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By Dorothy Wadlow, Cruising Club of America Essex Station As an enthusiastic birdwatcher, I’ve gained a reputation as the “Bird Lady.” Friends often share stories of birds they’ve seen or pictures of birds they want to identify. My sailing friends tell me about birds that landed on their boat. I can see why. It’s very exciting to be alone at sea on your little “floating island” when an avian fellow traveler pays a visit far from its…

By Dennis Lesh Editor’s note: With the author and his wife celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary this month, we share a story originally published by our friends at Points East in their July 2022 edition. The night of July 19, 2014 was magical. It was the night I met my wife, Kristel, at a bonfire at our seaside neighborhood beach. The annual July 4th party had been canceled because of rain and re-scheduled for the 19th –…

By Scott Lajoie, Director of Marketing The Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame in Newport, RI has revealed the names of twelve individuals who will be inducted into its fellowship of hall of famers this year. This diverse list includes Jan C. O’Malley, a three-time US Sailing Yachtswoman of the Year, two-time Adams Cup winner, and the first ever winner of the IYRU Women’s World Sailing Championship; Peter Melvin, a multiple-class world and national champion, as…

By Kasey Commander, NESS Director of Marketing & Communications New England Science & Sailing (NESS), based in Stonington, CT, has brought hundreds of ocean lovers together through competitive surfing and beach cleanups for the past twelve years. The 13th Annual Catch a Curl Youth Surf Classic & Beach Cleanup is scheduled for 9am – 3pm on Saturday, September 21 at Westerly Town Beach, in Westerly, RI. Registration opens July 22.   In 2022, 70 surfers entered the classic…

By Dave Hemenway   Do you like to casually race, but are tired of scrubbing your boat’s bottom or finding crew? Do you like to fiddle with boats, but don’t want yard bills or worrying about boats stored at a marina? Well, if the answer is yes, you might want to consider a classic Finn sailboat. Finns are 14’ 8” long, weigh about 300 pounds, and are easily stored and transported on a light trailer. They were…

By Bill Lynn, Herreshoff Marine Museum President & Executive Director The Herreshoff Marine Museum and America’s Cup Hall of Fame in Bristol, RI celebrates the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and its founders Nat and JB Herreshoff. For over sixty years, HMCo. worked at the cutting edge of ground-breaking design, world-class engineering, and disruptive innovation while building over 2,000 boats, both power and sail. During that time, HMCo. played a role in winning eight straight America’s Cups, two world…

Technically, it’s the first two but certainly it also fits some definitions of a museum. It is a repository of historical, artistic and cultural objects on display – simply, there are no guards and there’s no admission fee!   We’re referring to The Griswold Inn, the oldest continuously operated inn in America, located on Main Street in Essex, Connecticut, where it has been comfortably situated for over two centuries. The ‘Gris’, as it is affectionately known by…

Once again benefitting Sails Up 4 Cancer, this unique show showcases boats, bands and businesses from across New England. The 8th Connecticut Spring Boat Show will take place from Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28 at Safe Harbor Essex Island in Essex, CT. On the beautiful Connecticut River, this in-water boat show is the first of the season in New England. Visitors will enjoy seeing a wide range of new and pre-owned power and sail models…

By Philippe Perut, CoBoaters.com There are hundreds of thousands of sailors in the world. It’s hard to know the exact number, but there are a lot of sailors without boats. The question for those sailors is: What are the best ways to find someone to sail with? If you wish to find partners to sail with, you need friends with boats who are willing to take people on board. If you are a boat owner, you may need crew…

By Paige Constantine About a year ago, I went sailing for the first time. I grew up on the water, but my experience was only in powerboats and I had absolutely no knowledge of sailing. That said, I love the ocean and I love boats, so when I found out that my school had a sailing team I thought, “Why not join?” I knew it would definitely be hard to start at age fifteen, on a team…