Safety & Seamanship

The Importance of Sea State in Weather Planning

We all want a crystal ball that tells us exactly what we will be in for during a passage, however long or short it...

Rethinking MOB Prevention

Man overboard gear standards are behind the times because the sample size is tiny and the facts surrounding an accident are often clouded and disguised by difficult circumstances. But fixing this is pretty simple; piggyback on standards that have been developed for climbing and industry. The following are just some of the steps that a sailor can take to improve his chances of staying on board.

The Pros and Cons of Cockpit Foot Braces

The sensation that you are about to slide to leeward is familiar to most small-boat sailors. But that slip-sliding-away feeling isn’t reserved to small...

Identifying Fishing Vessels and Right of Way

One of the most common right-of-way situations that a sailing boat will encounter will involve fishing boats, so it is important to be aware...

Collision Avoidance Confusion

The Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs) cover the rules of navigation and lights and shapes that sailors...

Gearing Up for Hurricane Season

My old home island of Guam got whacked by a Supertyphoon Mawar on Wednesday. Power is still out, so still no word from friends....

PS Advisor: Complacency and the Experienced Sailor

The past few years have made it clear that age and experience doesn’t necessarily translate into safety on the water. In fact, a number...

Rhumb Lines: Eight Bells for Charley Morgan

Legendary sailor and yacht designer Charley Morgan passed away on January 6, 2023. He was 93 years old. Outspoken, self-assured, indefatigable, Charley was all...

Rhumb Lines: Seamanship, Not Size, Is What Counts

Years ago, one of my first assignments as a sailing editor was to join the famous sailor and yacht designer Steve Dashew and his...

Rhumb Lines: The Saddest Story I Ever Heard

The familiar opening sentence to Ford Madox Ford’s classic “The Good Soldier” in the headline above could easily apply to “The Boy Who Fell...

Don’t Launch Without This: The Essential Sailboat Maintenance Guide

Every sailboat needs annual maintenance, but most owners never get a complete list of what actually needs to be inspected. In this video, we...

Latest Sailboat Review

Pearson 30 Used Boat Review

The Pearson 30 was designed as a family cruiser and daysailer with a good turn of speed. The boat is actively raced throughout the country, however, with some holding IOR certificates, and many more racing in PHRF, MORC, and one-design fleets.