Almost every local weeknight racing series has a cruising division filled with sailors looking for an excuse to get out on the water and away from life’s demands. The idea of racing might seem daunt

Schooners are like teachers, they never tell you all their secrets at once,” said Steve Frary, owner and skipper of the 63-foot schooner Narwhal.  “They want you to keep asking questions and

I think it’s fair to call the Beneteau First series the Beneteau “premier” line. These boats have a very good reputation for speed on the race course and the durability required to be raced

Oh boy! I’ve been looking forward to reviewing this new Swan 55. Why? German Frers is my favorite designer. He has an eye for subtle beauty, never “over designing” and he sure knows how to desig

Golf course greens turning tan. Ski jumping off of artificial turf towers. Scuba diving on monochromatic reefs where rainbow coral once grew. Mountaineering to peer into one last crevasse. Climate cha

Kudos to the crew. They were stellar in this year’s Chicago Mackinac Race. In fact, they were stellar before the race started.  They managed to be alert and engaged as I delivered a homily th

Features Hoist the gollywobbler Schooners gather off the Maine coast to keep maritime history alive New boat showcase An exciting new lineup of new boats for2023 makes sailing faster and&

For five days, the Annapolis Sailboat Show is the center of the sailing universe. Here's our guide of what to catch at the show.

J/45 This American girl has style. The latest cruiser from the company that redefined American yacht design blends performance with classic good looks. With a SA/D of 25.85, it has the horsepower

How do I fix my hot water system? Dear Boat Doctor, I am having a problem with the hot water system on my boat. I can make hot water when the engine is running, but it doesn’t work at the dock. Ca

Dear Boat Doctor, I am having a problem with the hot water system on my boat. I can make hot water when the engine is running, but it doesn’t work at the dock. Can you give me some ideas on how to

As often happens for my musings in this column, three things converged like a perfect storm to make me start thinking. First, being a car nut as well as a boataholic, I visited a friend who is in the

A lot has changed in the three years since our group of chartering friends traveled together, and that held true for both our Bahamas destination and us. We booked this charter knowing that the A

It has been said that whenever two sailboats are sailing near each other on the same course, it’s a race. The saying probably exaggerates the competitive nature of sailors. Still, who among us has

This month we have two handsome European designs in the contemporary style. The two boats are 7 feet 8 inches apart in LOA, but if you compare the profiles they are very close to identical. Seems like

Now let’s look at the Arcona 50 and see what having another 7 feet 8 inches of LOA buys you. But first and I do think this is a first in the history of my design reviews: try as she might, Greta, my

The marine diesel engine is an amazing piece of machinery. These engines are reliable, safe and require minimal maintenance. If you look after just a few things, your engine can easily run for 10,000

Bert Jabin’s Yacht Yard in Annapolis, Maryland’s Back Creek, was abuzz as I walked down the docks to get my first ride aboard the new Beneteau Oceanis 40.1. The week following the U.S. Sailboat Sh