In its original incarnation Nautitech was a captive catamaran brand belonging to Dufour Yachts. For over a decade now, Nautitech has operated independently and has steadily shifted its production focus away from the bareboat charter market and toward private owners and active family cruisers.

Southerly 49

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 24, 2012

The Southerly range of beachable swing-keel cruisers from Britain’s Northshore Yachts has been consistently represented in the United States now for a number of years, which is a good thing, as there are many cruising grounds here where shoal-draft capability is a great advantage. Every time I sail a Southerly, I come away impressed by the utility offered by their ballasted swing keels and by the high quality of their design and construction

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 and How We Test Boats

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 22, 2012

Shot from the largest and latest in Jeanneau's Sun Odyssey line, the 509, we bring you a stem-to-stern look at how the editors of SAIL complete a boat review. Follow Charles Doane on the 509 as you learn how we measure and make sense of a brand new sailboat.

Bavaria Cruiser 40

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 15, 2012

This hearty 40-foot cruising boat from Germany is one in a family of boats recently introduced into the North American market by a revitalized Bavaria Yachts. It sits on a dividing line of sorts: its larger sisters, the Cruiser 45, 50 and 55, all carry twin rudders to help control their beamy hulls when well heeled in a breeze, while the 40 and the smaller 32 and 36 do not. Unlike its smaller sisters, the Cruiser 40 does boast twin steering stations in its cockpit.

Catalina 385

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 13, 2012

The Catalina 385 is third in a series of new boats that began in 2009 with the award-winning 445 model. The concept behind this “5” series of boats is fairly simple: marry the best aspects of modern mass-production cruising boat design and construction with a healthy streak of common sense and practicality.

Beneteau Oceanis 48

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 13, 2012

This latest offering in Beneteau’s revitalized Oceanis line of family cruising boats was introduced at the Miami International Boat Show in February. Like the new Oceanis 45, which received a 2012 European Boat of the Year Award, the 48 immediately won some accolades and was tapped for a National Marine Manufacturers Association Innovation Award soon after the show opened.

Bavaria Cruiser 32

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 3, 2012

The Cruiser 32, smallest in Bavaria’s new line of family cruising boats, is one of the more ambitious boats I’ve come across recently. Like its larger sisters, it boasts a very modern hull form with a fine entry that carries lots of beam aft.

Beneteau Oceanis 45

by Charles J. Doane, Posted May 31, 2012

In addition to introducing and expanding its new Sense line of family cruisers over the past two years, Beneteau has also revitalized its ever-popular Oceanis line.

Strange Sand in My Water Tanks

by Charles J. Doane, Posted May 15, 2012

When Executive Editor Charlie Doane found sand in his water tanks, he assumed it was the result of extensive tropical cruising. But guess what— the culprit was chlorinated water.

Testing Ultrasonic Antifouling

by Charles J. Doane, Posted May 8, 2012

I’d been wrestling with the problem of antifouling for some time prior to this, as I don’t like to use copper-based paint on Lunacy’s aluminum hull. I had tried E-Paint ZO, a zinc-based ablative paint, for a couple of seasons but was disappointed with the results.