A professional boat test involves more than just an afternoon daysail. Using SAILs boat-test checklist could help make you a much more informed shopper By Bill SpringerFriends show me no pity when I tell them Im off to test another boat, but in reality, boat testing can be hard work. Digging into a bilge, poking behind cabinets, under floorboards, and into the engine
20 MILES AROUND… San Francisco, California San Francisco may be the most European American city, but San Francisco Bay and the views of whitecaps beyond the cable-car lines make this more than just a California placename. The ocean beyond the Golden Gate is challenging. Within the shelter of the bay is sailing adventure enough, with its typical brisk and chilly sea breeze and
In Clearwater they said, stop by to see Jennifer.In Isla Mujeres, someone commented, see Jennifer in El Rio Dulce. Who is she? An artist, with a home on The Rio.In Belize City, on learning that we planned to spend several months on The River, another boater advised us to stop by Gringo Bay, a small inlet on the south side of El Golfete, the widest spot on the river,
Cruising isn’t always about boisterous passages or cocktails on the aft deck at sunset. On the contrary, much of our time is spent exploring the countryside and getting to know the local people. This approach enriched the experience for my wife Susan and me beyond our expectations when we moved aboard Sea Trek and began cruising almost 14 years ago. Our passage this April from the
This month: Raising and lowering your outboard, charting tips, and what to do after you run aground.NavigationChart SmartWe arrived off Suva, the capital of Fiji, after a 10-day passage from New Zealand. While we knew the island of Viti Levu was about 5 miles off our bow, we couldnt see it because of a heavy rainstorm. My husband, Bob, turned on the
Letting go the sheet (June 2006)Releasing a loaded-up sheet from a winch when a boat tacks can be just cause for nervousness. Sailors who have just moved up to big keelboats often underestimate the loads on a sheet. On a boat up to 40 feet or so, the safest way is to first ease off a few inches, keeping the flat of one hand pressed against the turns as they surge round the winch
Bad Backs and Boats (May 2006)Several months ago I wrote that I had to be very careful of my back when I was on board a boat. Since then I’ve received a number of letters from sailors asking whether I do anything specific to protect my back when I’m sailing. The answer is that I’ve tried many things over the years to reduce my back pain, including limited surgery, visits to
This month: MOB maneuvers, radar piloting, and releasing a loaded sheet.SeamanshipMulti MOB ManeuversCatamarans and trimarans do not lend themselves to standard crew-overboard maneuvers. With multihulls there are so many design variables that you need to experiment to find what works best with your boat. While the mainsail of a monohull can almost
Most of the 263 Bermuda Race entries have arrived now in Hamilton Harbour. Only a handful are still at sea, and Dr. Richard Shulman of Barrington, Rhode Island, has the signature St. David’s Lighthouse division sewed up with his IMX 45, Temptress. SAIL’s West Coast editor, Kimball Livingston, sailed in the Demonstration Division aboard the Open 50, Gryphon
This month: rope ladders; marking chain; pet seasickness; sailing with a bad back; and ideas for singlehanders.AnchoringMarking ChainThere are a number of ways to mark your anchor chain, including using paint or plastic-wire ties. I prefer to use strips of colored nylon spinnaker cloth. First lay out the entire chain on the dock and flake it in even
There are boats and then there are those boats that turn heads, and for me, the boats built by Hylas have always fallen under the
My first exposure to Nigel Calder, same as most people, was through reading his great marine technical bible, The Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual. I
Can you list the things you never want to see on a boat? A fire, perhaps? Windows shattering from lightning, water spewing from…anywhere? I can
Without a doubt, the best way to “clean” stainless steel parts is to have them electropolished. Electropolishing is an electrochemical process that cleans the stainless
The dark is alive when you are surrounded by water. Black is tinted blue and silver, and sky meets surf with electricity and the lapping
After years of quiescence in the wake of the Great Recession, iconic Island Packet is back with its new 349, a re-boot of the old
Leopard Sail and Power Cats at the Miami Show
The United States Coast Guard requires that all boats operating in coastal waters or on the high seas carry a selection of visual distress signals.
It seems that we all struggle to make our start in life, searching for something that we would enjoy doing, something that not only challenges
Stay Hooked Chain hooks on anchor snubber lines tend to fall off when you least want them to. Not so this latest example from Mantus.
