My 5 Most Useful Items on a Boat
November 13, 2012
See our five most useful boat items and then share your own! If we like your list, we might print it in an upcoming issue of SAIL.
See our five most useful boat items and then share your own! If we like your list, we might print it in an upcoming issue of SAIL.
I’ve been on the wrong end of a towline twice. At the very least, being towed will ruin your afternoon. At worst, it can cause serious damage to your boat or injury to your crew. Knowing what to expect and what to do to help yourself—or to help others help you—will ensure things go safely and smoothly.
A few years ago, the Gulf Stream swiftly carried me home from the Bahamas while simultaneously tormenting me with waterspouts. It got me thinking…
“I’m waiting, “ said Charles Doane, SAIL’s executive editor. “That’s all anybody is doing.” Doane, along with many other boat owners, has been forced to delay moving his Tanton 39 cutter Lunacy south from New England, and eventually to Bermuda, because of approaching hurricane Sandy.
Fuel capacity usually isn’t an issue in home waters, but it becomes important when long-range cruising sailboats have to motor for extended periods.
A well-built Hypalon inflatable dinghy can last well over 10 years if properly cared for. In many cases, the first thing to fail isn’t the fabric but the fiddly little spring-loaded valves used to keep the boat inflated.
On arriving at Alligator River Marina after a 15-mile passage across Albemarle Sound, we got a bit of a surprise. The place was practically empty, which was weird considering it was October, the height of snowbird season.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on inside that little tender’s house up on a drawbridge, you’re not alone. It’s a bit of a fishbowl up here, and everyone who walks by seems to look in.
When covering my boat for the winter, I like to use heavy gray-green poly tarps, as they are inexpensive and last several years if they are protected against chafe and are properly secured.
The first time I ever used a GPS on an offshore passage we almost lost the boat. The navigator, delighted with his new toy, had plotted a waypoint just off our destination, but somehow missed the long, low, unlit headland between us and it.
The fire alarm went off with a wild shriek at 0300, about 10 minutes after I’d turned the engine on to start motoring through a
Bali has announced the launch of the new Bali 5.2 just a year after the launch of the 5.8, and a first look suggests 5.2 takes lessons from her big sister and fits them skillfully into a more approachable LOA.
The Magenta Project seeks applicants for its 2025-26 mentorship program.
Cottage Park Yacht Club hits a milestone: one million dollars raised for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Perfect places to drop the hook are hard to come by. Have a few different anchoring techniques in your back pocket to make the best of it.
We recently ran a sail design trivia question about an outdated sail called the “blooper.” It stumped a good number of you who guessed that
Lydia Mullan takes the helm at SAIL Magazine, succeeding Wendy Mitman Clarke.
This past weekend we had the pleasure of being invited to the Marblehead, MA stop of our sister publication Sailing World’s national tour—the Helly Hansen
Routine summer care of your boat is as valuable as long-term maintenance. Here’s a handy schedule to follow.
A summer cruise in Maine becomes a whole new adventure when island hiking leads the way.
