docking

Sitting quietly at the bar of a local yacht club, I gaze out over a rambunctious Lake Michigan on a sunny but blustery spring afternoon. I am enjoying watching a small sloop approaching the marina and recognize it as belonging to one of our newest members. “Pretty little thing. ...read more

Twin-rudder raceboats have been with us since the mid-1980s. In the last 10 years or so, they’ve also become increasingly popular aboard cruising boats, including those available for charter. It is therefore a good idea to be aware of their idiosyncrasies. In some circles, ...read more

If you spend enough time on the water, stuff happens. And when you sail solo like I do, “stuff” can take on a new and scary meaning—like when my top-down furler drum got freakishly fouled by the asymmetrical spinnaker’s tack line in a sudden knockdown wind, or when I was ...read more

Things I Learned This Past Week: 1: If your crew can’t make it, go anyway. I had scheduled to move my boat from Annapolis to DC where I’ll live aboard for the winter. My mentor was going to accompany me, but then life happened. After putting it off a few days, I decided to give ...read more