We were with some friends for dinner recently, and I noticed our hostess had put a small plastic box on a shelf near the table and plugged it in so it faced our meal. Asking what it was, I received a breezy, “Oh, it’s just a negative ion generator.”Schedule

I’m going to introduce you to a man who has learned, refined and perfected the art of finding the simple joy of sailing. For an activity that humans figured out eons ago, sailing can be complicated. Besides keeping up with advancing technology, it often demands serious planning. Cruises and races require organizing personnel and logistics. Even daysails with friends need arrangements to find dates and times that coincide with suitable weather.

 Some people say Chip Ford is obsessed.Fourteen years ago, at age 52, the sailor from Marblehead, Massachusetts, bought a 1974 Catalina Mk I for $2,500 because it seemed like an inexpensive way to go daysailing.  ScheduleScheduleSchedule

 At first glance, the 54 is an impressive boat. Its contemporary look is apparent in the plumb bow and a nearly flat sheer, and the raised bulwark reduces the visual height of the cabinhouse but accentuates the high freeboard. Overall, this gives the boat a strong modern look. ScheduleSchedule

 People sail for many reasons. They spend time on the water to make memories with family and friends, to enjoy leisurely vacation days in far-off ports, to savor the thrill of competition, and even to forge careers. ScheduleSchedule

 The new 24 is based upon the work done with the 18- and 27-foot Seascapes. Initial stability is high with a very broad stern and a chine. The L/B is 2.94 and the D/L is 63.36. As far as I can tell the LOA is the DWL as it doesn’t look like there are any overhangs on this boat. It is 100% sailing length. Schedule

Sometimes the best education happens when you’re too busy having fun to notice that you’re learning something. That was the hope behind the American Sailing Association’s Sailing Challenge app, a sailing game for mobile devices, said Lenny Shabes, ASA’s founder. Schedule

 Here is a boat from a company in Florida that is very new to me. It’s a good-looking boat that would make a nice dual-purpose boat for a small family.Schedule

 I’m not sure why but right now there is a real interest in aluminum  production or semi-production yachts built in Europe. I like aluminum construction. It is, maybe even including wood, the prettiest of all the materials during the build stage with a shiny, smooth aluminum surface to all the structure. In some cases it is pure yacht eye candy. But aluminum has practical advantages too. ScheduleSchedule

boot Düsseldorf is the world's largest boat and watersports show with activities, exhibitors and boats to keep sailors busy for days.Schedule

 Clark Mills envisioned a trailerable boat that was easy to rig, simple to sail, and would draw just enough water to make it suitable for breezing across skinny water or spending the night in a gunkhole.ScheduleSchedule

SAILING Magazine, the oldest continually published American magazine dedicated to the sport of sailing, announced today that it will unveil a new design in its January 2017 issue.  A new premiumSchedule

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At the port I call home on the shores of Lake Michigan many local sailors opt for a night crossing, since the conditions are predominantly light. Weather systems around here usually relax when the sun sets and the temperatures settle.
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While the First Mate (that would be my wife) leaned over the lifelines in a game struggle to hold the boat off the dock, I gunned the diesel to blast out of the slip through a strong sideways breeze and nasty ferry wake. As the boat cleared the last piling (cleared on the second bounce, that is), I heard a commotion behind me, looked back and saw the First Mate hanging from the dock by her fingertips shouting some words that I couldn’t make out but I assume were unprintable.Schedule

Here is a very interesting design from Marc Lombard for the French company, Feeling. This is the first new boat I have seen from it in a few years. The promotional material says it could be a boat for “A circumnavigation in ultimate comfort.”
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Sometimes I whine about the absence of design documents in the review packages I get these days.  I want to see what the designer drew. Leave it to my buddy Kevin Dibley in New Zealand to knock me out by sending me an almost complete set of plans for his exquisite new 21-foot trailerable sportboat.     Schedule

 
 X-Yachts is introducing a third line of boats to complement  its Xp (performance) models and Xc (cruising) models. The range will be the X series and the first one will be the X6 followed by this X4 model at 41 feet LOA. I have been a fan of the X-Yachts models for many years. Its in-house design team does a great job with both styling and performance. The new X series will combine comfort and speed with the latest build technologies and exceptionally high-quality materials.Schedule