But never fear; we’ve assembled a list of sailing experiences you can enjoy right now, all of which will help tide you over until it’s time to pull the sails out of storage and kick off the season. 

Transiting the Panama Canal is a rite of passage that packs a lot into a 50-mile journey. Whether crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific or vice versa, cruisers celebrate their arrival in Central America by taking this short cut that recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of a channel cut through mountain and jungle in an engineering feat for its time.

 Maine is home to many artists whose inspiration is the sea and whose mediums of choice are teak, mahogany and fiberglass. This 14-foot beauty is, at first glance, a true child of Maine.  The lines are curved and sexy. The hardware is custom built. The ropes are all three-strand, leading through bronze fittings and secured on handmade teak cleats. The woodwork trim is beautiful African mahogany and reflects the history of this fishing vessel. 

 The winds were off the starboard stern at around 15 knots, steady and warm on a sunny July afternoon, blowing up Lake Ontario out of the southwest. The water was flat in spite of the long fetch, protected by Amherst and Wolfe islands off Kingston, Ontario, where the Great Lake flows into the St. Lawrence River, starting its 650-nautical-mile journey to the sea. We were bound for the Thousand Islands, a world-class cruising ground with a wealth of anchorages and a multitude of delights. 

 High-speed internet access while sailing is not always possible. The new Neptu Link offers a solution that they say is “as easy and affordable as at home.” The device incorporated two antenn

 Typical onboard fare often consists of sandwiches and granola bars. The head chef at Good To-Go has a much better alternative for cold nights underway. The dehydrated meals consist of ingredient

Top-down furling systems require specialized line to handle the torque from the system. New England Ropes has a new Spinnaker Furling Line that allows for better transfer of the furling drum’s rotat

FeaturesRetrofits SAILING Magazine’s annual guide explores the challenges of updating a Bristol 32, Manta 42  and Catalina 36   Gifts for sailors Editors’ picks for gifts

The cruiser-racer fleet grew in the 1908s and 1990s and the boats of that era continue to cruise and race successfully today.Erik Simonson photoYou still see them at local marinas and at popular dista

 I just bought a used Catalina 36 MkII. I’m thrilled with the boat but I have an issue that came up during the survey that I’d like to resolve. The tachometer appears to read high. The boat idles at the proper speed, but the tachometer reads more than 1,000 rpm. A similar problem occurs at cruising speed as well. I discussed it with the surveyor and he suggested it was related to the alternator. What’s the issue here and how do I fix it?

 I am the poster boy for retrofits. While thinking about this issue, I realized that I’ve only owned two new boats in my entire life. 

Don’t ask how many sailboat shows I’ve been to. I couldn’t tell you. There are so many of these rituals that command the attendance of people engaged in the business of sailing embedded in my memory that they’ve blurred into an uncountable mass.

The designer drawings from Ed Dubois’ office are beautiful, precisely crafted drawings that well convey the nature of this design.

The new Discovery 48 is a big leap from the Pogo, but it’s a very comfortable jump with a plush landing. 

I would not be exaggerating if I said the success of the Pogo line has been meteoric. The company’s 30 and 42 models have sold well and its newest 36-footer is designed to expand on the success of the Pogo 10.50.

 Our annual guide to retrofitting features three boats. Click below to go to the stories.Bristol 32Manta 42 MkIICatalina 36 MkII

 The Catalina 36 hits a sweet spot among weekend cruisers. It’s big enough to be comfortable and capable, but small enough to easily manage it shorthanded and it comes at an approachable price.

 Multihulls have never been more popular. In-water boat shows now dedicate huge amounts of space to them and sailors are interested in them for more than just chartering. Sailors who want to spen