Using a Handheld Depthsounder
August 7, 2013
Have you ever spotted a lone sailboat anchored in what looks like a dream location—someplace not on the charts—and wondered how the heck they got there?
Have you ever spotted a lone sailboat anchored in what looks like a dream location—someplace not on the charts—and wondered how the heck they got there?
I’m a barbecue traditionalist; I love to grill on a charcoal fire. The problem on a boat is the mess attendant to keeping bags of charcoal onboard.
When you inspect your inflatable lifejackets, hope you don’t find any surprises. They say you should never take anything for granted in life, and I reckon that applies to lifejackets too. While exhuming my inflatable lifejackets— one manually actuated, one auto-inflating—from their basement crypt last spring, it struck me that I had never once inspected them or serviced them since they were new—and that, I realized guiltily, was many years ago.
Cockpits get cluttered underway or at anchor. Inevitably someone steps on that wayward tube of sunscreen, someone else sits on your sunglasses, and small stuff goes missing. If you want to keep everything within reach and handy, you need pockets.
I will say it until I’m red in the face: displacement cruising yachts, no matter how nimble, always make faster passages sailing in a straight line. Forget the gybing angles that racers use when sailing downwind. Square the sails off and run!
Picture this: you’ve got the opportunity of a lifetime to crew aboard a great cruising sailboat. All that’s left is to pack your duffel. In addition to the essential layers of clothing, here are a few items that will keep you comfortable and happy at sea.
Cats make great cruising companions, but life on a boat can be challenging for them.
What happens when a big-city chef gets tucked into an itty-bitty galley and is challenged to cook like a sailor? We shanghaied Chef Gibson of Waban Kitchen in Newton, Massachusetts and set out onto Boston Harbor to find out.
If you chug into a marina needing urgent repairs or are simply looking for a good price on a tourist attraction, ask after the local expert. Most marinas have a long-term resident who can point you to the best mechanics and cheapest markets.
Which sail should you reef first when the wind gets up—your genoa or mainsail?
I have a confession to make: I recently read one of John Kretschmer’s books for the first time. You’d think someone who’s made a career
As the summer winds down, a season change is in the air. Autumn? Nope, it’s boat show season. You’d think the SAIL editors would all
A drop-in sailing lifestyle is a reasonable alternative to cruising on your own boat.
Reserve your tickets now.
Ready or not, boat show season is upon us.
As the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival approaches its half-century mark, a look at past, present, and future of this Pacific Northwest classic.
Tracy Edwards led the first all-female circumnavigation during the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race and has been a bold advocate for women and girls ever since.
This Italian/Danish build aims to bridge the gap from small boat to grand prix sailing.
The Bar Keeper’s Friend It doesn’t matter what a class act your boat is, I’ll bet the builders let a few so-called stainless steel bolts
Michael Reardon, founder and CEO of Daedalus Yachts, has purchased several American-made brands this year.
