Cruising

By John Vrolyk Quarantine, social distancing, the duration, a new normal—these were the words most often on our lips last summer. They describe what began in March and stretched forward into the unknowable future, a procession of days, each subtly but perceptibly worse than the one before, a lethargic slide into melancholy, paralleling the slow-motion tragedy of the global pandemic. From this paralytic existence, escape is the ultimate privilege. Last summer, it was granted to me—an unearned…

By Gregor Tarjan CEO/founder Aeroyacht Multihull Specialists Let us say you are dreaming about a multihull – a boat that will take you and your family safely and swiftly to far horizons. She must be fast, comfortable, and well built. In your search you have eliminated monohulls and are focusing on catamarans. But have you considered the clever NEEL Trimaran range? NEEL Company Background and DNA NEEL trimarans have firmly established themselves on the multihull market. It…

Our friends at the Salty Dawg Sailing Association have announced their 2021 Rally Schedule. Each of the rallies listed here is an opportunity for sailors to cruise in company, with the safety, camaraderie, and passage-preparation assistance that a rally can provide. “Registration is open for the East Coast Rally (from the Caribbean to the U.S.), and you can register right through our website at saltydawgsailing.org,” said SDSA Rally Director Sheldon Stuchell. “Registration for the other rallies and events will…

Story and photos by Anthony Pozun, RN Editor’s note: In the summer of 2019, Tony Pozun was planning his eleventh trip from his home in Northport, NY south to Florida and The Bahamas aboard his Catalina 400 Mark II Mystical Paradise. After his beloved islands were devastated by Hurricane Dorian that September, Tony’s voyage became a humanitarian mission. If you missed Part 1, it’s at windcheckmagazine.com/article/against-all-odds/ I left Hinckley Yachts in my rented car and traveled to West…

Story & photos by Colgate Sailing Adventures® Trip Co-Leader, Heather Atwater Editor’s note: Our friends Heather & Nate Atwater are the Co-Leaders of Offshore Sailing School’s Colgate Sailing Adventures® Flotilla Cruises, which visit exotic destinations around the world. In this installment, Heather recounts a visit to the Apostle Islands, a group of twenty-two scenic islands in Lake Superior.   Saturday, July 11, 2020 marked the start of our Apostle Islands Flotilla in Bayfield, Wisconsin, a quaint lakeside…

By Captain Linda Perry Riera Editor’s note: This article originally appeared at ArgonSailing.com, an excellent cruising blog produced by Captain Linda Perry Riera and Captain Bob Damiano that documents voyages aboard their Tartan 4000 Argon in New England, the Caribbean and everywhere between. Argon’s itinerary for spring 2020 had her starting a leisurely month through the Bahamas in April followed by some offshore passages to arrive home in Newport, Rhode Island by early June. Instead, we found…

Captain Darin Keech, owner of Poet’s Lounge Sailing Charters out of Mystic, CT, has offered private charters in the region’s most exquisite sailing location for seventeen years, and he has a sailing solution for those who’ve been too long in isolation. “Providing the COVID-19 public safety status improves, Poet’s Lounge Sailing Charters intends to operate two classic sailing vessels this season,” says Captain Darin. “Considering the concerns of these times, private charters for couples or your own…

By Anthony Pozun, RN Photos by the author Over the summer of 2019, I decided to travel from my home in Northport, NY south to Florida and the Bahamas on my Catalina 400 Mark II Mystical Paradise. She’s rigged for long term cruising, with two headsails including her 150% genoa and a small cutter-type staysail for light air sailing, as well as a full cockpit enclosure. I stocked her with enough foodstuffs and water for six months…

By Anne Kolker Photos by the author I had been talking about doing an Atlantic crossing on my boat Etoile, a 52-foot sloop-rigged Stellar, but the complexity of the systems made it seem like a daunting project. When my friend, Margaret “Garet” Wohl, sent me a copy of Cape Horn to Starboard by John Kretschmer, featuring a Contessa 32, I thought the story was compelling. Garet had bought a 1985 Contessa 32 and asked if I would…

By Ger Tysk, Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island Mate/ Marine Operations Associate Traditional rigging for sailing vessels is not a job for the fainthearted. Besides having to commit hundreds of knots, splices and leather- and woodworking skills to mind and muscle memory, rigging involves fine detail work and intricate knowledge of traditional techniques passed down through generations. The safety of crew and the structural integrity of the ship are literally in the hands of the rigger. Among…