It is with great sadness that we read of the murder of New Zealand cruiser Alan Culverwell, and the attack on his family, by criminals who boarded their boat in Panama’s Guna Yala/San Blas Islands early in May. The San Blas were known as a “safe” area to cruise. Aside from petty ...read more
Many cruising boats, especially smaller ones, don’t have a conventional oven. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have all the baked foods you want, from bread to brownies to breakfast rolls to casseroles and even a roast chicken. All it takes is the right bit of gear and a ...read more
The young racer had been sailing for days without sleep, but he was ahead of the fleet in the Solitaire du Figaro, a grueling, singlehanded race off the coast of France. Sailing into the harbor to the cheers of the crowd, he stepped from his boat onto the wharf to accept their ...read more
“Ready to take the dink ashore?” Never had those words invoked as much anxiety as when my husband, Jeff, and I first moved to the Pacific Coast. Why? Because we had exactly zero experience with dinghy surf landings, and the possibility of being flipped upside down along with our ...read more
I often get asked about safety and security on charter, and most of the time I shrug and say it’s a matter of common sense, just like at home. Some places may be more prone to issues than others, but it’s usually a matter of luck—good or bad. For example, you may be warned to ...read more
If you’re cruising for a few weeks or longer, how do you deal with your mail? Aboard our boat we’ve discovered a service called USPS “Informed Delivery” that lets us check mail daily right from the comfort of our cockpit. Basically, this free electronic service gives you the ...read more
If you are cruising, you need at least two anchors on board for the simple reason that you must have a backup. Imagine having to slip your anchor on a stormy night with other boats dragging down on yours, or having your rope rode severed by some unseen underwater obstacle, ...read more
Our first encounter with a big squall was sailing from San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico. We left at 0200 to ensure we’d get into Ensenada before our 1300 haulout time. The National Weather Service had forecast consistent 15-20 knot winds from the northwest, which was perfect for ...read more
Getting the most out of your boat refrigerator means being able to have the foods you want on board, having cold drinks, being able to find what’s in the refrigerator and use as little power as possible in the process. Somewhat counterintuitively, all that starts by taking some ...read more
This past hurricane season was particularly hard on boat owners in both the Caribbean and the Florida and Gulf coasts, thanks to Harvey, Irma and Maria. BoatUS has estimated that more than 64,000 boats were damaged in the United States alone. While for many boat owners these ...read more
Some of the best times aboard a cruising boat are in light airs—those quiet, relaxed sunny days with gentle sailing that just wouldn’t be the same if you were motoring. However, many cruising yachts are not set up to truly fullfill their potential in these kinds of conditions. ...read more
My friends George and Ann have a lovely 50-year-old 44ft Hood/Maas steel sloop called Allez. When she was launched last spring, the old Perkins engine would not start, but they needed to get her to their marina on the other side of the harbor. That afternoon, I met Ann on the ...read more
Robert Reeder is a seamanship instructor for a series of online courses through Boaters University. His course, Fundamentals of Seamanship: Rules of the Road, is a great way to get a full understanding of how to interpret the USCG rules of the road and how to apply the rules in ...read more
Many sailors embarking on ocean passages will take along the obligatory storm jib and trysail, with the vague idea that they may come in handy. Few sailors, however, have a real understanding of how and when to set them. It doesn’t help matters when we hear from seasoned sailors ...read more
We all have our preferred choice of techniques for deploying and setting anchors, and if it works for you, that is the right choice. At the same time, though, it never hurts to be open to new ideas. We are fortunate to have a choice of many, very good modern anchors that suit ...read more
Committing to a boat for ocean voyaging is different from choosing one to sail from the local marina on weekends and holidays. At a domestic level, the bluewater craft is home, not somewhere we camp out. On long offshore passages we need an easy motion above all things, plus a ...read more
Just as southern sailors are donning light jackets and embarking on their winter racing and cruising programs, those up north are finishing winterizing their boats and contemplating the bleak prospect of swallowing the anchor for six months. This is, of course, an untenable ...read more
Almost a month after Irma, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, along with St. Martin and St. Barths, are cleaning up the massive devastation caused by the Category 5 hurricane. Here’s how you can help the Islanders rebuild their lives. The charter companies that have provided ...read more
At its most basic, a “snubber” is a short length of non-stretchy cordage attached to the anchor chain and to a strong point on a yacht, with the aim of taking the load off the windlass or to stop the chain rattling on the bow roller. A windlass is not designed to take snatch ...read more
Vang Power A boom vang helps to control mainsail shape after the limits of the traveler have been reached. Without a vang, the boom will lift as the mainsheet is eased, opening the leech, and the top of the sail will twist off to leeward, spilling the wind. If you are sailing ...read more
When I stepped off the plane I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. However, one thing became clear, quite quickly. It was hot. I couldn’t help but wonder why I didn’t make more trips down south from Boston during the rainy and somewhat miserable month of April. I was on my way to ...read more
I was originally drawn to sailing not by the pull of the water but by the pull of land, land beyond my horizon. The idea that one could step aboard a boat, hoist a triangle of canvas like a hitchhiker’s thumb and catch a ride on a passing wind to an exotic island, to a foreign ...read more
Paul Dyer, technical manager at Marlow Ropes, tests the effects of knots and splices on rope strength. It’s likely anyone who has ever used ropes has learned to tie knots - to create eyes, connect rope to objects or even just for decoration. There’s a knot for every application ...read more
Contrary to popular belief, the risk of falling overboard is not at its greatest when you are battling high seas and ferocious winds. That’s when you’re keyed up, clipped in, acutely aware of the dangers and prepared for the worst. I have seen two people fall overboard from ...read more
