Old Boats, New Generations: The Real Value of Our Cruising Life
I often ask myself the point of all the effort and expense of owning a well-aged sailboat. This usually happens after I crack a...
What It Takes to Compete in the Solitaire du Figaro
La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec is a unique, solo, multi-stage annual racing format created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault. In 2025, for...
Bloody Fingers to Princess Louisa Inlet
Sailing the west coast of British Columbia over the years has opened our eyes to the beauty of this cruising ground. From Washington State...
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...
Latest Logbook
Practical Sailor Logbook – September 2026
In September we tour the Hans Christian 48T — the offshore cruiser many sailors call the holy grail — walk the custom Antigua 60...
Video: The BEST Sailboat You Can Buy for $35,000 – Catalina...
If you’re searching for a mid-30-foot sailboat, affordable cruising sailboat, liveaboard sailboat, first sailboat, or a capable used sailboat for coastal cruising, the Catalina...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Learning by Doing on a $5,000 Catalina 30 Mk II
When Davis’s mother started talking about wanting to do something “big” for retirement, Davis and Gloria half-jokingly threw out an idea that seemed suitably...
