In one of the best-written and most enjoyable boatbuilding books Ive readand Ive read a fewauthor and journalist Larry Cheek provides the perfect blend of research and memoir. With little experience of either sailing or woodworking, he decides to build a wooden sailing dinghy from a set of plans by Sam Devlin, a designer of wood/epoxy stitch-and-glue small boats. What follows combines gentle
I well remember watching, at the age of 11, lone sailor Francis Chichester sail into Plymouth, England, at the end of his solo circumnavigation. In the weeks and months before, we had seen the story unfold on our TV screen and marveled that one man could sail what I then considered to be an enormous boat singlehanded. Upon stepping ashore Chichester was knighted by the queen, and later his boat
The Gulf Stream: Tiny Plankton, Giant Bluefin, and the Amazing Story of the Powerful River in the AtlanticWhat do Portuguese men-of-war, pirates, Benjamin Franklin, and Ernest Hemingway have in common? They are all closely associated with the Gulf Stream.In this wonderful book, Stan Ulanski ties together many facets of this great river in the sea, including its
Few things are finer than sitting in the cockpit on a starry night, nursing a glass of wine and sharing conversation. But sometimes its nice to see the other person (or the dishes that youre serving and enjoying) as you soak up the ambiance. Black Diamonds Apollo lamp features a 3-Watt LED lightsource thats powered by either AAA batteries or a rechargeable battery that gives off a
Heres a stocking stuffer that packs a LOT of remembrance, in the form of an omni-directional 360-degree high-intensity strobe light. While nobody likes to think about MOB situations, ACR Electronicss manually activated Waterbug SOLAS Firefly 3 strobe ranks as some of the best visual MOB protection one can have, aiding both the MOB and those back aboard. The unit features an easy-to-use sliding
One of the great things about sailing is that you never quite know where your travels will take you. If youre a cruiser, there are usually trails to be hiked in far-flung destinations, and if youre a racer youve undoubtedly found yourself ashore in not-so-ideal weather conditions, waiting to see what the RC will do. Sure, you could wear your foul-weather gear, but chances are good that muddy
According to manufacturer Weems and Plath, theres a certain amount of mystery surrounding the how-it-works question when considering their Storm Glass. This unique, handsome bronze instrument comes filled with a proprietary solution and crystals, which rise up in the glass tube during certain weather events and settle back down during other conditions. While Weems and Plath mention that the
There are water-resistant bags, and then there are dry bags. Watersheds Yukon is a dry bag, meaning that provided you close the bag properly, water simply isnt going to enter. The bag, which is built out of chemically stable polyurethane-coated fabrics, features a zip-lock-like closer system (called a Zip-Dry seal); once closed, a user simply rolls the top of the bag down and affixes the clips,
Having the ability to clearly discern ripples in the water from afar, or to spot a menacing rock in a glare, are boons to the racer and cruiser alike. But combining stellar optics, great sun protection, and stylish good looks is what separates good glasses from the great. Kaenon Polarizeds line of sailing-orientated glasses fit into the later category, and are sure to be a hit with anyone on
If you follow high-end ocean racing, youve heard about Pumas debut entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, but what you may not know is that Puma went the full mile, designing and building all of the teams gear, which is available to the general public. The Cruising Jacket, built from two-layer Gore-Tex will keep you dry when things get snotty. The jacket features a high collar and packable hood, and
Features include: • Daggerboards for upwind performance • Option for Integrel power generation • Versa-Helm serving upper and protected lower helm When you do multiple
You absolutely cannot make this stuff up! The true story of Thomas Tangvald—born and raised at sea, orphaned in a wreck and cast ashore at
Photo courtesy of Discovering Amistad, by Caryn B. Davis
Cruising the Maine coast in our own boat has been a long-held dream for me and my wife, Kris. Last summer we made it reality
Last year I was at a wedding of an old friend from high school. Near the end of the night, when the bustle of the
At 110 years old, the storied pilot cutter Jolie Brise powers off the wind. In 1851, the New York pilot schooner America sailed to England,
With just four boats still on their way, it has been a long road to Rio for the fleet competing in this year’s Cape2Rio. Larry
I first met Steve and Irene Macek in the proper way—in an anchorage full of bluewater cruising boats. This was in St. Georges, Bermuda, in
After a trial by fire start to the race and only a brief stop for limited fixes, the five IMOCA 60 crews in The Ocean
I was sailing down the inner channel of Marina del Rey under a beautiful red sunset when Nills, one of the crew members on my
