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
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?”
In a life marked by unusual and beautiful boats, the Luders 27 has become a standout.
Searching for a new-to-them family cruising boat was a revelation. “The worst part about buying a boat is that the search is over!”
In the days of e-readers, one wonders how long the pulpy pleasure of the boatyard book swap will last.
Like many cruising sailors of my generation, Graham Cox was first inspired to dream of bluewater voyaging by teen circumnavigator Robin Lee Graham.
After rounding Cape Horn in relatively calm conditions, the Pardeys pay the piper in the Roaring Forties.
Canvas is one of your boat’s most valuable assets. Here’s how to care for it in the off-season.
After six years away from the sea, Lin Pardey’s return to voyaging was not without adventure.
TeamO has earned the overall 2024 DAME Design Award for its Hi-Lift 150N lifejacket and harness, while Yanmar Marine took home wins in two categories
To answer that unanswerable question, the best is what you make of it.
In Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, sailing, maritime history, and community are uniquely connected.
