Attending Baltimore’s OpSail 2000 Tall Ships event was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Seeing these magnificent vessels up close helped me appreciate how traditional merchant vessels and navies navigated the oceans without the luxury of engines and electronic equipment. Yes, many of them really did use sextants and compasses to find their way to the right destination […]
Viewing a Tall Ships gathering is like getting a front-row seat at a maritime history reenactment. Beginning with ancient mariners, and continuing throughout much of the 20th century, merchants and navies plied the world’s waters aboard diverse types of boats. Tall Ships, with their impressive sail areas and large cargo holds, were the most visible […]
Living on a boat is a never-ending weather forecasting exercise. During almost seven years of living (and cruising) on our 46-foot trawler Holiday, we ran through nearly every weather scenario in the books (except tornadoes and waterspouts). We spent most of that time at an Annapolis, Maryland marina, in a region where the weather can […]
Returning from our sailboat cruise to Florida represented both the end ─ and the beginning ─ of a boating dream. When the trip was finally over, we docked Santorini at our local marina, giving our beautiful old sailboat a much-deserved rest. She had served us well, keeping us safe from the clutches of many on-the-water […]
Our Visit to These Legendary Vessels Viewing a world-famous sailing yacht might not be on everyone’s “bucket list.” In the United States sports landscape, sailing has never had the wildly popular following enjoyed by football and baseball. And to many non-sailors, watching a sailboat carefully navigate a race course is about as exciting as watching […]
During my 40+ years in the boating world, I’ve seen my share of memorable yachts. I never grow tired of seeing classic racing sloops’ beautiful lines. The vessels’ yacht club race wins, and their victories in the Annapolis-Bermuda Races, are a testament to their world-class design and construction. In 1990, the J-class America’s Cup yacht […]
Viewing a classic wooden boat is like delving into maritime history. For centuries, sturdily built wooden vessels have embodied their region’s maritime heritage. Each boat also reflects her builder’s craftsmanship. And even if the boat is a scuffed-up workhorse instead of a pampered gentleman’s yacht, her captain feels a certain sense of pride when he […]
Exploring a new destination on foot offers an “up close and personal” look at an intriguing city or town. During our Maryland- to-Florida sailboat cruise, we trekked the streets of Beaufort, North Carolina (Bow-fort) and Beaufort, South Carolina (Bew-fort). We observed each waterfront city’s architecture, soaked up the area’s character, and checked out charming (and […]
Preparing for our six-month sailing sojourn to Florida required tons of attention to detail. I made packing lists, provisioning lists, and an endless progression of “To Do” lists. My engineer husband Mark created (and constantly updated) cruising itineraries, boat maintenance checklists, and parts inventories. Both skill sets complemented each other very nicely. When we cast […]
The somewhat nebulous phrase “we’re downsizing” generally means shedding a little (or a lot) of unwanted “stuff.” Sometimes, downsizing means donating your excess clothing and shoes to a local thrift store ─ in other words, thinning out the closet. Maybe you’re just tired of tripping over wall-to-wall furniture and décor, so you’re considering a whole-house […]
