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Boat Decks: Teak vs Synthetic Teak

One of the most eye-catching boats at the Newport boat show last fall, the Scandinavian Cruiser 20, is a fast daysailer with a narrow hull and a traditional teak deck. At least it looked like teak. As I was checking out the SC20, something about those decks struck me as being a little off. Then it hit me: they looked too good, too clean to be real. The fact that I had to ask to make sure they

How to: Navigate in the Fog

Without question, fog is the biggest reason sailors cite for avoiding the Maine coast in summer, despite the fact that it is otherwise an excellent

Accurately Throw a 50-foot Length of 1/2″ Dock Line

Every crewmember on a boat should know how to coil and accurately throw a 50-foot length of 1/2″ dock line. Skippers who will be asking new crewmembers to throw a dock line to someone on a fuel dock should show them how to do it well before the moment arrives. Throwing a line is not hard to learn, but the skill does need to be practiced. A good throw can save the day during a

Tools for Weather Forecasting

In planning for the upcoming 2016 Pacific Cup—a race that takes sailors from San Francisco to Oahu, Hawaii—I was interested in tools for predicting the

Raster Charts: the New Paper Charts

It’s true that I don’t navigate on paper charts anymore, but I appreciate them and I use their electronic equivalent—raster charts, which are basically an

BoatWorks: Holding Tank Set-up

So, given that holding tanks are a regrettable fact of cruising life, why not make them as easy to deal with as possible?

Four Tactics to Use if You Run Aground

”Uh-oh,” I heard myself say. “We’ve got a problem!”  Running aground was the last thing on my mind that gorgeous July afternoon as I guided Tackful, our “new to us” Catalina Capri 25, into the harbor.

A bridge and a moon

Understand the Tides

Tides are an essential part of coastal sailing, so don’t forget to look at the moon once in a while. 

John Rousmaniere Speaking about Inductee Lord Dunraven at Americas Cup Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony NYYC Oct 21, 2016. Photo by Carlo Borlenghi

Eight Bells: John Rousmaniere

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.

A boat anchored in a calm and pristine green water.

Zero to Caribbean

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

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