CRUISING SHOT OF THE WEEK

Nelson Strikler took this picture of a storm approaching Langford Creek, MD

We want to see where you are sailing! Send your shots to us at cruisingcompass@bwsailing.com.

JUST CRUISING with George Day

The Transatlantic Adventure Begins

We are underway and have just 3,300 miles to go!

On Tuesday, June 26 the crew of the Hanse 505 Maverick gathered at the New York Yacht Club dock, in Newport, RI, to load our sea bags aboard and get ourselves and the big white sloop ready for the passage from Newport to Cowes, England.
    We are: Steve McInnis, Skipper, Drew Augustine, Henry DiPietro, Mark Gabrielson and yours truly. We are a seasoned crew with many tens of thousands of miles of blue water sailing, but this passage would be a first for all except Henry who has crossed the pond west-to-east twice before. But never in such luxury or with such gourmet larder in the freezer. Steve’s wife and partner Nancy Jamison, with Steve, had set the boat up perfectly to keep us healthy, happy and well fed for up to three weeks at sea.
    Day One: We departed the dock to the waves of family and friends and a cannon blast and motored out Narragansett Bay’s East Passage. The day was fine, the wind light to moderate and soon we were making seven knots on a course that would take us south of the Nantucket Shoals before we turned east south east for our main passage waypoint at 40 North and 50 West.
    We sailed by Martha’s Vineyard during the afternoon as we got settled aboard and got to know Maverick’s ways. She is a big, fast sailing cruising boat and very comfortable under sail or motor sailing. With five guys aboard, we have plenty of room and ample storage. And she can be sailed entirely from the cockpit, a plus when making long passages.
    We are fitted out with all the modern nav electronics from B & G and communications tools from Inmarsat and IridiumGo. Plus we have SailMail and a spare satphone. Between us all, we have 11 GPSs onboard.
    But that is all beside the point for Mark, who is using the transatlantic passage to study early navigation from Viking methods to celestial. In the afternoon, he shot a few sun sights and at dusk he shot several planets and tried a couple lunars. We’ll see if he can find out where we really are the old fashion way.
    We dined the first night on a pasta dish whipped up by Henry’s partner Janet Garnier that set us up right for the night. And a pleasant night sailing it was with a near full moon, a fair breeze and nearly flat seas. Maverick was in her element. By 2200 we had the 24-mile lighthouse on Nantucket on our port quarter, the famous shoals behind us and 3,100 miles of open ocean ahead. The bright flash of the light was the last thing we saw of North America.

Note: I’ll be posting to BWS’s Facebook page regularly and on Cruising Compass every Thursday. Thanks for the support of Inmarsat and Ocens. You can track Maverick’s progress here

Boat Insurance: Risk Never Sleeps. Neither Do We. Marine Insurance by IMIS & Gowrie

Boating – and life – requires strong navigation skills, the ability to see and prepare for risk, and the right partners to make sure you are prepared for anything. As the leading experts in marine insurance, Gowrie Group and IMIS offer you competitive choices and customized insurance solutions to protect you, your family, and your boats. Our marine insurance solutions and risk management services are available for sailboats, worldwide cruisers (Jackline Program), race boats, one-designs, powerboats, luxury yachts, and more. We also offer international health insurance for those who enjoy a lifestyle on the water. Learn more and inquire at: www.gowrie.com/imis, yachts.imis@gowrie.com, or 800.541.4647.

Dock Talk

Dock Talk 0
Salty Dawg Fall Rally To The Caribbean Introduces Option For New England Departure

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association (SDSA) has expanded routes for its Fall Rally to the Caribbean, the largest organized fleet of boats cruising-in-company from the East Coast to ...
On July 11, 2018 / By Sandy Parks
Dock Talk 0
Near Miss For Dinghy Sailor Versus Tall Ship

A dinghy sailor had to abandon ship to avoid being run over by a tall ship in Germany. Story by the Daily Mail This is the moment ...
On July 11, 2018 / By Sandy Parks
Dock Talk 0
Meet the Crew of American Magic, Challenger for 36th America’s Cup

Its time to look forward to the next running of the America’s Cup. The New York Yacht Club has released the roster of sailors for American Magic as ...
On July 11, 2018 / By Sandy Parks
Dock Talk 0
The Old Intracoastal Marina in Melbourne, FL to be Revamped

This will be of interest to those headed to Florida. A developer has purchased land from the city of Melbourne and will be building a new marina as ...
On July 11, 2018 / By Sandy Parks
Dock Talk 0
Iconic Annapolis City Dock on Endangered Historic Places List

The centerpiece of Historic Annapolis, City Dock, has landed on a list that nobody wants to be on: America’s Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places. Story from Chesapeake Bay ...
On July 11, 2018 / By Sandy Parks
Dock Talk 0
Broken Rudder Ends Bermuda Race

A broken rudder left Bailiwick‘s crew out of the race and with an even bigger challenge, to steer the 40-foot sloop to safety in Bermuda. By Chris Museler, ...
On July 3, 2018 / By Administrator

SURVEY QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Before reading on, please complete this week’s survey.

Have you ever had to take action to slow down your boat when running downwind in a storm? If so, how?

Thanks for the huge response to our survey question about using a buyer’s broker when you purchased your boat. 68% did not use a buyer’s broker while 32% did.

Sign Up Today for Best Deals Ever on BWS Subscriptions

That’s right. We are offering huge discounts on subscriptions to Blue Water Sailing. You will get a full year of America’s leading offshore sailing and cruising magazine for only $18 (US$28 in Canada). That’s 40% off the regular rate. Also, you will get Multihulls Quarterly magazine absolutely FREE. In every issue, you will get real cruising stories from cruisers around the world. Plus, our veteran authors (many are circumnavigators!) will keep you up to date on seamanship, electronics, gear and the most in-depth boat reviews anywhere. If you love the cruising life, BWS is for you. Sign up today and save $$ Enter the Special Discount Code X17.

BOAT RAT’S TIP OF THE WEEK

Boat Rat's Tip of the Week 0
Top-Down and Bottom-Up Furling Systems

Are you looking into continuous line furling systems? Diego Sosa of sail-world.com has some useful diagrams to help explain ...
On July 11, 2018 / By Sandy Parks
Boat Rat's Tip of the Week 0
Boating Knots

For your summer guests here’s a fun site to help them with their knot tying skills. Move the ...
On July 3, 2018 / By George Day
Boat Rat's Tip of the Week 0
The Pressure Cooker, a Galley Essential?

by Heather Francis. When we bought Kate I had both boating experience and cooking skills, but had never needed ...
On June 27, 2018 / By George Day
Boat Rat's Tip of the Week 0
Fumbling for Solutions

If you’re attempting to address a medical emergency and you’re not prepared, you’re already too late Six months before ...
On June 20, 2018 / By Administrator

BOAT REVIEWS

Boat Reviews 0

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

In Honor of the World Cup

COOL THINGS TO DO

Cool Things to Do 0
Newport Wooden Boat Festival Coming to Orange County, CA

On June 8-10, join the City of Newport Beach and local nautical enthusiasts to celebrate the Newport Beach Wooden ...
On June 6, 2018 / By George Day
Cool Things to Do 0
Racing, Festivities and Fun at the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover in Newport, RI

This weekend Newport, RI will be all abuzz around the Volvo Ocean Race events at Ft. Adams. There will ...
On May 17, 2018 / By George Day
Cool Things to Do 0
Salty Dawgs Offer Cruisers a Year of Fun Events and Rallies: Check Calendar

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association has a lot on its 2018 calendar for cruiser in the Caribbean and along ...
On May 2, 2018 / By George Day
Cool Things to Do 0
The Miami to Key Largo Regatta, April 21-22, Adds Second Day of Competition

This spring regatta has long been known as one of the most laid back and fun events in southern ...
On April 12, 2018 / By George Day

TECH TALK

Tech Talk 0
B&G’s New Vulcan Instruments Explored

B&G is a venerable British firm now owned by Navico. Their marine instruments have long been favorites among offshore ...
On May 23, 2018 / By George Day
Tech Talk 0
New App Connects Boat Owners with Potential Crew

“What’s better than having a friend with a boat? Making new friends on lots of boats! Officially launched last month, Boat ...
On May 2, 2018 / By George Day

LAUNCHES

Boat Reviews 0
The New Oceanis 46.1: The Latest Generation Family Cruiser Debuts This Fall

The Oceanis 46.1 is the latest in our range of sailing yachts dedicated to blue water cruising. Based on the wildly successful Oceanis 51.1, she has all the ...
On July 3, 2018 / By George Day
Launches 0
Guillaume Verdier: The Frenchman Who is Designing the Future of Sailing

Yacht design has evolved rapidly in the last decade with the development of swinging keels, foils, wing sails and much more. And one designer has left his creative ...
On January 3, 2018 / By George Day
Launches 0
Really Cool New Frers 57-Foot Cruiser Pushes the High-Tech Envelope

The pairing of a world renowned naval architect with a builder whose name is synonymous with some of the fastest and most illustrious racing yachts on the globe, ...
On December 6, 2017 / By George Day
Launches 0
Joshua class announced for the 2022 Golden Globe Race

The story of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s battle to stay ahead of French yachtsman Bernard Moitessier in the 1968/9 Sunday Times Golden Globe solo round the world Race is ...
On August 22, 2017 / By George Day

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Website of the Week 0
Sail Cargo is Living the Sustainable Dream

Sail Cargo is a new organization that has set out on the west coast of Costa Rica to build ...
On June 6, 2018 / By George Day

Charter Chatter

Charter Chatter 0
Six Must-See Snorkeling Spots in Puerto Rico

If there really is such a thing as snorkeling paradise, you will find it in Puerto Rico. From the ...
On June 6, 2018 / By George Day

CRUISING GREEN

Cruising Green 0
Strange ‘Dead Zone’ Found Under the Sea of Oman: No Oxygen, No Life.

Author Colm Gorey penned the article below for The Silicon Republic about a strange phenomenon that has been discovered that is both fascinating and alarming. “A group ...
On May 2, 2018 / By George Day
Cruising Green 0
“Ghost” Fishing Gear Clogging World’s Oceans is Having Catastrophic Effect, Report Says

We have sailed across the Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans twice and on the long offshore passages we have seen lots of lost or abandoned fishing gear. We ...
On March 14, 2018 / By George Day

FOR THE HUNGRY CREW

For the Hungry Crew 0
Food Prep and Recipes for Your Boat

Blue Water Sailing School has a lot of experience for what works in the galley, including recipes and food ...
On July 11, 2018 / By Sandy Parks
For the Hungry Crew 0
The Sailor’s Drink – Mount Gay Rum

What is your definition of time well spent? Is it time spent honing skills to perfection? Time spent laughing ...
On July 3, 2018 / By George Day

MINDBENDER

Mindbender 0
Mindbender

It’s hurricane season, what wind speed is required to designate a storm as a hurricane? Send your answer ...
On June 14, 2018 / By George Day