Boats, Dogs, Cruising and Training
October 12, 2016
Dogs are dogs and boats are boats, and somehow the twain must meet After persistent lobbying from daughter Lucy, who is crazy about animals of
Dogs are dogs and boats are boats, and somehow the twain must meet After persistent lobbying from daughter Lucy, who is crazy about animals of
I remember once hearing someone refer to Georgetown as “Trail’s End Harbor,” because it’s as close to the Lesser Antilles as many U.S. and Canadian cruisers
Who, except two crazy old guys—skipper Tony Smith was 71 and I was 68—would trail a 28ft trimaran 7,000 miles across America to go sailing
My first solo offshore passage began with sunshine, gentle breezes and easy sailing. But there was nothing gentle about my return to land at day’s end.
There’s a right way to communicate via VHF radio—and many wrong ways. The reason for VHF protocol is to avoid ambiguity and ensure that messages
To begin You don’t need to know much about how a piston engine works in order to drive a car. You get in, turn on the engine, shift into gear, step on the gas, and off you go. In a sailboat, though, you play a far more active role in harnessing the energy that propels you forward. You can get
There is an unequivocal principle in maritime hierarchy—a ship can have only one captain. On our boat, there are two. As young cruisers, 33 and
Modern weather forecasting is so good that we aren’t often caught out, but we all take a chance once in a while, especially when we’re under pressure to be somewhere else. Coastal sailing in near-gale conditions isn’t the same as ocean storm survival. Instead, we have to think hard about possible shelter and local dangers. Different boats have varying abilities. So do crews. Here’s a hypothetical
A. If a quick maneuver doesn’t spin her off, try reducing the draft by heeling her over with a backed sail and shifting some weight. B. In
If you have your boatyard help out with repairs, upgrades and routine maintenance, you can often be one of the first to launch in the
The Jules Verne Trophy is a prestigious award for the fastest time around the world on any type of sailing yacht with a crew of
Attracting non-sailors to sailing can be difficult; more challenging still is making the sport available to youngsters who lack the means or opportunity to get
With just one leg remaining before the finish of the 2023 Ocean Race, check in on the standings and all the highlights from Leg 6,
Adventuring solo was her joy. How would that fit on a two-month cruise with her teenage son?
At Marine Weather Center, a client recently asked why the computer model forecast had predicted small seas on the windward side of Saint Martin, when
What do you do on a boat for days on end if you’re not constantly tweaking the sails to get an inch ahead of the
Two years ago, members of the Thistle Class of one design sailboats started a pilot program, working with Sailors for the Sea Powered by Oceana,
At just three days long, Leg 6 is minuscule compared to recent legs of The Ocean Race, but that won’t mean any less drama given
Our arrival in the Cabo Verde, or Cape Verde, islands began with a bang. Actually, a wild jibe to leeward, a loud crack as the
Last week, I almost crashed Falken into the dock. We were returning from the third trial sail in the English Channel since completing our Farr
