Sail Magazine

by Meredith Laitos

Meredith Laitos is SAIL’s Senior Editor. She sails in and around Boston and specializes in charter destinations.

Better Than Google

by Meredith Laitos, Posted June 9, 2010

Thanks to sites like craigslist, ebay and amazon, we are better equipped than ever to make informed decisions when it comes to what we buy. Rather than blindly purchasing items and services promoted in catchy ad campaigns, we can now make our purchases after studying reviews and information posted by those who know the products first-hand.Nowhere is this more true than in the world of

From Bad to Worse

by Meredith Laitos, Posted June 1, 2010

The Gulf Oil Spill has gone from bad to worse. Since BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank on April 22, killing 11 workers, it has been spewing a torrent of oil into the Gulf of Mexico—roughly 70,000 barrels, or 3 million gallons, each day. A method known as “top kill,” the most recent attempt to siphon the spill, was deemed a failure, leaving BP and government officials

Get Onboard with E-Charting

by Meredith Laitos, Posted May 20, 2010

So you want to plot a course while watching Google Earth, monitoring fuel efficiency, geo-referencing digital photos, checking the weather, tracking the tide and reading a cruiser’s forum to find a good dinner spot? There’s an app for that. In fact, there are hundreds of apps for all of that.Where once you had to combine information from cruising guides, almanacs, weather stations and

Talisker Bounty to reenact Captain Bligh's journey

by Meredith Laitos, Posted April 20, 2010

Following a mutiny aboard the British navy ship Bounty in 1789, Capt. Bligh was famously cast away in a 23-foot longboat with 18 crewmembers. He successfully navigated his way from Tonga to West Timor in 48 days, equipped with only 150 pounds of ship biscuits, 16 pounds of pork, six quarts of rum, six bottles of wine and 28 gallons of water. The crew had no charts, no compasses and no

The Perfect Off Season

by Meredith Laitos, Posted April 20, 2010

On the first day of our charter we sailed to Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts, a charming island at the tip of the Elizabeth Islands between Vineyard Sound and Buzzard’s Bay. We dinghied ashore and bought fresh cod from a fisherman whose wife had lived on Cuttyhunk her entire life. We moseyed on to a general store, where Jaci, one of our crew, bought the Sunday Times and cut out the crossword

Charter Captain Being Investigated

by Meredith Laitos, Posted April 19, 2010

The British Maritime and Coast Guard agency is investigating a French charter skipper who went “missing” for seven weeks with three paying passengers aboard before arriving in Coquimbo, Chile.According to reports, Boguslaw Norwid, captain of the 52-foot sailboat Columbia, refused to start his auxiliary engine when winds went light in the doldrums, causing the delay, which was long

TMM Yacht Charters takes a stand against crime

by Meredith Laitos, Posted April 14, 2010

In an attempt to provide increased security for Caribbean charter companies, TMM Yacht Charters in Tortola has launched a state-of-the-art security system to protect its property from would-be thieves. The BVI-police-backed "Marine Marking Initiative" combines covert and overt methods from

Jessica Watson returns to Australian waters

by Meredith Laitos, Posted April 12, 2010

After six months and nearly 20,000 miles of sailing, 16-year-old Jessica Watson is nearing the end of her solo circumnavigation. She entered Australian waters yesterday and has less than 4,000 miles left in her attempt to become the youngest circumnavigator.Though the World Sailing Speed Record Council no longer recognizes the title of "Youngest Around," that has not deterred Watson from

Lessons from a North U Seminar

by Meredith Laitos, Posted April 5, 2010

“If we move the leads forward, we get a deeper foot and the sail takes on a bigger shape,” explained North U director Bill Gladstone as he shifted the virtual leads on a graphic of a sail, which was projected on a screen for a classroom of 80 racers. “But if we adjust the jib sheet, that

Professional Sailor Completes Atlantic Rowing Race

by Meredith Laitos, Posted March 30, 2010

On Thursday March 17, with blisters on her hands and sores on her bottom, sailor Lia Ditton rowed into Antigua, a proud finisher of the Atlantic Rowing Race. For 73 days, she and a partner rowed in 12-hour shifts from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. They crossed 2,500 miles nonstop with no assistance. Rowing in close quarters