Despite all the progress in sailing gear and equipment certain aspects of life at sea never change. Keeping water out, maintaining good boatspeed, preserving and conserving food stores, and carrying adequate spares for the inevitable failures that occur are all perennial priorities. Plus one more thing; having a good supply of fresh air below.Someone once observed that
Despite all the progress in sailing gear and equipment certain aspects of life at sea never change. Keeping water out, maintaining good boatspeed, preserving and conserving food stores, and carrying adequate spares for the inevitable failures that occur are all perennial priorities. Plus one more thing; having a good supply of fresh air below.Someone once observed that
Our 1973 Norlin 34 project boat had been used mainly for club racing in its latter years, and it showed. Among its many outdated systems was the battery-management setup. It was no worse than what I suspect can be found on many other boats of that vintage, but it would not suffice for extended cruising.The two Group 27 90AH deep-cycle lead-acid batteries, one for house
As part of my hybrid-propulsion research I have been looking carefully at large-capacity Litihum-Ion batteries as a possible energy source on modern cruising sailboats. Lithium-ion batteries are common in cell phones and laptops, but they are rarely used in higher capacity applications. This may rapidly change, because the hybrid automotive and electric vehicle markets are in
As part of my hybrid-propulsion research I have been looking carefully at large-capacity Litihum-Ion batteries as a possible energy source on modern cruising sailboats. Lithium-ion batteries are common in cell phones and laptops, but they are rarely used in higher capacity applications. This may rapidly change, because the hybrid automotive and electric vehicle markets are in
If you sail in Maine, youve likely heard the one about the best way to cross a channel (Answer: walk across on the lobster-pot buoys). This isnt hyperbole; visit many harbors in Maine and youll find them choked with pot buoys, some of them in working channels. For sailors, a wrapped prop in a tight channel flanked by rock ledges is a serious predicament: not to mention the potential damage to
The twin-lever engine control on our Norlin 34, Ostara, had been annoying me for as long as wed had the boat. The detent was so worn that it was sometimes not possible to tell if you were in neutral or reverse gear. More than once I had been alerted by yells from the neighboring boats as Ostara sidled crablike around her mooring, pulled by the prop walk of
The twin-lever engine control on our Norlin 34, Ostara, had been annoying me for as long as wed had the boat. The detent was so worn that it was sometimes not possible to tell if you were in neutral or reverse gear. More than once I had been alerted by yells from the neighboring boats as Ostara sidled crablike around her mooring, pulled by the prop walk of
Lisa Jawork of Toledo, Ohio, asks:”So far Ive only used my 24-foot Bristol Corsair for daysailing, but this summer Im planning to take some weekend cruises. I want to be sure I have enough power, not only for the battery that currently feeds the cabin lights and instruments, but also for a second back-up battery I carry for miscellaneous uses. Im thinking about getting
Patience B. Wales, former Editor of SAIL magazine and two-time circumnavigator, died on February 16, 2024, of colon cancer. She was 89. A native of
The NEEL 52 trimaran made its world premiere at the Miami International Boat Show last week, and the latest in this family from Marc Lombard
The 2023 Caribbean Multihull Challenge (CMC) introduced an unusual element to its three-day Sint Maarten-based schedule of racing: a rally. Race organizers found that the
SAIL Editor-in-Chief Wendy Mitman Clarke is at the Miami International Boat Show this week checking out the industry’s latest and greatest. If you can’t be
SAIL magazine took home 11 awards at the annual Boating Writers International (BWI) writing contest, winning first place in five of the 16 categories for
At 0230 UTC on February 11, Ronnie Simpson’s Shipyard Brewing dismasted in the South Atlantic. The boat, which was one of the remaining 12 entrants
The March issue of SAIL magazine is on newsstands now! Here’s a quick look at just some of the great stories you’ll find to keep
Prepping for Landing It’s easy to imagine that all neat berthing maneuvers result from smart boathandling. It’s a sorry business if the person at the
I discovered sailing on the south coast of Cape Cod, where the breeze is a reliable 15-22 knots out of the southwest like clockwork every
A week as crew aboard the Pride of Baltimore II fulfills a lifelong dream—with adventure added.
