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.

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. 

Kris Scheppe met his crewmates for the world championship regatta just days before the three men would compete against some of the best sailors in the world. Scheppe, Scott Ford and Jim Kerr had only

Nathaniel Bowditch didn’t look like Hollywood’s version of a swashbuckling sailor, but his contributions to maritime navigation more than 200 years ago made it possible to traverse oceans with greater speed and accuracy. And the mathematician’s hard-earned accomplishments haven’t been forgotten. The National Sailing Hall of Fame in Annapolis, Maryland, included Bowditch in its 2014 class of eight inductees during a September ceremony at the Detroit Yacht Club in Detroit, Michigan.

When Harriet and Tom Linsky first took off aboard their 28-foot Bristol Channel Cutter for four years of liveaboard cruising, they expected to have a life-changing experience. What they didn't expect was to be deeply moved by the generosity of indigenous communities despite a profound lack of basic necessities. And while they knew they would go cruising again someday, they certainly didn't expect they'd be doing it with a fledgling not-forprofit organization in tow. 

The time will come when you need to give your deck hatches some attention. Those little drips when it rains or when you have a deck washer passage are your first clues. 

Without question, the No. 1 pick for a winter getaway is the BVI. With its rowdy sailing in the Drake Passage to the many anchorages in this Caribbean island chain, the BVI has more to offer cruisers. 

Nemo’s $100 Puffin blanket is designed for outdoor use, and it might be perfect for cool nights at anchor. It’s filled with Stratofiber insulation that stays warm when damp and ripstop nylon shell

Originally designed to keep drivers alert and safe, but perfect for watchkeepers, the Impecca Alert Band monitors and analyzes brainwaves, sending real-time notifications and alarms to a sailors smart

Breckson’s Thirsty-Mate 519C pump has a cast aluminum handle, stainless steel shaft and a low temperature hose. It’s 24" long and 3-inches in diameter with a 4-foot intake hose and a 6 foot outle

Boat Watch Pro is an entertaining and useful iOS 8 app that works like an AIS receiver but with added features. Point an iPhone or iPad’s camera at a ship and the app will identify the ship and give

 A family works together to help a promising young sailor

Features 26 The great escape Thaw out your flip-flops and get away to SAILING Magazine’s top 10 places to go sailing now 35 Force 10 to Antarctica It was all hands on deck for a