2024 June 1
Dear Boat Doctor,I bought an asymmetrical spinnaker this season. We are figuring out the sail but continue to struggle with one aspect. We fly the sail from a block mounted on the anchor roller. This
2024 June 1
Years ago, I was very much into landsailing as well as sailboat racing. Born and raised in California, I was surrounded by dry lakes so hard you could rollerskate on them (people did). On a weekend, y
2024 June 1
I try to stay out of trouble writing this column. I avoid taking stands on issues that might cause gastric distress among readers. I never touch politics, the deadly third rail of discourse. I wr
2024 June 1
Table of Contents
Features Back to schoolStudents share the experiences that have made them full-fledged sailorsThe little boat that definitely couldThe owner of high-tech racers finds a delightful chall
2024 June 1
This powerful performance cruiser exudes Italian style above and below deck
It was a brisk autumn day, which also meant there was wind. That isn’t always the case on the Chesapeake Bay, and I was looking forward to sailing in the best conditions I’d seen all week. The day
2024 June 1
Mastering a handful of knots will give you a full arsenal of options on board
Rope, line, cordage, whatever you call it, has been with us since the beginning of sailing time. To put a piece of rope to use, you must attach it to something, which often requires a knot. The body o
2024 April 1
This rugged pilothouse cutter can handle the rough stuff in comfort
When Yves-Marie, Chuck and I left Dick Carter’s tower in Nahant, Massachusetts, to try it on our own I don’t think either of us knew where the future would take us in the world of yacht design. We
2024 April 1
This small oceangoing cruiser can be built by DIY builders
It’s hard to find interesting designs for review these days. So this month I thought we’d try a little different approach. In early 1973 I quit my design job in Seattle, loaded my Peugeot wagon an
2024 April 1
Beneteau’s latest midsize racer-cruiser gets the mix right
The Beneteau First series has a long history and proud pedigree. Launched in the late 1970s, Beneteau First designs have collected wins all over the globe. Over time, the design ethos wavered a bit, b
2024 April 1
Table of Contents
Features
Sailor’s delight
A return trip to the British Virgin Islands designed to maximizing sailing miles is a panacea for a group of northern sailors
Escape from the madding cro
2024 April 1
A return trip to the British Virgin Islands designed to maximizing sailing miles is a panacea for a group of northern sailors
We were sailing on a reach, a stiff 25-knot trade wind filling our sails and kicking up whitecaps across the teal water. Behind us, the dark form of islands rising from the water slowly retreated and,
2024 April 1
With a few tips and some practice you can spend more time sailing your boat and less time waiting for crew
It’s another beautiful weekend; the wind is steady at 8 to 10 knots, the water is calm, the boat is rigged, and your friends just called to say they can’t make it this afternoon. You ask yourself,
2024 April 1
Dear Boat Doctor,
I have been battling leaks in my deck hatches for years. First I thought there was a leak around the plastic lens, so I removed and resealed it. When it still leaked I replaced the
2024 April 1
Escapism is built into the human psyche, has genetic and evolutionary roots, and persists in story across the millennia. So the trend to sell everything and sail isn’t new, despite the mob of tan, n
2024 April 1
The first time I anchored in one of Jost Van Dyke’s perfect natural harbors, our boat shared the anchorage with only one other, a small, privately owned sloop.
When I returned to the British Virgin
2024 April 1
The United States Virgin Islands offer unparalleled charter cruising
Charter sailors who fly into St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands, and quickly hustle to the ferry dock to catch a ride to the BVIs don’t know what they are missing. From Christmas C
2024 March 1
Dear Boat Doctor,
My new-to-me boat has a keel-stepped mast. I’m happy to have it, but I cannot get the mast-to-deck joint to stop leaking. Even in a gentle rain, I find water dripping into my salo
2024 March 1
My dad was an executive for Douglas Aircraft and we lived in Tucson, Arizona, when I was a kid. As a young man, my father had run away to sea, shipping out on tankers and working his way up to navigat
2024 March 1
I’ve heard people express sympathy for the men and women sailing in the Ocean Globe Race.
That’s the 27,000-mile race that started last September and will go on for about eight months with short
2024 March 1
A Hinckley Pilot 35 yawl turns out to be the perfect boat at the perfect time
Moon Dancer wasn’t a name that Rob and Kristin Browne chose for their Hinckley Pilot 35 yawl, but it turned out to be entirely appropriate, and like many things about the boat, it seemed meant to be
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A svelte cruising cat that has performance front and center
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This cruising cat’s palatial accommodations have sailors living in comfort
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This raised saloon offshore cruiser offers comfort and performance
