Sailing to the Revolution
Part One: Looking back at a family cruise that took them straight into the Cuban revolution (published March 2018) Flying fish and flying spray were keeping my dad from lighting the cigarette he so fervently desired. “Nils Jr., can you please pass me up a lit cigarette?” he yelled down
Navigation Systems for Cruisers
After a lightning strike, we had to replace all of our electronics-it was an eye opening task (published January/February 2018) A couple of years ago we were struck by lightning just as we were leaving West End, the Bahamas on our way north to our home port in Newport, RI.
Bahama Bound or Bust
A hurried finish to a refit, a new captain and mate, an owner who wanted his catamaran out of New England in late November and in the Bahamas for the holidays: what could possibly go wrong? (published January/February 2018) Methodical and timely refits are the preferred way of getting things
Rough Night to Havana
Part 2: After a boisterous delivery from Pensacola to Key West, the author and two pals set off in his Catalina 31 with an organized rally to Cuba (published January/February 2018) A blast from the air horn at 3 pm announced the start of the rally to Cuba, 97 miles
Rough Passage to Havana
Part One: An American and two Russians get their boat and themselves ready for the fateful cruise to Cuba (published November/December 2017) In the summer of 1958, my father and I had just finished watching the Miami Marlins defeat the Havana Sugar Kings in a Class AAA International League baseball
Mahina Tiare Sails into the Med
From Lisbon on the Atlantic coast, they cruise to Gibraltar, the south of Spain and the Balearic Islands (January/February 2018) Amanda and I had an excellent time in Cascais, Portugal, between Legs 4 & 5 with perfect weather for varnishing the toe rail and dodger trim for the first in
Smith Island, The Chesapeake Bay, Is the Last Island Standing
(published November/December 2017) From the marina in Deltaville, VA on the Rappahannock River, we pounded upwind on Ukiyo, our Catalina 34, through small craft advisory waves, a “noser” as it’s called here. We were bound for Reedville, Virginia on an oppressively humid day. But for a lone tanker heading north,
Lessons and Tales From the Cockpit
Gaining experience and learning from the experts while enjoying a 850-mile sail aboard Mahina Tiare III (a photo essay) (published November/December 2017) The first of July I was happily minding my own business when an email from John Neal of Mahina Expeditions came across my desk. “We are leaving in
Time After Time
A concept that is both fixed and fluid aboard a cruising sailboat (published November/December 2017) When I came on deck at 11 p.m. it was still light out. The spinnaker was drawing nicely and we were galloping westward at a cool 7 knots across the vast Gulf of Alaska. After
Surviving Irma in Tortola: Todd Duff’s First Person Account
Cruising sailor, yacht broker, surveyor and author Todd Duff was there and so was the Amel 53 Ocean Life that he used to live aboard (published Nov/Dec 2017) BWS: When you knew Irma was going to hit Tortola, what precautions did you take for your boat, your house and yourselves?