This new Najad is promoted as a “mini superyacht.” That sounds ambitious with 39 feet 4 inches of LOA.  The design is from the Farr office with styling by Ken Freivokh. Most of you will be u

Features  Descent into madness Donald Crowhurst’s story is making it to the big screen in The Mercy 6 things every sailor should know Don’t head out to sea without knowing what t

We’re sailboat shopping. Replacing one beloved family boat with another is a big change, so we’ve spent a lot of time pondering the ideal design. Our wishlist asks that it be:1. Large en

A white yachting hat sporting an anchor badge on the crown and faux admiral’s scrambled eggs on the visor, blue yachting blazer with polished brass buttons, pleated Breton red pants adorned wit

The Oceanis 51.1 is the new queen of the Beneteau Oceanis series. The design is by Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design with deck and interior by Nauta Design. This is a big boat and it comes with enough opt

You can’t ask for better weather conditions for a boat test. It was 85 degrees with an east-northeast 18-knot wind blowing across Biscayne Bay as I walked out the Key Biscayne Yacht Club docks. All

It was a typical race day on Chesapeake Bay’s Miles River. The wind started out at 12 knots, gusting to 16. But of the 11 Chesapeake log canoes that left the dock at the Miles River Yacht Club for a

We don’t get too many boats to review from Poland but here is a new 24-footer from the Northman Shipyard. The designer is Jacek Daszkiewicz, who is part of an in-house design team at the yard that u

1 How  your life jacket worksSpinlock created a life jacket with an integrated harness and several other safety functions specifically for sailors in the Volvo Ocean Race, but it is available to

The silence made my ears ring. No electronic chirps, no roar of jets overhead, no sounds except the softly lapping waves on the sturdy wooden hull and the whisper of wind in the sails. An occasional s

A boom violently crashing across a cockpit can be deadly, toss a crewmember overboard or cause serious damage, so it’s worth making an effort to prevent it from happening whenever possible.&nbs

Batten down the hatches. Another sailing movie is setting sail.  At least I hope we have to secure the hatches in preparation for some stormy drama. The last sailing movie I saw induced a torpor

The Moorings 4800 rides at anchor.Susan Colby photo Sailing French Polynesia is the stuff dreams are made of. We had Laura, a marine biologist, who dreamed of exploring the sea life and coral gar

Let’s say you want a comfortable daysailer that represents modern design trends. This design by Satellite Yacht Design in the Netherlands and built by the Hennevanger family tries to tick off all th

There’s never been a better time to charter, with new bases popping up in both new locations and old favorites. Charter boats, whether monohulls or big cats, are getting more comfortable and easier

The new Hallberg-Rassy designed by German Frers falls into the “dream boat” category for most of us. Personally I dream of much smaller boats, but if I were to dream about a big boat, I think this

Features  Society Island escape A stress-free charter in one of the world’s most exotic locations was just the ticket for this happy group Sailing among the ruins A charter throu

Chartering is more popular than ever and charter companies have gotten creative about how to get people on boats easily. Crewed charters have always been offered, but companies now offer middle-of the-road options for sailors who lack the confidence for a full-on bareboat experience. Flotillas organized by schools and charter companies provide the comfort of sailing in a group with help at the ready should it be needed. Some companies, like Cruise Abaco, offer a hybrid solution where a captain sails with the boat during the day then is whisked away in a dinghy once the boat is at anchor for charterers to enjoy the evening.