Features  Sailing into a pandemic A blissful cruise along in the Sea of Cortez ends abruptly for a cruising family  Putting the fun in fundamentals Women-only conferences are popula

It had never occurred to me, until this pandemic put everyone into self-imposed exile, that sailing is a magnificently and spectacularly solitary endeavor. I now realize that many of my best memories

I came across an old photograph the other day and was carried away by a wave of nostalgia. It was a photo of a person engaged in spinnaker flying. I don’t mean flying a spinnaker, as in settin

Every month I pester my editor Greta, “Find me something interesting. Find me something I can sink my teeth into.” Well, this month she has outdone herself. Thanks Greta. I think the most fun for

Naval architect John G. Alden never got to see his traditional Fuji 35 ketch make the jump from drafting table to boat-building production line. Alden was born in 1884 and died in 1962, eleven years b

I recall my first Caribbean landfall like it was yesterday. And trust me, it wasn’t yesterday—it was 40 years ago. It was November and we were heading south from Bermuda. After five days we e

Harken employees switch gears to make masks for Milwaukee-area healthcare workers.The sailing industry has been through tough times before, the recession and fuel shortage in the 1970s and most recent

Dawn Riley, center, made the decision to quarantine the staff during the coronavirus pandemic.In early March, when news of the coronavirus pandemic became increasingly alarming, Dawn Riley didn’t wa

Dear Boat Doctor,  I have read a lot about regular inspections of my boat. This seems like a really good idea, but I don’t know what to look for. What am I supposed to be looking for? Rob R

Most sailors have entertained the idea, even if only in passing, of leaving life on land and setting out to cruise the world on a sturdy sailboat ready for adventure. Although many dream, few actually

Sailing boasts unmatched power to make quick comrades from nemeses. For example, when climate change provocateur Greta Thunberg chose to sail across the Atlantic Ocean instead of flying, sailing soci

Winter weather on Massachusetts’s Cape Cod can force competitive sailors indoors with little to do but wait out the long months until they can sail again. More than 40 years ago, Harwich Harbormaste

I remember my distress when I was introduced to Old Devil Hull Speed. I was just getting into offshore racing, working at being a semi-competent bowman, and I was gung-ho for speed. I read every

It was a mile-long trek in 90-degree heat from the front gate of the Miami International Boat Show past countless fishing gear booths and outboard powerboats to the far southeast corner of the docks w

Features  Big fun in a teacup pram The home-built Frosty won over sailors with good performance and affordability Little lugger with a lot of love to give A donated classic continues to

I get some unusual design commissions but this is the first time another yacht designer has asked me to design a boat for him. Rob Leighton­—I call him Capt. Rob—is an accomplished yacht des

Here’s an unusual catamaran project from my old friend Dudley Dix. It’s unusual because the client was Phil Harvey, builder of the Gunboat cats in South Africa, Dudley’s previous home. Dudley an

The center-cockpit Kelly Peterson 46 has sparked plenty of discussion among sailors who favor bluewater cutters, mostly because it’s often compared with its little sister, the popular Kelly Peterson