You can’t beat a catamaran for liveability, and no monohull can stand up the comfort provided by a catamaran in a beautiful anchorage. But before you can get to the part where the water toys come ou

The lucky boat owner is one who enjoys a boat partnership. Owning alone (or with a non-interested co-owner) versus owning a boat with another passionate sailor is like the difference between a dead we

Sometimes a new steering wheel is called for. Changing to a wheel that’s a slightly different size than the existing wheel, or a different design, such as a foldable wheel that allows easy access th

Just about every crew position on a sailboat comes down essentially to one word: concentration. I became a decent helmsman from my years of concentrating on spinnaker work. The spinnaker is very capri

The waters are teeming with sailors who own and handle their own boats with aplomb. But all too often, these same sailors who skillfully ply their local waters, reject the idea of chartering, over dif

For many sailors spinnakers conjure thoughts of mayhem, chaos and shouting. Anxiety reigns over some at the prospect of the windward and leeward marks approaching and the skipper calling for a set or

A sailboat is a sailboat, right? In general, the answer is yes, but if you’re looking to maximize performance and sailing pleasure the differences between monohulls and multihulls, make a big d

Many sailors dream of sailing in the islands with sandy beaches and warm trade winds, but some of the most exciting and rewarding sailing is found in colder climates. Sailing was never meant to be com

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

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

Days on the water are often great, but things can go wrong. When they go wrong, your ability to get help is determined by your communication ability, and it’s important to know  the gear and co

Sailing is haunted by a problem that, on its face, seems very easy to solve. Many owners have a hard time finding people to go sailing with them and sailors new to the sport have a hard time finding b

Charter briefings—those meetings with charter base staff that help familiarize you with the boat and the cruising grounds—can feel like a hurdle that has to be overcome to get underway, but it’s

A protected and fair boat bottom looks good, but it’s the performance-related benefits that make a good bottom job worth the work, and the price.The first step in any bottom job is choosing the

Quetzal is ready for thousands more miles of ocean passages following a standing rigging refit.Standing rigging is not set it-and-forget-it equipment; it requires maintenance. All that shiny stainless

The best way to attach three-strandline to chain is with a thimble and screw-pin shackle. The shackle provides a large, smooth radius for the rope, as well as providing chafe protection. A shackle can

Every time we post a photo of our boat at anchor we immediately get asked “What’s that off of your spinnaker pole?” The answer is simple: it’s insurance that we will get a good night of sleep.

Losing steering is an emergency, but it’s one that you can prepare for by having a plan tucked away in the back of your head. When a boat loses steering you know it quickly. Sometimes there’s clun