Rope, line, cordage, whatever you call it, has been with us since the beginning of sailing time. To put a piece of rope to use, you must attach it to something, which often requires a knot. The body o

Features  Sailor’s delight A return trip to the British Virgin Islands designed to maximizing sailing miles is a panacea for a group of northern sailors Escape from the madding cro

We were sailing on a reach, a stiff 25-knot trade wind filling our sails and kicking up whitecaps across the teal water. Behind us, the dark form of islands rising from the water slowly retreated and,

It’s another beautiful weekend; the wind is steady at 8 to 10 knots, the water is calm, the boat is rigged, and your friends just called to say they can’t make it this afternoon. You ask yourself,

 Charter sailors who fly into St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands, and quickly hustle to the ferry dock to catch a ride to the BVIs don’t know what they are missing. From Christmas C

Features  Cruising connection Sailing the San Juan Islands brings both joy and challenges to an extended family that finds kindred spirits along the way Favored child, once agai

I think we’ve lost steering,” my brother Alex said in a calm, matter-of-fact voice, his tone out of place in light of our situation. Kyoko and four-legged family members buzz back to the boa

Winches are amazing pieces of equipment. They last for years providing a crucial mechanical advantage that makes sailing possible.  And because they require little in the way of everyday maintena

For 2,800 nautical miles, the sailors aboard the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle’a have spread a message of unity and restoration to thousands along the North American Pacific Coast. Hōkūl

Who jumps in a truck, drives 1,300 miles from one corner of the country to the other, to see a bunch of wooden boats? We do. Jerry, Marcia, Shelly and me. Together, and separately, the four of us have

It’s not unusual for boats, particularly those of a certain age, to have some areas of wet core and delamination. This is often found near deck hardware, often because of poor mounting and bedding p

FeaturesBack from the brink A beat-up and neglected 47-year-old offshore racer gets a second chance to race around the world Chasing a dream A sailor takes on a quest to restore the 

Seth Salzmann was never a 9-to-5 guy living out an ordinary existence. His eyes were always on bigger dreams, like sailing around the world. These days, Salzmann is owner and captain of When and If, a

When the Denis Sullivan, a 137-foot replica of a 19th century three-masted Great Lakes schooner, left its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home in 2022, the board of Discovery World museum, which owned it, made

Dyneema is seriously strong, but a very slippery fiber. The slipperiness means that you can’t efficiently use knots to terminate it. Even the best knot will degrade the ultimate strength of the rope

Cape 31   This exciting high-performance one-design racer exploded on the regatta scene in 2023, with super sportboat performance. Designed by Mark Mills and built in Cape Town, South Africa, t

Outboard sling Anyone who has tried to pass an outboard motor from a wobbly dinghy to a person on deck knows that it’s an unpleasant task with the potential for disaster. The Barton Marine outboard

As sailors, we’re often drawn to the sea by the promise of adventure, the thrill of exploration, and the beauty of untouched landscapes which is how my husband Chris and I ended up sailing our 1979