My pre-sail checklist is pretty basic. Bilge sump empty? Phew. Mainsail cover off, halyard on? Yep. Battery switched on? Check. Engine intake seacock open? Check. Engine starts? Yippee.
In our July 2013 issue, regular contributor Tom Cunliffe reflected on the essence of seamanship. We asked about your views on seamanship, and you answered. Here are a few reader-submitted takes on the essence of seamanship.
After the rigors of our Ouija board navigation, Ken treated me to a spontaneous VHF serenade. Suddenly, blasting out of the radio came the unmistakable sound of the “Ride of the Valkyries.” I grabbed the microphone and hollered to my mid-ocean friend, “Charley don’t surf…Charley don’t surf!”
My running diesel made a clunking sound, followed by silence. Next came the sound of rushing water, as if from a large hose. I quickly pulled the companionway steps off the engine compartment and saw tannin-darkened river water gushing in around the propeller shaft, a shocking confirmation of my worst fear. If the flooding water couldn’t be stopped, Kelly IV, my 1979 Endeavour 32, would be lost.
It’s no secret that the popularity of recreational sailing in America is ebbing and, sadly, has been for decades. According to the US Coast Guard, since 1999 sailboat registrations have dropped by more than 25% , a trend that began back in the early ’80s, and now barely 2% of all registered boats are powered by the wind.
America’s Cup. Controversy. One goes with the other. For as long as the Auld Mug has been in existence, it has been surrounded by various degrees of skullduggery, brinkmanship, double-dealing, scandal and just plain nastiness.
On the first morning of our trip from Miami to Bimini we were “pulled over” by a speedboat full of heavily armed Customs and Border Protection agents. At the time, three friends and I were sailing away from the United States at a stately two-and-a-half knots and were still within 10 miles of Miami.
Walking along the dock at the Sunsail base in Tortola, BVI, one evening in March, I noticed a most peculiar thing. It was changeover day, when one lot of charters departs and the next lot arrives and spends the night in the marina to settle in before heading out the following morning.
One reason I like sailing is that it is one of the few endeavors in which the concept of individual responsibility still has meaning. It is much easier to blame someone or something else for the consequences of your decisions than to admit any fault on your own part—it goes back as far as Eve and the serpent—but on a small boat you soon run out of things to point your finger at.
There is a popular notion, heralded by most modern sailors, that leading all lines aft to the cockpit will simplify your life. I’m here to disagree.
After six weeks of racing, it all came down to a single day for four of the seven teams competing in The Ocean Race Europe.
With The Ocean Race Europe drawing to a close this weekend, we look back on a very different race finish in 2023, where the teams
Innovation and perseverance deserve to be rewarded, especially when it comes to something as important as anchoring. Mantus Marine has continually improved their chain hook
From first glance, you can tell that the Sun Odyssey 415 has the clean, easily recognizable lines of a Jeanneau, and there’s a reason for
An overnight gale stirs up trouble for one trailer sailer.
On this day in 1901, Sir Francis Chichester KBE was born. The British sailor held the record for the fastest circumnavigation at nine months and
This week, The Famous Project has announced the crew roster for their all-female around the world speed record attempt. They hope to set a new
Today we celebrate the birthday of America’s Cup legend Dennis Conner. Though famous for his comeback and three victories in the Auld Mug, Conner is
Paul Meilhat’s french-flagged IMOCA 60 has won Leg 5 of The Ocean Race Europe. They completed the 1,600 mile stretch from Genoa, Italy, to Boka
On September 15, 1835 HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin on board for a five-year voyage as the ship’s naturalist, reaches the Galápagos Islands. During this
