On April 29, four adventurers set sail from Tonga in a 25-foot longboat named Talisker Bounty with the hope of recreating the 4,000-mile open-boat voyage made by Capt. William Bligh following the mutiny on the Bounty. Like Bligh, the crew is sailing with limited rations and using only 18th century navigational equipment. Australian adventurer Don McIntyre is leading the
The early morning air was redolent with the tang of low tide on the Hudson River as I steered upriver, bound for Lake Ontario via the Erie and Oswego canals. Id gotten underway shortly after dawn to ride the flood tide north. The Manhattan skyline towered above me to starboard. Behind me the green-hued Statue of Liberty looked grand in the soft sunlight. The sounds of bustling Manhattan and
The early morning air was redolent with the tang of low tide on the Hudson River as I steered upriver, bound for Lake Ontario via the Erie and Oswego canals. Id gotten underway shortly after dawn to ride the flood tide north. The Manhattan skyline towered above me to starboard. Behind me the green-hued Statue of Liberty looked grand in the soft sunlight. The sounds of bustling Manhattan and
SAFETY: Deck SureHatches, like windows, are designed to allow light and air to enter the interior space. But theres a price to pay if someone accidentally steps on top of a wet hatch. A slippery hatch can suddenly turn an orderly footstep into a chaotic crash on the deck. Or worse. The best solutionapplying bands of anti-skid tape on the hatchisnt very pretty and lets
I had been hired to sail a 100-foot motorsailer from Italy to the West Indies. After an extensive refit, my wife, Sarah-Jayne, and four other crew moved aboard and we prepared to get underway. I carefully inspected the 150-ton craft and was satisfied the boat was well found and in good condition with all the proper safety equipment aboard. An automatic fire-extinguisher system was installed in
Many sailors have memberships with TowBoatUS, Sea Tow and other organizations. But how many understand what services their membership includes, what their own responsibility is if they do call for assistance, and what level of assistance they should expect to receive? Most memberships have different levels of coverage, and if youre unsure
John, a friend and sailing instructor, and I cruise from our homeport of Englewood, Florida, aboard his 35-foot Pearson sloop Lokahi. Because we often use the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), both of us are familiar with the bridges spanning the channels in this part of the world. One afternoon we were approaching the bascule bridge at Snake River Creek, near the island of Islamorada in the Keys. As
John, a friend and sailing instructor, and I cruise from our homeport of Englewood, Florida, aboard his 35-foot Pearson sloop Lokahi. Because we often use the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), both of us are familiar with the bridges spanning the channels in this part of the world. One afternoon we were approaching the bascule bridge at Snake River Creek, near the island of Islamorada in the Keys. As
Over 300 supporters came out to honor the American skipper Rich Wilson on on April 7th for his contribution to American sailing and youth education. Wilson, the 60-year old skipper of Great American III and math teacher from Boston, is best known for his participation in the 2008-9 Vendee Globe race, where he finished 9th after 121 days. But the skipper’s
Pacific Gyre? The problem is not in the middle of the ocean; the problem is in your refrigerator.Its been a long, long time since I saw anyone twist up an aluminum can and toss it overboard from a raceboat, or any boat. Yes, people change. And these days I see more and more people showing up for race day with a metal water bottle rather than
Sailors are a superstitious lot, but you don’t have to sacrifice an ox like the ancient Babylonians to carry on the tradition of christening your
We are anchored in an inlet on Waya, one of the Yasawa islands west of Fiji, on my 48ft sloop Sangvind. My wife, Sylvia, my
It’s easy to run out of superlatives when you’re talking about sailing in Croatia: the 1,800 miles of coastline, arguably the most beautiful in the
When you have a successful product, you don’t completely change its design. You tweak it. The Dufour 360 is a well-tweaked version of the Dufour
One of my favorite parts of a charter is the checkout. I know, weird. But that’s the time I learn the boat that will be
Although a fiberglass sailboat can seemingly have a half-life of 50 years or more, its electrical system most certainly does not. Up until the 1990s,
Both the 2018 Golden Globe Race (GGR) and the Longue Route, two tribute events run in homage to the original 1968-69 Golden Globe nonstop round-the-world
Although they can be easy to forget or neglect, hose clamps are among the most important pieces of kit aboard any boat with through-hulls for
If your ideal ocean-crossing boat is a tough long-keeler with a short, stout cutter rig, bulletproof scantlings and a minimum of complicated equipment with its
For years I’d been hearing about Germany’s boot Düsseldorf, the world’s biggest boat show, which doesn’t’ just feature boats, but includes everything from mermaids swimming
