El Salvador as a Hurricane Hole: Safe Haven or Risky Refuge?
Each spring, boats along Mexico’s Pacific Coast start making their summer plans. If they aren’t crossing the Pacific, most are deciding whether to head...
Maui to Vic: A First Ocean Crossing Experience
A lifetime of sailing the protected waters of Vancouver Island on British Columbia’s west coast has given me a wealth of sailing experience. But...
Sailing the Sea of Cortez in Summer: Cruising Guide and Off Season Tips
When people think of the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California, images from Steinbeck’s “The Log from the Sea of...
Harbor Hopping the U.S. West Coast: A Cruiser’s Guide from Oregon to Avalon
The West Coast of the United States is a long stretch of rugged shoreline. Before leaving, I assumed it was only dotted with only...
Cruising Zihuatanejo, Mexico to El Salvador: Hidden Treasures
The simplest things can impact and change our lives forever. I was sitting at my computer in California’s San Diego Yacht Club library in...
Top Tips for Sailing with Dogs
“But you’re going to re-home the dog before you set sail, right?” “Dogs don’t belong on boats. Period.” Those were just a few of...
Preparing a Herreshoff Ketch and Motley Crew for an Epic Voyage
Sailing with four young boys aboard a 40-year-old ketch across oceans might sound like madness, but for us and many other sailing families it’s...
Top 4 Creature Comforts After 3 Years at Sea
When we moved aboard our Fast Passage 39, Raicilla, in 2021, we knew we weren’t willing to accept a life of discomfort—at least not...
Pacific Dismasting: Lessons Learned from 100 Days at Sea
We are all subconsciously aware that an atrocity may occur when we embark on an ocean passage; but dismasting rarely crosses our minds. Until...
The Social Dynamics of Offshore Cruisers
Offshore cruisers and boaters come in all shapes and sizes. The greatest highlight of my nearly 40 years of ocean sailing and over 200,000...
Small Boat, Big Keel Why This 27 Footer Works
What makes a small sailboat truly seaworthy? In this video, we take a deep dive into the Pacific Seacraft Orion 27, a rugged, long-keel...
Latest Sailboat Review
Island Packet Estero Used Boat Review
Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot, shoal-draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter. After sailing the Estero on Florida’s Sarasota Bay and inspecting its interior, construction, and systems, Practical Sailor testers noted that the shoal-water cruiser will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.