British yachtswoman Jeanne Socrates made international headlines when she became the oldest person to sail nonstop around the world, alone and unassisted. The 77-year-old sailed into Victoria, British

Dear Boat Doctor, I am interested in improving my onboard emergency gear. I have carried a personal EPIRB for years, but it feels inadequate. I have been looking at shipboard EPIRBs, but maybe I shou

To be a real sailor is more than knowing your knots and how to trim sails for the conditions. It’s also looking the part. Just as Boy Scouts have merit badges, so too do sailors have their status sy

I read car magazines with interest and envy.  Interest because, as a semi-reformed sports car buff, my clutch-foot still twitches when I read about high-performance automobiles.  Envy

Features  Crazy about the sea At 77, Jeanne Socrates became the oldest person to solo circumnavigate nonstop Cruising to the toe of Italy A shoulder-season cruise of Italy’s southwest coast

The enticing part of sailing is that every time you go to sea you learn something new. And because sailors aren’t typically people who like to sit idly by on their vacations, combining the two, by l

I’ve known Tom Wylie for a long time. I once owned a boat he designed, a Wylie Wabbit—24 feet of thrills and spills. Tom has always been an original thinker. When just about every designer was doi

The first time I watched a promotional video for a cruising sailboat was after I had been cruising for at least 10 years. The film was filled with good weather, sunshine, happy faces, perhaps a brief

I received a very nice design package from Gerry Douglas, head designer at Catalina Yachts. I think I may have reviewed more Catalina models than any other manufacturer in the many years I have b

Now let’s look at what German Frers does with a very similar design challenge. Sitting side by side at the dock the two boats would be nearly identical except for some subtle styling differences. LO

This month we are going to look at two large cruising boats: the Hylas 60 and the Oyster 565. They share a target market and a general  approach to styling and hull shape. The numbers are so clos

Dear Boat Doctor, I am struggling with the fuel system on my Hylas 51, which seems to have a lot of small issues that add up to a bigger annoyance. First, I don’t have enough tankage and no good wa

Footage of the foiling IMOCA 60s is sci-fi. And I’m not just talking about the sailing shots.  Watching the new Apivia emerge from its shed is like seeing a stealth fighter jet for the first t

Among the hundreds of thousands of words I’ve written in pursuit of my calling as an ink-stained wretch, I can’t think of any combination of them that has achieved the status of a deathless phrase

The drop-down transom reveals a large swim platform with an integral telescoping swim ladder, a dedicated life raft locker, grill and sink. The capricious winds of Chesapeake Bay got the best of

Features  Olaf Harken Beloved by many, he helped shape the sailing industry through perseverance, friendship and, of course, blocks The ultimate wedding presentA young couple in sear

Sail selection is key for offshore sailing. You need a combination that provides speed without overburdening the boat and enough flexibility that you don’t have to make frequent sail changes.A fixed

Sometimes boats and their owners seem meant for each other. And sometimes things align so well that it seems like it must be fate. And everything about Mariah’s story seems fated. Due to a mis