Safety & Seamanship

“Keep the crew on the inside and the water on the outside.” This old salt's advice to new offshore sailors is somewhat “tongue in cheek”...

The obvious answer for how to maneuver when vessels meet at sea is for everyone to follow the Convention on the International Regulations for...

Bill had been sailing single handed aboard his Bristol Channel Cutter 28 Pixie for nearly 90 days from Christchurch, New Zealand to Victoria, British...

I had been driving my 34-foot catamaran down the Chesapeake Bay at 8-9 knots all morning, propelled by a fresh breeze. “Thud … thud.”...

Our time spent testing anchors has prompted some important musings; we offer the following thoughts regarding the forces and factors to be considered before purchasing anchors and rodes.

The usual advice for anyone seeking all-rope anchor rode is usually to just get some three-strand nylon anchor. The makes sense. Three-strand nylon is inexpensive, wears best, and is easy to splice. But one size, or even one type of rope, does not necessarily fit all situations.

August through October are hurricane months in the Carolinas. While it’s almost always best to haul out for a hurricane, it’s not an option...

Last week, I covered some of the things I suggest you need to think through on the boat before heading out solo. Now, what...

Lots of skippers—in fact probably most—do not want to sail solo and I am the last person to try to encourage them to change...

A new generation of fire extinguishers, resembling a fat flare in appearance, promise to solve most of the problems of standard fire extinguishers. The biggest...