Editor’s Note: This story is excerpted from SAIL Contributing Editor Christopher Birch’s upcoming book The Four Seasons of Boat Maintenance(available for order soon)—a compendium of
The off season is the best time for boat projects. But doesn’t it just frost your cookies when you’re all set to finish that piece
You might think that watching invasive surgery on a dated fiberglass sailboat week in and week out would be just about the last thing to
When talking shop among sailors or reading about safety at sea, ventilation is not a topic that comes up much. Evidently it’s secondary to things
My dissatisfaction with the head and holding tank plumbing arrangement on our 1987 Sabre 38 had grown as we cruised the boat away from
Military strategist Helmuth von Moltke said, “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” This is also true for a boat refit plan I started the
It seems that every time I walk into a boatyard I inevitably find myself smitten by some under-loved (read derelict) classic beauty sitting forlornly off
Many production boats come equipped with undersized cleats and poorly designed line chocks. The 10in aluminum cleats that came standard on my Pearson 40 have
Arguably, there are few items on a cruising boat more oriented to your sailing comfort than a dodger, especially in Maine, where cold water rules. Bashing to windward, pushing to get somewhere in a cold downpour or just keeping the crew happy, the dodger plays a major role.
One challenge with older boats that have been out of production for decades is obtaining replacements for components that may have been custom-made back in the day. Good luck finding a new bow pulpit for your 1974 Flexiflyer 43 or a mast cap for the rig on your 1967 Brickouthouse 29.
During my interview for an entry-level job at SAIL almost a decade ago, I was asked whether I liked to read. When I said yes,
Here’s what goes into reconditioning your boat’s most fundamental navigation aid.
Six days in, and this year’s Route du Rhum has already served up dramatic scenes including capsizes, a crash, and several retirements.
Sailing America’s Intracoastal Waterway.
Photos by Tom Cunliffe Semantics – Chain or Rope? In the golden age of our sailing navies, a “cable” was the huge rope used for
Being a good skipper is about more than just managing the boat.
As technology marches onwards, experience is still our own.
Coastal Maine, a Tiny High
School Sailing Team, and the Legacy of Mike Horn.
The 2026 National Boating Safety Awards recognize outstanding efforts within the marine industry to promote safe and responsible boating to help build more confident boaters.
Race organizers have announced long term plans for the event, including expanded science and education programming and a homebase in Porto, Portugal.
