Cruising Tips: The Big Question & Make a Note
August 14, 2026
Twist: The Big Question When asked to help out onboard, I’m sometimes surprised to find how many skippers only have a vague notion of how
Twist: The Big Question When asked to help out onboard, I’m sometimes surprised to find how many skippers only have a vague notion of how
Log the Glass These days with weather forecasts available wherever there is WiFi, it doesn’t do to forget the old ways. Last season I was
Do away with mean reef points I’m always pleased to be on a boat with reef points for the mainsail. Without a stack pack, tying
I wrote recently about my ongoing project to redesign the mast and sailplan on our family boat, a 1971 OE 36 called Spica. I’ve agonized
Ditch the Squeaky Rope Look at the illustration and guess which rope kept me awake one night. It was, of course, the skinny one. The
For some, steering by compass comes easily; for others, it takes a little getting used to.
Don’t clutter out all the rain Radar is great for micro-weather forecasting. With a modern set you can see instantly where it’s raining in your
The first day of any charter means a mountain of responsibilities for the skipper and extended periods of hurry-up-and-wait for the rest of the crew.
A Rough Ride Near Home The image above is an extreme, if small-scale, example of what happens when a sea hits a harbor wall. As
It’s a well-accepted truth of offshore sailing that things get more dangerous the closer you get to land. An extension of that axiom in chartering
Six IMOCAs are lining up in New York this week for the inaugural Ocean Race Atlantic, a fully-crewed sprint from New York City to Lorient, France.
Tank water can easily be contaminated with anything from a lingering bad taste to dangerous bacteria. Installing a triple filtration set up on Ben-Varrey helped.
The effort to save Maine’s classic plastic fleet began—as so many great things do—with three friends and a foolish idea.
Boat meets spaceship at the luxury end of the market.
Tides are an essential part of coastal sailing, so don’t forget to look at the moon once in a while.
The Magenta Project seeks applicants for their 2026-2027 mentorship program.
Twist: The Big Question When asked to help out onboard, I’m sometimes surprised to find how many skippers only have a vague notion of how
The sailing world has lost another great this week in the passing of John Rousmaniere, author of Fastnet Force 10 and numerous other sailing texts.
As a yacht broker, many people have talked to me about wanting to buy a boat, learning to sail, and then taking their own boat
A new flagship elevates an iconic and evergreen cruising brand.
