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Cruising Tips

Voice of Experience: “Daddy, We’re on the Rocks!”

I woke from a deep sleep to the sound of my 8-year-old daughter, Asha, exclaiming: “Daddy, we are really close to the rocks! I can step out onto them!” That was enough to get me out of my groggy, dreamlike state, and I leapt out of bed and headed for the companionway with my shorts in my hand.

Tips and Tricks to Prevent Falling Overboard

Those are the two words no one on any boat ever wants to hear. It is no surprise then that MOB recovery is a subject high on the list of any sail training activity. Kids in Optis and 420’s learn about it. Sailing schools teach it, offshore races have seminars on it, and there are detailed reports and debriefings on it.

Rope Caulk Marine Bedding

Forget those pricey marine compounds. Rope caulk, a non-hardening stranded putty that costs a few dollars at any hardware store, is ideal for bedding just about anything above the waterline.

Tips for Sailing After Dark

The process of piloting in deep water is the same at night as in the daytime. Once clear of channels and buoys, it’s down to GPS fixes checked against estimates, distances and courses to steer.

Maintaining Belt Tension

One day I discovered the romantically named Belt Tension Jack. Suddenly belt tensioning not only lost all its emotional tension, it even acquired a certain elegance.

Voice of Experience: Scary Sunset on Galveston Bay

A hot July day on Galveston Bay with partly cloudy skies and a southeasterly wind was ideal for a sail, a picnic and a swim. Sailing upwind to the remote Redfish Island and then the Houston Ship Channel was where the afternoon sail turned perilous…

Fridgeless Cruising

First off, let’s get this straight—we cruise on Arcturus without a fridge by choice, not necessity. Granted, we have limited space on board and a limited budget—both financially and in terms of amp-hours…

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Preview: The ClubSwan 28

Nautor Swan’s latest one design race boat prioritizes simplicity, quality, and speed in a compact model. Drawn up by Juan Kouyoumdjian, it’s designed to be

Moana’s grandmother’s spirit returns to her in the form of a manta ray. Photo courtesy of ©Disney

From the Helm: My Moana

I was inspired to write this column when Axel and I were in the car listening to the Moana soundtrack, and I was crying cathartic

Affiliate-B&D Vacume-2

SAIL Deals of the Week

Here at SAIL, we understand that having the right accessories can make all the difference. That’s why we’re excited to bring you our weekly roundup

The J/36 has an upgraded cockpit layout with twin helms that improve the flow on deck. Photo by Rachel Kirby

J/36 Review

The latest in this performance cruiser line has J/Boat DNA through and through. 

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Cartographer James Cook

James Cook, famed British explorer, navigator, and cartographer was born in this day 1728. He is best known for his three exploratory voyages around the

Photo courtesy of 11th Hour Racing

11th Hour Racing Returns

This weekend, the four Transat Café L’Or (formerly the Transat Jacques Vabre) fleets will set off to cross the Atlantic. Among the competitors in the

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