I once sailed my Westsail 32, Antares, from Virginia to Bermuda. Through 760 miles of open ocean, Gulf Stream storms with towering seas, setbacks and survival, I was completely alone. Ive crewed aboard boats all over the world, but I had never experienced conditions like those of the first days of the passage.I was mugged by a nasty northerly gale just off Cape Hatteras. Battered
“It really was warmer last week (last month/yesterday).We heard that refrain throughout our brief weeks cruise. Wherever the warmth was, we missed it. Chartering in mid-August in the San Juan Islands, the storied archipelago of the Pacific Northwest, we werent prepared to don multiple layers, burrow in sleeping bags, and crank up our in-cabin heater every morning.
“It really was warmer last week (last month/yesterday).We heard that refrain throughout our brief weeks cruise. Wherever the warmth was, we missed it. Chartering in mid-August in the San Juan Islands, the storied archipelago of the Pacific Northwest, we werent prepared to don multiple layers, burrow in sleeping bags, and crank up our in-cabin heater every morning.
Our cruise through Mexico was a magnificent discovery of sight, sound, and senses. We expected to see a few whales basking in the sun and to have dolphins once again play in our bow waves. What we had not anticipated was that wonderful feeling when you are so overwhelmed by the intensity of nature that your skin becomes gooseflesh and cold shivers run down your spine, despite the 80 degree
Our cruise through Mexico was a magnificent discovery of sight, sound, and senses. We expected to see a few whales basking in the sun and to have dolphins once again play in our bow waves. What we had not anticipated was that wonderful feeling when you are so overwhelmed by the intensity of nature that your skin becomes gooseflesh and cold shivers run down your spine, despite the 80 degree
We North American sailors tend to take our away sailing vacations in the Caribbean, where the charter companies are well known through advertising and magazine articles. And its certainly not hard to find a fellow sailor whos been there, done it, and cant tell you enough about it. Thats the good news. Weve also come to expect, and get, a high level of service and a certain amount of
Eventually. But now, as this issue of SAIL is arriving in your mailbox, is the time to start making plans for Summer 09 if youre thinking about a charter cruise in southern New England. The cruising grounds range from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to Connecticut, and the waters are chockablock with iconic destinations: the big, inhabited islands (Nantucket, Marthas Vineyard, and Block Island)
Heres what hit me on my last trip to Catalina. It happened on the wrap-up night of a Seawind Catamaran rendezvous, and we were six cats abreast, rafted in cozy Cat Harbor across a narrow neck from Isthmus Cove. The few scattered lights ashore stole little from a starry sky. The guitars and the singing went on for a bit. A few dozen people were sated by a potluck spread (and whatever else). Tales
Here’s what hit me on my last trip to Catalina. It happened on the wrap-up night of a Seawind Catamaran rendezvous, and we were six cats abreast, rafted in cozy Cat Harbor across a narrow neck from Isthmus Cove. The few scattered lights ashore stole little from a starry sky. The guitars and the singing went on for a bit. A few dozen people were sated by a potluck spread (and whatever else). Tales
Heres what hit me on my last trip to Catalina. It happened on the wrap-up night of a Seawind Catamaran rendezvous, and we were six cats abreast, rafted in cozy Cat Harbor across a narrow neck from Isthmus Cove. The few scattered lights ashore stole little from a starry sky. The guitars and the singing went on for a bit. A few dozen people were sated by a potluck spread (and whatever else). Tales
Changing up their longstanding formula, Leopard Catamarans reimagined a midsize cruiser to deliver versatile living and greener cruising.
Have you had an encounter or collision with marine life while at sea? The Marine Mammal Advisory Group (MMAG) needs your help compiling their global
Helly Hansen has rolled out their Spring/Summer 2025 Collection, and with it a new take on their costal foulies.
The Cruising Club of America (CCA) is a collection of 1,400 ocean sailors with extensive offshore seamanship, command experience, and a shared passion for making
Designed and built with expedition sailing in mind, the Allures 51.9 is a powerful platform for shorthanded sailing exploration. Read the review here.
Getting up close and personal with the water on a beautiful, silent fish hunter.
A simple, clean embodiment of the racer cruiser concept, the J/40 is a SAIL Top 10 Best Boats winner for 2024. Read the full review
Hanse is embracing the best of big boats alongside the often overlooked advantages of a small boat.
Every sailor has a Covid story, many involving themselves—or their boats—getting stuck where and when they least expected. I am willing to bet, however, that
How do you answer the second most unanswerable question?
