What Causes a Sea Breeze?
October 1, 2016
My first solo offshore passage began with sunshine, gentle breezes and easy sailing. But there was nothing gentle about my return to land at day’s end.
My first solo offshore passage began with sunshine, gentle breezes and easy sailing. But there was nothing gentle about my return to land at day’s end.
There’s a right way to communicate via VHF radio—and many wrong ways. The reason for VHF protocol is to avoid ambiguity and ensure that messages
To begin You don’t need to know much about how a piston engine works in order to drive a car. You get in, turn on the engine, shift into gear, step on the gas, and off you go. In a sailboat, though, you play a far more active role in harnessing the energy that propels you forward. You can get
Modern weather forecasting is so good that we aren’t often caught out, but we all take a chance once in a while, especially when we’re under pressure to be somewhere else. Coastal sailing in near-gale conditions isn’t the same as ocean storm survival. Instead, we have to think hard about possible shelter and local dangers. Different boats have varying abilities. So do crews. Here’s a hypothetical
A. If a quick maneuver doesn’t spin her off, try reducing the draft by heeling her over with a backed sail and shifting some weight. B. In
If you have your boatyard help out with repairs, upgrades and routine maintenance, you can often be one of the first to launch in the
We are always told when outfitting our boats for cruising that we need to make sure our onboard electrical system can handle our projected daily power usage. But that raises an important question: what sort of day are we talking about? Is it a day spent at anchor, the day we have a lot of guests and friends on board, a day spent in a marina, or—and very often this is not considered—a day spent
The season is upon us and all manner of cruising sailors are wandering about trying to find interesting places to park their boats. Maybe you’re
Cruisers who sail long distances typically carry a vast array of tools and spare parts, but weekend sailors tend to buy parts as needed and
Without question, fog is the biggest reason sailors cite for avoiding the Maine coast in summer, despite the fact that it is otherwise an excellent
A new Scandinavian deckhouse cruiser is coming to America.
Laterr tonight, Quentin Debois is expected to become the fastest person to sail a Mini Transat 6.50 solo, east to west across the Atlantic. The
While most people are shopping for cradles and bottles when expecting a baby, I was deep into researching an area that I thought was much
the Jules Verne Trophy has a new owner. Sodebo Ultim 3 has set a new record.
The risk of going overboard—and how you brief it—depends entirely on context. Mia and I were at a wedding recently in England. The bride and
There’s no straight path to boat ownership. Charter in the meantime.
This week marks the one year count down to the start of the next Ocean Race.
The Sea Tow Foundation’s 2026 life jacket loaner program is getting underway.
A cruising family revels in two seasons
of exploration in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Edson will be starting 2026 with a fresh look at the future.
