Cruising Tips

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?

“Send me an article on the essence of seamanship,” was the editor’s brief. I wonder what you would have included in this article if he had asked you. I can tell you, it isn’t easy.

Keeping sharp knives in drawers on boats is not only a waste of prime storage real estate, it is also dangerous, as you can easily cut yourself rummaging through the drawer with your fingers.

I had been warned about the swirling currents of Hell Gate, but it was the profusion of lights from ships, shore and navigational aids that overwhelmed me as I entered Lower New York Bay after sunset in search of an overnight anchorage.

Setting a stern anchor is not for the faint of heart and can be a real pain. My friend Maurice Roper belongs to a club that always anchors in the same cove where anchors fore and aft are mandatory.

Often when cleaning our boat, we have to remove stubborn stains and marks from the fiberglass. My girlfriend has discovered that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser will remove the toughest marks with little or no scrubbing.