I was sitting on the beach in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, in awe of the enormous cruise ships docked there, including the mammoth Oasis of the Seas. A couple sitting in beach chairs next to me asked which ship I was on. I laughed and said, See that little charter sailboat out there, anchored in front of the cruise ship dock? They nodded their heads in unison. Thats the ship Im on.
The water may be blue, but Island Yacht Charters, Inc. has gone green. The St. Thomas-based bareboat charter company recently received the 2010 National EPA Environmental Quality Award in recognition of a multi-year effort to make its boats and its base more earth-friendly.Over the course of the past five years, Island Yachts transformed its fleet of 16 Island Packets, ranging in size from
You’ve taken the sailing courses, received your certifications and spent a few summers crewing on your friend’s raceboat. You’ve learned to tie a mean bowline and trim a pretty mainsail. Still, the reason you first ventured into the world of sailing, to captain a charterboat in an exotic locale surrounded by friends and family, seems just out of your reach—and you’re not alone. In February 2010,
We got a late start departing Ventura Harbor that Memorial Day weekend. Arriving at their Swan 40, Blue Moon, on Thursday, my hosts Mark and Christine Mohler discovered there was a problem with the shore-power main breaker. The Mohlers hadnt been cruising for a couple of months, and now found their dead house batteries needed replacing.We finally got underway late on the Friday
We got a late start departing Ventura Harbor that Memorial Day weekend. Arriving at their Swan 40, Blue Moon, on Thursday, my hosts Mark and Christine Mohler discovered there was a problem with the shore-power main breaker. The Mohlers hadnt been cruising for a couple of months, and now found their dead house batteries needed replacing.We finally got underway late on the Friday
The sun shone a milky white. Its weak rays were barely able to drive off the damp chill of the early afternoon as we made our way eastward in the Deer Isle Thorofare, a passage snaking between Deer Isle and the beautiful smaller islands of Merchant Row in Down East Maine. I carefully checked the chart against the red and green buoys marking the channel, mindful that straying off course could mean
The sun shone a milky white. Its weak rays were barely able to drive off the damp chill of the early afternoon as we made our way eastward in the Deer Isle Thorofare, a passage snaking between Deer Isle and the beautiful smaller islands of Merchant Row in Down East Maine. I carefully checked the chart against the red and green buoys marking the channel, mindful that straying off course could mean
The sun shone a milky white. Its weak rays were barely able to drive off the damp chill of the early afternoon as we made our way eastward in the Deer Isle Thorofare, a passage snaking between Deer Isle and the beautiful smaller islands of Merchant Row in Down East Maine. I carefully checked the chart against the red and green buoys marking the channel, mindful that straying off course could mean
Thanks to sites like craigslist, ebay and amazon, we are better equipped than ever to make informed decisions when it comes to what we buy. Rather than blindly purchasing items and services promoted in catchy ad campaigns, we can now make our purchases after studying reviews and information posted by those who know the products first-hand.Nowhere is this more true than in the world of
After fairly busy Winter and Spring seasons in the BVI, things have slowed down a bit lately. In the wake of months like February, March, and April, when anchorages are full of families on school holidays, May and June are a time for couples to get together (often with like-minded couples) and charter a boat or go on a sailing vacation at a fraction of the peak-season cost.While May and
A shakedown passage across the Bay of Biscay proves challenging and empowering.
About halfway through the 635-mile Newport to Bermuda Race, in the middle of the night, partway through our Gulf Stream crossing, the boat I was
Seawind 1370 Seawind Catamarans have managed to walk a thoughtful line creating serious bluewater cruising cats that deliver solid sailing chops without the complexity and
The latest iteration of Moody Yachts’ “monomaran” concept is the DS48 (DS for deck salon), and the new model includes even more features designed to
Lin Pardey / Paradise Cay Publications It’s fair to say that few sailors can write about passagemaking with more authority than Lin Pardey. And true
We were sailing from Atlantic City to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, on a breezy summer day, and I’ll admit we were kind of a hot
With a full walkaround deck and big boat features, the latest from Jeanneau hits the sweet spot in 34 feet.
The new Catalina 356 is among five of the Florida builder’s models that are part of the 6 Series, a newly launched range that represents
Want to sail fast, easy, and stable downwind on passage? Learn to sail with a pole.
Preview two Top 10 Best Boats 2025 nominees. Xquisite 60 Solar Sail The new flagship in the Xquisite Yachts sailing line is the 60 Solar
