”Uh-oh,” I heard myself say. “We’ve got a problem!” Running aground was the last thing on my mind that gorgeous July afternoon as I guided Tackful, our “new to us” Catalina Capri 25, into the harbor.
My ketch Silverheels didn’t have any cockpit canvas when I bought her, just an old two-bow dodger frame. I had visions of installing a hard dodger and bimini, but a lack of time, patience and skill caused me to opt for a hardtop for the dodger frame instead.
Like most long-range cruisers I carry a lot of anchor chain, but I was having a problem with pyramids in my chain locker. When weighing anchor my chain piled up beneath its deck pipe, sometimes reaching up high enough to block it, so that the chain being fed in would suddenly jam the windlass gypsy.
Every cruising boat should carry a sailmaker’s palm along with a kit of essential sail-repair tools
The vertical windlass on my boat is designed to handle only one anchor. Like many cruisers, however, I carry two bow anchors and occasionally need to use both. The problem is my windlass, like most vertical windlasses, feeds just one anchor rode through a deck pipe built into its casing.
For years I’ve been using a 3-gallon insecticide spray can as a portable pressure-water dispenser. You’ll find these in any hardware store.
The first time I tried to pick up a mooring singlehanded in a stiff breeze, I approached from dead downwind in the usual manner and stopped the boat with the pickup buoy right where I wanted it.
One of the more mundane aspects of bluewater cruising is having to clear in and out of all the foreign countries you visit. The task is often routine, but can sometimes be frustrating, perplexing or even hilarious. We have found this to be true on any number of occasions.
When an offshore earthquake near Japan resulted in a destructive tsunami in March 2011, I, along with sailors everywhere, held my breath. My eyes were glued to the Internet. I watched videos of massive volumes of water rushing ashore, displacing families, killing people and destroying villages.
Prop walk, the tendency of a turning propeller to push a boat’s stern sideways, can be a real nuisance when maneuvering under power. Or it can be your biggest ally. The trick is to understand it, anticipate it, and make it work for you.
Two industry giants are celebrating five decades this year. Here’s a look back at half a century on the water with Gori and Gill.
The Excess 13 is a true cruiser’s cruiser, designed for maximum comfort and enjoyment on the water. Pivoting away from VPLP and Patrick Le Quément
The latest from Dufour should help achieve the French builder’s goal of encouraging people to get on the water and sail, sail, sail.
SPONSORED: The First 30, Oceanis 47, and Oceanis 52 are all making their U.S. debuts this weekend. Join Beneteau’s Kevin Duchesne for a preview of
Breaking Down The Art of Breaking Down.
October 10, 1845 The U.S. Naval Academy was established in Annapolis, Maryland.
America’s largest all-sailing boat show starts today. The SAIL team is looking forward to a busy weekend full of new boats and old friends.
The Annapolis Sailboat Show starts tomorrow. SAIL is at F7, and we hope you’ll stop by for a visit!
An easy, friendly club boat with great potential.
One young man with a calling has built an aid pipeline for rural Caribbean communities.
