Cruising

by Leslie Ingwall As with most other custom and consumable goods that you buy, you should consider what you are trying to achieve when determining your boat’s canvas needs. Are you looking for function or fashion? When it comes to canvas, the majority of boat owners want both function and fashion because they want their boat to display clean lines and they want to maximize their boat’s usable deck space. When making choices on marine canvas, whether…

Whether you’re preparing for a distance race or a family cruise, completing a safety at sea seminar is probably the best investment you can make.

The very first area on any boat that can inevitably benefit from modest upgrades is the sail control systems.

by Martin van Breems The Dutchman Flaking System was born out of my frustration with lazy jacks, which catch the mainsail as it’s raised and lowered, cause chafe, and make it harder to properly flake. Since 1986, we have built Dutchman Systems in Norwalk CT, with over 15,000 systems on boats from 20 to 90 feet. The Dutchman allows the sail to neatly flake to either side, without the sharp creases or folds forced in by lazy jacks, which harm modern sail fabrics. Although a little…

Such shorthanded sailing requires a much more developed sense of seamanship and increased ease (efficiency and speed) of using the equipment onboard than sailing with a boat full of people

When we venture out on our vessels, however, we leave the safety and convenience of our homes and face many different challenges on our own. One of the most challenging is a medical emergency at sea

Officially, there are two sides to St. Martin/St. Maarten – French and Dutch – but in reality there are so many more facets to explore.

We can all agree on this: The magnetic steering compass, although an ancient “technology,” is a simple, failsafe tool that will help you get home when gremlins defeat your modern-age GPS chartplotter, radar, and other more sophisticated navigational devices,

Although we think the Pacific is where all cruisers should set their sights, the Caribbean/Central America offers a lot.

Winter cruising destinations, we’re dropping anchor in three off-the-beaten-path spots in the Greater Antilles that are overlooked by most cruisers