To get yourself from any Southern California harbor to Catalina Island, you’re typically going to set full sail in a moderate breeze. Half a day later you’ll moor in a sunny lee where you will hang out and probably socialize boat-to-boat for a few days before reaching back home to your freeway connection.That’s the classic Southern California cruise weekend, and a lot of the world cruises or
Hanse Yachts in Greifswald, in eastern Germany, was little heard of until the 1990s, when reunification allowed the yard to break into the worldwide production-boat market. Hanse has built fast cruising boats from 31 to 41 feet and recently launched its largest model, the 53-foot 531 that I tested off Cannes, France, this summer.On DeckThe 531’s deck layout is
All variable-draft boats depend on a fully deployed keel for windward performance. Walt Schulz of Shannon Yachts set himself the challenge of designing a 32-foot cruising boat that would sail to windward without drawing more than 30 inches. The result is the Shannon Shoalsailer, and Schulz’s beamy design with dual shallow-draft bilge boards reportedly does just that. Schulz says the hull shape is
The MacGregor 26M is the latest version of Roger MacGregor’s successful MacGregor 26X. This remarkable 26-footer can reportedly log speeds of over 21 knots under power, float in 12 inches of water, and sleep six. It has a galley and an enclosed head. Stability under sail comes from 300 pounds of permanent ballast, 1,150 pounds of easily removable water ballast in the hull, and a narrow
The Catalina 250 Centerboard has some unusual features for a pocket cruisera built-in swim ladder and stern-pulpit seats. And it has the essentials: an easy-to-fill water-ballast system, a spacious cockpit and accommodation plan, a big kick-up rudder and a durable centerboard, and a stove, sink, and a bit of counter space in the galley. There is also a private head compartment. You’ll be amazed
Not all pocket cruisers are water-ballasted. The Jim Taylor-designed Precision 23 achieves stability with fixed ballast and a shallow keel/centerboard configuration. With the board up the minimum draft is just under 2 feet; draft increases to 5 feet, 4 inches with the board down. The Precision also bucks pocket-cruiser convention in that it has a conventional cabin-top and legitimate side decks.
There is a reason why West Wight Potters have been in production for over 42 years. They may appear tiny compared to modern thin-water pocket cruisers, but their hard-chined hulls, simple sailplans, and economical accommodations are just as fun, safe, and effective as they were 40 years ago. Price: West Wight Potter 15, $7,395 (including sails, engine, and trailer, FOB Inglewood, CA);
At 34 feet and 10,000 pounds displacement, the Seaward Eagle is one of the larger variable-draft coastal cruising monohulls you can haul and launch from a trailer with relative ease—and you can sail it with the keel at a variety of depths. It achieves shoal-draft status thanks to its 2,500-pound retractable bulb keel. An electric winch raises and lowers the keel within a keel trunk.
The Feeling 44 is another offshore cruiser with gunkholing capability; its optional lifting keel reduces draft from 8 feet, 6 inches to 2 feet. Considerable fixed ballast is built into the bottom of the hull to enhance stability and provide a solid grounding plate. This cruiser is thin-water friendly—its shallow rudder provides positive control with the keel fully retracted. It’s also
It may not be the first boat that comes to mind when you’re considering a shoal-draft cruiser, but the Southerly 135 should grab your attention simply because of its size and what it can do below the waterline. It’s a 45-foot offshore cruiser that displaces close to 30,000 pounds and boasts a well-appointed interior. What’s remarkable about it is that it’s equipped with a 3,610-pound cast-iron
We didn’t get off on the right foot sailing into Hawaii. It was our own fault, of course. We should have known better. It’s never
Annapolis may be the sailing capital of America, but if you looked around the United States Sailboat Show last fall, you would have no choice
I met Captain Sarah Schelbert back in 2019 while on the boat trip from hell aboard a seaworthy but poorly run Triton 28 in the
Many of us who are cruising sailors have been sailing mid-ocean or walking along a perfect beach in the middle of seemingly nowhere, only to
This past weekend saw 20 IC37s off Newport, Rhode Island engage in fast and furious one-design racing with the win going to Peter McClennen’s Gamecock.
Having set ourselves the task of transforming our recently purchased Open 66 ex-Vendée Globe racer, NV, into a performance family cruiser, my partner, Timo, and
Whether they’re at the end of their collegiate career or after aging out of a summer sailing program, a lot of young sailors have a
“What’s the joke about heavy weather? You know it when you see it.” Figure 8 singlehander Randall Reeves drew laughs from the Cruising Club of
The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. Some of it is timing. Some of it is just the way of
There’s so much going on in the news that you would be in good company if you didn’t realize the first major storm to hit
