October Caption Contest
September 30, 2012
Situated at Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, Spain, this fountain, Fuente De Agua, is dedicated to the sea, the winds and the coast. All it’s missing is a caption.
Situated at Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, Spain, this fountain, Fuente De Agua, is dedicated to the sea, the winds and the coast. All it’s missing is a caption.
“Jim! What’s wrong?” I shouted as I sprinted half-awake toward the companionway with Glen, our 11-year old son, close on my heels. The roar of our diesel engine thundering into reverse had yanked me from my sleep.
After ten days of non-stop sailing from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, I deserved a night of deep sleep. So why was my crew awakening me at an hour that even a bishop would find ungodly?
The first time I saw a spinnaker I was only a few years old. It was flying on the bow of a 35ft foot cruiser off the coast of Maine. A few years later, my father agreed to set the kite on our 50ft Hinckley, a rare concession.
During the summer sailing season I had kept Radiant Beam close to my favorite cruising grounds near Pamlico Sound in North Carolina. As November approached, however, it was time to bring the boat back to her homeport in Wilmington.
Surely everyone who has sailed offshore has experienced that same elevation of the spirit, an upwelling of the life force, or whatever you choose to call it; you’d have to be dead inside not to.
For dreamers of all ages, the idea of cruising has an inescapable allure. But the question always remains: “When should I go? When can I realistically trade my current life for the freedom of cruising?”
On Saturday, April 14, I was enjoying a perfect sailing day at the Strictly Sail Pacific boat show in Oakland, California. More accurately, I was watching a steady stream of boats heading out to enjoy a perfect sailing day—racing, cruising, or just messing about—while wishing I was among them. I had no idea that just 30-some miles away, a tragedy was unfolding in a sailboat race.
After writing last month’s note about minimalist cruisers Thies Matzen and Kicki Ericson and their exploits in the much-traveled 30-foot sloop Wanderer III, I was overcome by some uncharacteristic soul-searching.
My dad came from a long line of sailors and seafarers, but he didn’t start boating himself until he was nearly 50. I was 12 years old when he bought a 14ft Rhodes Bantam. Together, with some trials and errors, we set about learning to sail it.
The term “feeling blue” is commonly used to mean feeling melancholy or sad, but the phrase actually originates from which nautical usage?A) Homesickness felt by
Left for dead after a horrific shooting, a sailor defies all odds to return to the water.
On August 18, 1838, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes embarked on what became known as the U.S. Exploring Expedition—a major global voyage that significantly expanded scientific and
There are few boat projects more satisfying than repainting the topsides of a pretty boat. I did exactly that with my 1969 Cape Cod Knockabout
Growing up sailing a Shannon 38 with his family, a sailor and his dream boat are reunited after 27 years.
There’s nothing more beautiful than a sunset on the water, but unless you’re doing an overnight passage, you’ve got to pay the price for it
Force 10 winds wrought havoc on 1979 Rolex Fastnet Race, resulting in Britain’s largest peace-time marine rescue effort. 75 boats capsized and 15 sailors were
The new 23-footer from J/Boats is a family daysailer with lively, stable sailing at the forefront.
This Friday, a panel of expert female sailors gather to share hard-won knowledge on the best kit and accessories to have when you’re planning to get offshore.
Reflecting on a pivotal Pacific passage, a sailor considers the nature of her voyages ahead.
