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.
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.
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.
Ironically, many who sail to St. Lucia do so by default, as it has long been the final destination for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. Every year the ARC brings well over 200 yachts en masse from the Canary Islands off Africa straight to Rodney Bay.
The typical snowbird traveling the Intracoastal Waterway sees little of North Carolina’s Neuse River, choosing instead to pick up the ICW again at Adams Creek. More than a few, though, have been known to not only venture another 25 miles upriver to New Bern for a visit, but to winter over there.
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.
From my vantage point aboard a Cal 31 sloop sailing out of Southwest Harbor, the cottages look more like castles, with immaculate grounds atop pink granite cliffs that drop into the chilly Maine waters below. The day couldn’t be more perfect for sailing
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.
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.
In September, SAIL editors Meredith Laitos and Lindsey Silken caught the last breath of summer on opposite coasts of the country. Though Labor Day marks the end of the season for many a northern sailor, these late-season charters revealed just how much they’re missing out on.
Perfect places to drop the hook are hard to come by. Have a few different anchoring techniques in your back pocket to make the best of it.
We recently ran a sail design trivia question about an outdated sail called the “blooper.” It stumped a good number of you who guessed that
Lydia Mullan takes the helm at SAIL Magazine, succeeding Wendy Mitman Clarke.
This past weekend we had the pleasure of being invited to the Marblehead, MA stop of our sister publication Sailing World’s national tour—the Helly Hansen
Routine summer care of your boat is as valuable as long-term maintenance. Here’s a handy schedule to follow.
A summer cruise in Maine becomes a whole new adventure when island hiking leads the way.
Toward evening on a summer’s day, there’s nothing like a quick spin around the harbor.
Sail design has evolved over the centuries from square sails on tallships to triangular Bermuda rigs, back to the square-topped mains of today’s speedsters, and
The Canary Islands has been home to generations of sailors who have competed through the most demanding circuits.
44 and 41-footers are on the horizon for Fountaine Pajot.
