Skip to main content
Revisiting Alaska and the R2AK

Revisiting Alaska and the R2AK

This summer, SAIL's Technical Editor Adam Cove took on the Race to Alaska—a 750-mile slog from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska—alone in an 18-foot catboat. He documented the trip, from refitting the boat, adding oars, provisioning, and towing it across the country, through the race to the finish line, on Instagram as @adam.cove. Revisit the adventure here, now compiled as one video for easy viewing.

You can also read more about prep for his voyage in this article from the May issue of SAIL Magazine. 

11Nov-12Dec-Subscribe-2048x

December 2024

Related

The cockpit is laid out with efficient, fast sailing in mind.
The SAIL Top 10 Best Boats

Review: J/40, SAIL Top 10 Best Boats 2025 Winner

Do you remember the moment you got hooked on sailing? Jumping behind the helm of the new J/40 brought all of that rushing back for me. This new design is beautifully balanced and responds to even the subtlest changes in the wind. Like many J/Boat designs before her, she is a true ...read more

The marine head—and most specifically, the holding tank that is associated with it—is a typical culprit for bad boat odors.
Maintenance

Maintaining Marine Sanitation Systems

A Frenchman once jabbed, “Why do you stupid Americans store your toilet waste under your bed on your boats?! That’s such a disgusting habit!” Exactly what constitutes “disgusting” may vary among cultures, but his observation about plumbing systems within boats flying a U.S. flag ...read more

bandG-01
Electronics and Navigation

Gear: B&G Zeus S Ultrawide Display

When it comes to displays, there are as many layouts and preferences as there are sailors, but B&G considers the latest 12- and 15-inch displays as their most streamlined and immersive instruments yet. The wide aspect ratio allows for simple and clean information displays, making ...read more

A sailboat with its sails stowed in the water next to a rocky shore
Seamanship

Boat Shopping, Part 2

If you missed Boat Shopping Part 1, read it here.  If the worst part about buying a boat, as my friend and business partner August Sandberg says, is that the search is over, then surely the best part is the excitement of having found the right boat. Last issue I teased the fact ...read more

A well-trimmed boat going upwind uses the mainsheet traveler to influence twist and help balance the helm.
Sails

A Quick Guide to Sail Trim

It’s never going to be perfect. It can’t be. The wind and water are constantly changing. We can get close, though, and there’s nothing more fun to drive than a well-trimmed boat. Proper sail trim can keep any boat flatter and under better control. It can also help you beat that ...read more

The author and some of his new best friends ham it up at the rally.
Rallies

Lagoon Catamaran Rally for the Manufacturer’s 40th Anniversary

It was a spring afternoon and my sister Laura and I were chatting on the telephone, she in Michigan and I in Los Angeles. Days earlier, I’d accepted an invite from NAOS Yachts to tag along on a weekend getaway aboard a Lagoon catamaran to celebrate the manufacturer’s 40th ...read more

A man sailing a small sailboat with the shore in the background.
Opinion

Capsizing a Barnstable Catboat

I tied in a reef, reducing the sail area so our 12-foot Barnstable catboat Finn wouldn’t have too heavy a weather helm in the gusts. I stood in the cockpit, readying myself to jump onto the foredeck to release the mooring line, eyeballing the surroundings once more. The weather ...read more

GORI-Hybrid-Propeller-in-Performance-Sailing-Mode
Sailing Gear

Gear: GORI Hybrid Propeller

Diversifying ways to generate power onboard without using fossil fuels, and maximizing that power generation, is the holy grail of sailors who want energy independence, self-sufficiency, and a cleaner wake. Solar and wind are the most common and well practiced methods, but ...read more