On September 4, 2012, best friends Jessie Zevalkink and Katie Smith cast off the docklines in Northport, Michigan, aboard a capable pocket cruiser named Louise. The 23-year-olds had little sailing experience, yet they were determined to tackle one of the continent’s great adventures—the Great Loop.

 Abu Dhabi bashes to Brazil

For half a century, sailing schools have taught people of all ages how to get out on the water. School fleets were often full of aging boats and instructors’ experience could vary dramatically. There was no certification and no universally set standards. We asked some of the owners of the oldest sailing schools in the country what things were like then and what they are like now.

I’ll tell you right now what this column is about: Don’t do as I did, do as I say. As She Who Must Be Obeyed would happily agree, I’ve been a complete idiot many times in my life and I now realize I’m very lucky to be alive.

I’m pretty sure I sailed before I walked. I know I sailed before I talked. I don’t remember it, but it’s family lore. My parents’ idea of a nice family outing was to put their first-born, while still in the babe-in-arms stage, aboard their 18-foot Seagull sloop and go sailing on Lake Michigan. There is no record of whether I wore a life preserver. I’m guessing I didn’t. The kapok models in vogue at the time would have outweighed the child.

The palm-sized B and G Pilot Controller wireless remote has a set of simple keys to allow for fast and accurate autopilot control. 

 Logbook 3.6 is computer log software for Mac, Windows and iPad, but it is written from the perspective of a traditional logbook. 

A little snow and ice can't keep sailors from doing what they love. More than 50 people strapped on skis, sleds and skates, grabbed hold of their favorite wind-harnessing device and braved frigid temperatures in a quest to satisfy their need for speed at the World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships in February on a frozen Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. 

When to reef? Honestly, I wasn't sure. The wind was now up to a solid 13 knots, tickling 15 with every indication of getting stronger. Yet the 35-foot boat with a full-batten, square-top main seemed to be handling everything fine. In fact, as we galloped past Old Mission Light in Grand Traverse Bay, my sister and her daughter, both nonsailors, were below in the galley, happily making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup without a hint of seasickness. Not bad for a sailboat I was originally reluctant to take on a four-day cruise on Lake Michigan. 

Digging deep into a wooden chest filled with doublets, waistcoats, sashes and breeches I found a tri-cornered hat, complete with beaded dreadlocks dangling from its leather brim. Perfect! Along with my plastic cutlass and scabbard, I was a near-clone of Capt. Jack Sparrow. I sauntered out into the bright sunlight to join my crewmates, scrambling over cannons and up ratlines like scurrilous pirates. St. Vincent and the Grenadines served as the primary filming location for “Pirates of the Caribbean” and a dozen years later, we found ourselves romping through several of the remaining movie sets at the town of Wallilabou, aka “Port Royal” in the popular movie series. It was just one of the many treasures we unearthed on a Sunsail flotilla cruise through the Windward Islands.

Flotilla sailing offers the benefit of a built-in group of friends, with many practical advantages as well. Daily weather reports, chart briefings and local knowledge, plus knowing a helping hand is not far away can set your mind at ease, whether you’re a novice charterer, or old hand.

Sailing ranks among country churches, Amish barns and potlucks as institutions substantially built and shaped by volunteers. Their work is all around us and it is mighty impressive. 

From the bird's eye view, the Dufour 350 looks like a race boat, with the beam carried far aft. That trickle-down feature from racers to cruisers has been a boon to sailboat designers because it increases the interior volume, allowing for more cruising gear and features inside the boat and more space in the cockpit. Dufour's designer, Felci Yacht Design, made full use of the extra space in the 350, a 34-foot, 9/10th fractionally rigged cruiser. This boat is loaded. 

I have been fortunate to sail most models in the J/Boat family and I confess, I like them all. The new J/88 is an ideal blend of what makes the J/Boat brand so enduring. 

Few things can seem more inconvenient that the briefing all bareboat charters start with. You may be anxious to get off the dock and set sail, but the briefing is no time to let your mind wander. Pay attention, ask the right questions and you'll be on your way with crucial information in no time. 

Most of us have looked across the harbor at an incoming boat at some time and said, "Yup, must be Hinckley." The signs were hard to mistake. There were beautifully sculpted teak toerails and magnificent, big stainless steel bow fittings lapping down the stem. And there was the hull defined by graceful overhangs that gave the boat an ageless beauty, what I think of as the epitome of the American yacht. 

Alain Mortain and Yannis Mavrikos designed this new 44- foot model, produced by Privilege Marine, and I liked this design the moment I saw it. I find all the proportions pleasing to my eye. The aim of the design is a fast cruising boat with a nice balance of speed and comfort. 

The politics of international amateur athletic competition are so inscrutable and Byzantine they make professional sports look wholesome in comparison. Professional sports are driven by the simple and pure imperative of an entertainment business–to make money. International amateur sports are driven by a mysterious something else. Whatever it is, it's not pure or simple, judging from the bizarre decisions issued by the ruling authorities.