There’s nothing more beautiful than a sunset on the water, but unless you’re doing an overnight passage, you’ve got to pay the price for it in the form of docking or catching a mooring in the dark. Invest in a good spotlight, because the spectacular colors and cooling summer air make those sunset sails worth almost any hassle.
Lydia Mullan is the editor-in-chief of SAIL magazine and Multihull Power and Sail. In her eight years with SAIL, she has published over 450 articles, including marine journalism’s best adventure essay in both 2023 and 2024, as recognized by Boating Writers International. She was also the race commentator for the 2025 Transpac and 2025 Marblehead-Halifax, a 2024 Magenta Project graduate, and the media manager for Cole Brauer’s viral circumnavigation.
