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by Don Street

Nifty Winch-Handle Holder

by Don Street, Posted December 20, 2012
It’s always nice to have dedicated spots on deck or in the cockpit for stowing winch handles. But the various pre-made molded-plastic or fancy fabric holders out there can be surprisingly costly, when all you really need is a short length of PVC pipe.

Faster Mainsail Reefing

by Don Street, Posted July 10, 2012
On my old yawl, Iolaire, I always used a mainsail reefing method that seemed odd to guests, but was very fast and worked well. After first casting off the mainsheet, we would hoist the end of the boom a full six feet into air—the depth of the reef—with the topping lift...

Unwrapping a Spinnaker

by Don Street, Posted May 11, 2012
When racing or cruising while flying a spinnaker close to or dead downwind—especially offshore, where a boat tends to roll more—there is a real risk the spinnaker will collapse, wrap itself around the headstay, and then refill with wind above and below the wrap. The wrap may start at just one or two turns, but often will increase to five turns or more.

Fourth Annual RORC Caribbean 600

by Don Street, Posted May 9, 2012
A varied fleet sailed the fourth-annual RORC Caribbean 600 in perfect conditions. The largest boat was line-honors winner Hetairos, a 141-foot Baltic ketch drawing 30 feet with her drop-keel fully extended.

The Pee Pot

by Don Street, Posted April 12, 2012
Every skipper worries about losing crew overboard when it is blowing hard and the males aboard persist in “bailing ship” (their personal ships, not the boat) on deck. In this respect, a yawl or ketch rig beats a sloop or cutter six ways to Sunday, as the mizzen rigging is good for leaning up against when bailing ship.

Why I Skip Bermuda

by Don Street, Posted July 1, 2011
This article originally appeared in the October 2009 issueMany sailors think the best way to reach the Caribbean from the northeast U.S. is to head for Bermuda, spend a few days there, and then take an easy ride down to the islands. In my experience this is neither the quickest or safest route for boats under 55 feet. Many American insurance companies, and almost all Lloyds

Timely toss

by Don Street, Posted August 18, 2009
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
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