We get our first glimpse of delights to come as our plane makes a wide circle on its approach to Tortolas Beef Island airport. Spread out below us are turquoise seas and a flotilla of boats sailing up and down the Sir Francis Drake Channel. We land, and the warm tropical breezes of February greet us as we walk across the tarmac. Clearly, nothing important has changed in the British Virgin
I somehow got on the distribution list for Magellan’s newsletterMagellan’s is a catalogue and online seller of travel-related itemsand (surprise!) find that its travel advice is often useful. If you’re planning a charter outside the U.S., take note of these suggestions for using ATMs rather than traveler’s checks (this seems to be the way things are going).
I’d not been back to Antigua since I left in 1994. After graduating from college and spending three years skiing and surfing, I set off to see the world as a paid deck hand. My first gig was a delivery from subfreezing Newport, Rhode Island, to balmy English Harbour aboard a Swan 65. I had no money, nor a place to stay once we arrived, but how hard could it be, I thought, to find a job on one of
Charter InsuranceAs Sunsails Peter Cook says, You never know what will happen on a boat. Enter charter insurance, which is designed to cover you in case of a serious eventmajor loss or damage.In the well-established charter world of the Caribbean, the pattern is industry wide, though the actual amounts differ by company; the variables are the size and age of the boat and
One-Way StreetI was recently confronted with the not-unpleasant conundrum of how to make the best use of a one-week charter in a place (a) Id never sailed before, (b) I am unlikely to return to, and (c) that is too big to sail and see it all in a week. What I consider to be best use involves a pleasant amount of sailing (but not dawn to dusk) and a reasonable amount of time to see
Get It While Its HotSummer can be coolerthis observation includes the temperaturein the Caribbean than where I live, in Massachusetts, and the water is always warmer. More important, the wind always blows, which is more than I can say for my home waters.Now is a good time to take advantage of the hot summer rates offered by all the bareboat-charter companies in the
Special Treats CARIBBEAN. Everyone likes to save moneyand why not. If you must have some time in the tropics and cant wait for the summer specials in the Caribbean and the Bahamas to kick in (see May SAIL for a rundown)and if youre flexible about datesyoull find that most bareboat companies in the Caribbean are offering last-minute online specials. The list on sailmagazine.com
Where in the World should you look for a summer sailing vacation away from home? Summer is a great time to explore many top cruising groundsIf I knew whether this winters distinctly peculiar weather in much of North America is predictive of a peculiar summer to come, by now Id be rich, or famous, or both. What I can predict without consulting an oracle is that the
Spain Calling – February 2007The upcoming Americas Cup events in Valencia (semifinals June 111, finals June 23July 4) have drawn attention to Spain, with its long coastline, maritime history, and many attractions, as a charter venue. If you are among the many sailors worldwide thinking about combining a charter with a trip to the Cup matchesor just thinking about
When Winter Comes SPRING CAN SEEM FAR behind, especially if you live above the frostline and your boat is laid up for the winter. The tropical and subtropical cruising grounds most easily accessible to North American charterersthese include the Virgin, Windward, and Leeward islands of the Caribbean, Florida, the Bahamas, and Belizeare, for the most part,
I had no warning of impending disaster. The morning sky was deep blue, and the fronds of the palm trees on Belize’s beautiful South Water
Ever wonder how the gear we put on our boats gets tested before we ever use it? If it’s Harken gear, that would be the
Ever wonder how the gear we put on our boats gets tested before we ever use it? If it’s Harken gear, that would be the
The inaugural Global Solo Challenge has been an ocean race like no other. From a sizable percentage of American sailors to a pursuit start that
Jan. 11/2024: Here’s one of the more interesting things that has happened to me since the publication of The Boy Who Fell to Shore, my
In little over a week, Mia and I head to Falken, 59° North’s Farr 65, for the last passage of 2023. The boat is docked
Yacht Thruster, celebrating 15+ years, is a compact & powerful bow/stern thruster, installed on thousands of sailboats from 30ft – 75ft. The minimally invasive mounting
A 20- to 30-knot northerly wind and temps hovering around 39°F on the edge of the Baltic Sea in November are not generally considered prime
Clare Thompson did not fall into sailing in the usual way. She was in her early 20s in the mid-1960s, an unwilling patient in a
