Sailing in Gusty Winds
One of my biggest mistakes in life was waiting so long to sail the Great Lakes.
Collision at Anchor
It was a bright mid-summer afternoon as we sailed towards our favorite local marine park only a few miles from our home port of...
Reading the Telltales on Your Sails
Even the most laid-back cruiser has days when he would like to get there an hour sooner. But speed is not the only reason to fine-tune sail trim. Proper sail trim can often eliminate the noise of motoring. Properly trimmed sails last longer.
Non-Skid Tapes for Boats
Slips and falls will probably always be the greatest hazard on a sailboat, whether the result is a trip over the side, a knee slammed into the deckhouse, or a tumble down the companionway.
Five Best Old Fart Tips
Sailing is actually getting easier as I get older, in part because I make fewer mistakes, but also because I’ve added some old fart...
Lightning Protection 101
We now have permanent research satellites in orbit whose sole function is to monitor and study global lightning activity. Like so many areas of...
How to Cleat Your Lines—Properly
I never thought I would be motivated or feel the need to write an article, let alone a video, on how to properly cleat...
Navigation Light Solutions for your Dinghy
Many of us have seen it—nighttime running of unlit dinghies in full stealth mode (minus the sound of a full-throttle outboard) ripping through mooring...
Not Falling Off: A Guide
We spend a lot of time talking about PFDs, man overboard procedures, jacklines and tethers. But those are all safety measures intended to help...
The Best Bosun’s Chair Might Not Be a Bosun’s Chair at All
I’ve long thought there must be a safer, more comfortable way to go up our mast than a Bosun’s Chair. When I criticized our...
O’Day 40 – A Budget Cruiser for the Bahamas
The O’Day 40 (1986) is one of those cruising sailboats that somehow slipped through the cracks of sailing history. Built during the final years...
Latest Sailboat Review
Caliber 33 Used Boat Review
The Caliber is a peculiar blend of tradition and innovation, of security and performance, of practicality and pizzazz. All of the owners we heard from were "satisfied." One called the 33 his favorite boat over six decades of sailing.