Mediterranean mooring—docking a boat end-on to a quay, as opposed to tying up alongside—is a common practice in many parts of the world, especially in non-tidal waters. Any skipper setting sail for foreign ports will find docking this way is often mandatory, as it saves dock space and protects boats from wake damage.
When racing or cruising while flying a spinnaker close to or dead downwind—especially offshore, where a boat tends to roll more—there is a real risk the spinnaker will collapse, wrap itself around the headstay, and then refill with wind above and below the wrap. The wrap may start at just one or two turns, but often will increase to five turns or more.
As a 30-year veteran daysailor, I feel a moral obligation to spare you some of the physical and emotional pain I’ve faced over the years. I’m talking about daysailing’s dirty little secrets, the bilgewater of our sport. Feel free to take notes.
Known for its shimmering blue waters and lush green hills, the lower Hudson River presents cruising sailors with panoramic beauty that would make Thomas Cole proud.
My wife, Irene, and I had spent a very happy year in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. We had no security issues, and we saw incredible game. We got to watch a leopard groom himself in the early light of New Year’s Day and almost drove our 4×4 into a wallow with two startled rhinos.
Dropped your dinghy’s outboard motor overboard? No need to panic. First, get the motor out of the drink quickly and rinse it thoroughly with fresh water; most importantly, do not let it dry.
Of the hundreds of sailing vessels that were introduced by Scottish settlers in the 19th century and launched in the West Indies, very few remain. Filmmaker Alexis Andrews is documenting the boatbuilders of Carriacou in the Grenadines, who are trying to keep this dying skill alive.
My wife and I were aboard Eftihia, our Beneteau 331, sailing from Jost Van Dyke to Beef Island one beautiful afternoon in the British Virgin Islands. Our plan was to rendezvous with friends for dinner at The Last Resort in Trellis Bay, which lay a few miles to windward through restricted waters.
Perhaps you’re looking at a cat as an option for an extended cruise, or you’ve chartered a catamaran for a week in the British Virgin Islands. You’re expecting some thrilling multihull speed, but once on the water you find you are disappointed.
In late 2011, the Sultanate of Oman expanded its Oman Sail program to include women. Meet Raiya Al Habasi, 24, one of four Omani sailors from this year’s all-women’s team which took part in February’s inaugural Sailing Arabia-the Tour.
After a dramatic first weekend of Prada Cup racing, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli leads INEOS Team UK four wins to none. The magic number here
A look at the thinking that went into the new Balance 442 performance-cruiser To say there’s a lot that goes into creating an all-new boat
The Life of William Tillman William Tillman was a Civil War hero from Milford, Delaware. Records are unclear, but he was born approximately 1834 to
The Prada Cup finals kick off this weekend as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS Team UK face off for a chance at the America’s
You may be surprised to learn there’s nothing new about the half-doughnut-half-sheave-shaped bits of aluminum known as low-friction rings. In fact, low-friction rings, in one
When you say “sailboat,” most people envision a lovely sloop with a tall mast and single hull. Say charter, though, and people think colorful brochures
After years of boatbuilding, engineering and, of course, training, the 36th America’s Cup is finally here, the latest in a series stretching back to the
Today’s sailing community is fairly homogenous, but it hasn’t always been like that; at the beginning of the 19th Century, 20 percent of American sailors
It’s hard to believe I’ve been with SAIL for three years as, truly, it’s flown by. It has been such a joy to write for
When developing its new 46-footer, Lagoon had two issues to contend with. First, the immense popularity of its recently introduced groundbreaking 50 set high expectations
