Conventional wisdom has it there can be only one captain on a boat, and that skippering by consensus never works. When it comes down to the wire, one voice must be heard above all others, or chaos will ensue. Well, thats obviously a male viewpoint. My friend Pip and I share a passion for sailing and adventure, and weve done some offshore racing and family cruising, but neither of us had ever
After a full day of racing, there’s nothing I want to do more than put the boat away and hit the rum tent. When asked if I want to spend the night on a boat, what I actually hear is, “Do you want to sleep in a pile of recycling that we keep down in a wet cellar? There’s a bathroom right by your head.” So no, I am not a cruiser.
After a full day of racing, there’s nothing I want to do more than put the boat away and hit the rum tent. I need some separation between my body and the boat. When asked if I want to spend the night on a boat, what I actually hear is, Do you want to sleep in a pile of recycling that we keep down in a wet cellar? Theres a bathroom right by your head.So no, I am not a
It’s difficult to put into words what it’s like to sail in Desolation Sound, British Columbia, but “spectacular” and “breath-taking” are a good start. Located roughly 450 miles north of Seattle, Washington, the sound features abundant sea and wildlife. Along the winding inlets, 1,000-foot waterfalls cascade into 1,000-foot deep seas under bright blue skies. In the late summer, the weather is
Conventional wisdom dictates that you not enter an unknown harbor at night, and as we prepare to depart Quebec City, I wonder if the same applies to leaving. For three days the wind has been blowing a steady 25-plus knots from the east, against the current of the Saint Lawrence River, pinning us down in Bassin Louise, the old port, now Quebec City marina. But let’s be clear; this is not a
This past July, while sailing in Maine, we were surprised to discover there were no lobsters to be had on North Haven Island. Ya got a boat? a woman with no lobsters to sell asked us.As it turns out, this years lobster season hasnt been the best one for Mainers, and youre just as likely to get a fresh catch in Brooklyn as you are in Rockland. Lobster middlemenfloating barges that
When I boarded Mercantile, an 80-foot schooner docked in Camden Harbor, Maine, my iPhones battery had about five minutes of life left on it. Heydo you have an iPod dock or outlet on board? I asked a scruffy-looking young man who could have walked straight out of a modern-day Moby Dick casting call.Aw, lady, you dont know how much fun yer gonna have once that things
Driving up to Lake Champlain with our 21ft San Juan sloop Puffin in tow, my wife Dawn and I felt our excitement mounting. Wed had plenty of sailing experience on our home lake in New Hampshire, but this would be our first time on the big body of water in the northwestern corner of Vermont. We were looking forward to a week-long sailing vacation in a beautiful locale.A light rain
Six weeks before we took off for St. Lucia, my nervous father texted me, “I’m buying some new clothes for the trip. Will I be okay in T-shirts and quick- dry tops?” “Sure!” I replied, “Think about buying some linen, too.” “Linen?” he texted back, “where on my body and where on a boat would I put linen?”
This article originally appeared in the October 2009 issueMany sailors think the best way to reach the Caribbean from the northeast U.S. is to head for Bermuda, spend a few days there, and then take an easy ride down to the islands. In my experience this is neither the quickest or safest route for boats under 55 feet. Many American insurance companies, and almost all Lloyds
Looking to clean up your technique this season? Hop onboard with Newport’s Wind Walker for a lesson on textbook mark roundings. View this post on
Want to sail on the edge? Try running the bow for the first time on a 140-foot classic schooner in a world-class regatta.
I always thought you’d pry my classic Dubarry seaboots from my cold, wet hands, but that’s before I tried Zhik’s Seaboot 700. And while it
It’s summertime! The days are getting longer, the twilight more magical, and the nighttime breezes softer. Here’s a preview of SAIL’s June/July issue to inspire
Hang on Tight! Moving aft from the foredeck on a windy day, have you noticed a sort of no-man’s land between the mid-deck where coachroof
Colloquially the term “skyscraper” is used to refer to a tall city building, but nearly a hundred years before its modern architectural association, it had
The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, locally known as the Bay Bridge and actually two spans (one built in 1952, the second in 1973),
For National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) we’re revisiting some of the best safety stories, recommendations, and gear from our sister publications. Today, Power & Motoryacht’s podcast episode with SAIL managing editor Lydia Mullan discussing the sinking of Alliance and key takeaways from the rescue.
NOAA predicts up to 19 named storms in the Atlantic basin this season, with three to five becoming major hurricanes.
From Passagemaker: Tips on how to navigate safely in fog.
