T. Craig Ligibel When the Marquis de Lafayette arrived in America aboard the French frigate L’Hermione in 1780, he brought the good news that the French were sending troops and material to help

Installing solar and wind power is easily than ever and gives you greater freedom to take your boat off the grid.

 Although, our family sailed on Pelagic, our 54-footer built specifically for high-latitude expedition sailing, in the channels of Tierra del Fuego in 2008, sailing to Antarctica for an extended cruise over the long Christmas holiday was the opportunity for my daughter Lara and son Luca to finally realize why Dad goes south every year. 

The Novak family knows how to cruise, as they prove with a holiday trip to Antarctica aboard Pelagic to study penguins, bash through brash ice and just have a good time. 

When 27 sailboats joined the largest attempt to survey the plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean this summer, their crews might have expected to find large pieces of plastic floating on the surface. Instead, what they found by using specially designed trawls is much more sinister: The ocean is filled with masses of microscopic bits of plastic. 

 Cossutti Yacht Design designed this new Salona model, the 380. That is a new design office to me. The design of the 380 is similar to the bigger Dehler 42. The two designs, despite the 2-foot 8-

The Dehler 42 model was designed by Judel/Vrolijk with the interior design done in house by Dehler. This design is typical of what we see coming out of the European production yards today. I’m not sure I have ever seen a time when there was less variation in the style of Mom and Pop production boats. I’m not saying that is a bad thing but I do like some variation from time to time.

First off, the name Bulletproof 43 was always intended as a joke.  The client said, “Call it bulletproof” one day in jest and it stuck. Secondly, there is nothing standard or normal about this project. I met with the client. We agreed that the boat would be an offshore-capable cutter with full keel, outboard rudder and generous displacement, similar to the client’s last boat.

November table of contents

I would like to install a battery monitor that will show the state of the charge of my batteries. I have basic mechanical and electrical skills and would like to try to install it myself. What’s the best way of doing it?

I am going offshore this winter and the skipper said I need a specific inflatable life jacket, one with crotch straps and a spray hood. The problem is that I’m finding it hard to find one that incorporates both of these. Any suggestions?

 Had we heeded the forecaster’s gloomy wind warnings, we would not have started the race, but 20 sailboats slipped over the line at 18:30 and inched up the 21-mile course. An hour—and two tedious miles—later, a red sun set leaving a starless sky. Two hours and barely four miles in, the fog came down like a black velour lining a coffin. Wet. Dark. Deadly.

 One day when my mind was obviously a black hole utterly devoid of anything stimulating to think about, I wondered why so few presidents of the United States and aspirants for that office were sailboat owners.I think I found a partial answer when I came across an article in an online archive with a headline that read, “Boxer calls out Fiorina as a multiple yacht owner.” 

Gracious Grenadines A charter cruise to some of the Caribbean’s most idyllic islands is a trip back in time Laid back and loving it A charter cruise along Florida’s pr

The decision on whether to carry a life raft and what kind of life raft that should be can be a challenge for sailors. New six-person, non-commercial life rafts cost at least $1,700. Used life rafts can be a relative bargain, but all rafts need periodic maintenance. The decision on what is right for a boat can hinge on factors as varied as budget to the kind of sailing you do.

 We’ve been to plenty of concerts but never by sailboat, so when our friends in Florida called to ask if we wanted to join them to see the Dave Matthews Band via boat, we grabbed our bags and headed for the airport. 

Sometimes I get in arguments when I mention this, but I see a distinct Euro style and a distinct American style in yachts. Of course there is plenty of cross pollination between the two styles, but I have no problem pointing out a Euro-styled boat or an American classic-styled boat. I’d put the Alerion boats, including this new Sport 30, into the classic American-style genre. US Watercraft, in partnership with Langan Design Partners, designed the Sport 30.

The Winner 8.0 is a Dutch design and build. The design is from the Van de Stadt office, and it has been around since I was a kid and maybe even before that. Over the years, it has produced hundreds of outstanding designs. The builder is Winner Yachts. From what I can see, the 8.0 is designed to be a fast cruising boat that also comes in a performance model for those interested in racing. It’s a handsome package with clean styling and no affectations.