Med Mooring
(published August 2017) As we slowly rounded the rocky headland crowned with feathery pines, picturesque Poros town slowly revealed itself, taking my breath away. The terracotta tiled roofs gleamed in the late morning sun, the clock tower pointed up like a finger raised to remind us that it is almost
Sailing Schools Will Make You An Old Salt
Learning to sail is one of life's great rewards and choosing the right school and the right progression of courses makes all the difference in the world (published August 2017) Before Rosie and I took off sailing around the world, she thought it would be prudent for her to take
Sailing in the Big Leagues
Competing in the Normandy Channel Race 2017, was a huge opportunity and a huge challenge for two eager amateurs (published August 2017) The Normandy Channel Race is a 1,000-mile, double handed Class 40 race starting and finishing in Caen, France. It was the first big Class 40 race on the
Seamanship for Cruisers
Two of the world's most experienced offshore sailors and dedicated seamanship educators, share what they have learned over lifetimes at sea (with John Neal and Amanda Swan Neal, published June/July 2017) Having spent most of our lifetimes sailing and teaching ocean passagemaking, we enjoy following those new to sailing as
Pace On When the Breeze is Off
How to coax out more speed and miles when the wind goes light (published June/July 2017) Waves of rising heat seem to distort visions of the distance, and the sounds of insects seem to increase as everything else grows more silent. The surface of the water has assumed a flat,
Staying Safe at Sea
(published June/July 2017) While the rest of the world is worried about terrorism, it’s easy to feel safe from attacks when living aboard out at sea. Days go by without seeing another boat. The vast majority of cruisers never have to be concerned with safety; thousands of good-hearted people have
Pirate Attack
In the Gulf of Vietnam, they were chased by pirates and barely got away. Here's what happened and what they learned (published May 2017) “Rebecca, QUICK, I need another flare from the hanging locker!” The jib alone was just barely pulling Brick House southward at a pace slower
Cruising Earth’s Edge, Spitsbergen to Iceland
John and Amanda Neal, aboard their Hallberg Rassy 46, Mahina Tiare, take their expedition crew on a true high latitude adventure on the 1,500-mile cruise from Norway’s Spitsbergen Island to the island nation of Iceland (published May 2017) July 11, 2016, 1400 hrs, 75.26 N, 03.12 E, Log: 195,381 miles Baro:
Northward Bound
Daylight lengthens, and rumor has it that the weather is getting warmer further to the north. It's time to leave the tropics in favor of northern summers (published May 2017) Aquamarine water and pastel sunrises, warm breezes amidst softly swaying palm trees and the sound of tree frogs chirping: it
Before the Wind
There are a number of options for comfortably running downwind (published March 2017) There is nothing quite so awesome as a warm breeze at your back, your biggest spinnaker pulling strong and the horizon ahead in a wide arc like outstretched arms just waiting for you. That’s the way it
