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
Edson will be starting 2026 with a fresh look at the future.
If you’re not going out after dark, you’re missing out on magic.
The Clipper Round the World race has announced an exciting update for the 2027 season: they will be replacing their fleet with the Clipper RX,
Routing isn’t a perfect science. Here’s what you can do to help.
The discovery of a treasure trove of old family letters uncovers an incredible true story from the Age of Sail.
US Sailing has shared six names on the shortlist for the 2025 award: Alli Bell, Laura Grondin, Pearl Lattanzi, Justin Callahan, Taylor Canfield, and Paul Cayard.
From the security experts at GOST (Global Ocean Security Technologies) comes a new security tracker for small boats and dinghies. You can think of Kasper
The third model in the line serves up rip-roaring performance that’s hard to forget.
I’m about to set out on what could be my greatest adventure yet: My first transatlantic crossing. A group of young climate advocates are trying
The Cruising Club of America has announced its 2025 awardees. The highest honor, the Blue Water Medal for “exceptional seamanship and adventure by amateur sailors,”
