Magzter Gold (Sitewide Promotion)

Magzter Gold (Sitewide Promotion)

Digital Delivery

SAIL October 1st, 2021 Digital Back Issue Cover

SAIL October/November 2021 (Digital)

(6)

Single Digital Issue

October/November 2021

$5.99

Powered By Zinio

Zinio

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Instant Start

Subscribe Instead

1 Year Subscription

9 digital issues

$15.00

($1.67/issue)

Go to Subscription

View Subscription Options

Also available on ZINIO Unlimited logo

Get unlimited access to SAIL (Digital) + Back Issues & 5000+ other magazines

1-month free trial

Renews at $8.99/month after trial.
Cancel anytime.

Get unlimited access to SAIL (Digital) + Back Issues & 5000+ other magazines. Renews at just $8.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Start Trial Learn more

22 Articles

Playing Well With Others

A little over a year ago in the pages of this magazine, I mentioned how in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, I’d taken up solo-sailing out on Boston Harbor. I was able to do so thanks to the hard work of the Boston Sailing Center, which succeeded in keeping its fleet of Solings (among other boats) up and running throughout. The result was some of the most satisfying sailing I can remember, right up there with when I used to take my old sky-blue Lightning out on Lake Michigan. Mind you, I’m not one of those sailors looking to cross oceans all on his lonesome. I much prefer there be someone awake and on watch at all times, thank you very much! That said, there’s also nothing like tooling around for…

Playing Well With Others

The Sailing Scene

Send your photos to sailmail@sailmagazine.com And don’t forget to sign up for our free eNewsletter, Under Sail, via our website sailmagazine.com Our last season together before sailing in our separate directions off to college— Dina Vechnyak,, via sailmail@sailmagazine.comWe took this sunset photo from our mooring in Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, Bahamas on S/V Simplicity— Deb Marlor, sailmail@sailmagazine.comA couple of young sailors enjoying an afternoon on the Merrimack River, Massachusetts— Jean Kennedy (mother of one of the sailors), sailmail@sailmagazine.com…

The Sailing Scene

A shot of racing at Coronado Cays Yacht Club— Pat Brogan, via sailmail@sailmagazine.comSoufflé, my Tiwal 3, on Caesar Creek Lake in Ohio on her temporary mooring (two outgrown kids’ arm floats, a mesh bag with three bricks and some line) awaiting recovery via dolly— Don Palac, Lebanon, OH IN PRAISE OF DISPLACEMENT enjoyed your article on displacement (Setting Sail, July/Aug). The comment that brought it home most thoroughly was “dance with the waves.” I’ve owned four boats here on the West Coast, starting with a Victory 21, and progressing(?) through a Columbia 22, Ericson 26 and Ericson 29. The last I had for 29 years (1986-2015). Sailing was mostly to the northern Channel Islands (Santa Cruz Island) with biannual trips south to Catalina and as far as Dana Point and out to…

Bill Tilman’s Simple Sailing

Like an ostrich on a bad day, I’m head-down in the lazarette of Nellie, my Beneteau First 42, dealing with the propane tank. My wife taps me on the shoulder, and I rise to see a pair of foiling catamarans accelerating onto their carbon-fiber wings. As the blood drains from my head, their hissing wakes sound like tearing dollar bills. They disappear behind the bulky cruiser next door, a 66ft Oyster with a uniformed crew and a tender as clean as a wedding cake. I nod and return to the task at hand. Amidst the glories of this era of foiling Cup racers and electric furlers, I’ve also found myself enjoying the resurgence of simpler sailors, the younger ones especially: sailors like Jerome Rand, who left Gloucester, Massachusetts, in October of…

Bill Tilman’s Simple Sailing

I was preparing some tea just before heading topside for my watch. Even though it was summertime, the tea was not iced—it was hot. Th at’s because our boat was in the High Arctic. We were trying to complete a westbound transit of the treacherous Northwest Passage. If we succeeded, it would be particularly admirable because our sailboat was not some beefed-up, steel expedition vessel. Instead, she was a fiberglass production boat—a Tartan 42. Suddenly, the boat started vibrating and screeching. I hollered up to the helmsman, telling him to kill the engine. The owner came barreling out of the aft-cabin, and we set about trying to determine the problem, which we swiftly concluded was a drive-line issue, since there was no vibration when the engine was running in neutral. The most likely…

STEERING BY NUMBERS Keeping a tiller-steered yacht on course in an awkward sea at night can be like trying to achieve straight, level flight on a gusty day in a World War I biplane. In fact, teaching a novice to steer a compass course has driven strong men to drink. If you’re searching for a simple answer to keep you off the bottle, try this: when the boat wanders, if the number against the lubber line is higher than the one that’s meant to be there, turn to port. If the number is lower, come to starboard. With a wheel, it’s easy. Just imagine you’re steering the lubber line itself. First locate the number that should be against it, then turn the wheel in that same direction. The lubber line will…

Eating Well at Sea

Following a taco dinner and brief nap at anchor, the Swan 59 Icebear set sail from Falmouth, Antigua, weighing anchor at about 20 minutes to midnight. The first passage of the season had begun. As Icebear’s chief mate, one of my responsibilities is stocking the boat with food and water before each passage. I learned most of my provisioning skills from 59º North cofounder Mia Karlsson, whose recipe binder is my bible offshore. The planning begins with dinner. One of Mia’s secrets is a pre-cooked dinner on the first night at sea, allowing for an easy transition to life off shore. Normally it’s lasagna prepared the day before. However, we were in Antigua and couldn’t pass up one of our favorite eateries, Roti Sue, where we stocked up for our first meal. The…

Eating Well at Sea

It’s official, not only is the United States no longer an Olympic power when it comes to sailing, it’s fast beginning look like an also ran—albeit an also-ran with loads of potential. What other conclusion is there to draw from the fact that for the second time in three Olympiads, the U.S. Sailing Team failed to win a single medal at the 2021 (technically “2020”) Olympic regatta in Enoshima, Japan? Truth be told, it was never even close. Toward the end of the regatta, a U.S. crew just making into a final medal race was news. For the record, this took place in just three of 10 events, with Pedro Pascual making it to the medal round in the RS:X men’s sailboard event; Riley Gibbs and Anna Weis doing so in…

Eight Bells: Bruce Kirby, Creator of the Laser

With 2021 drawing to a close, Laser sailors find themselves reflecting on both their class’s 50th anniversary, and the passing of the man who made it all possible: Canadian designer, sailor and sailing journalist, Bruce Kirby. Kirby, who died this past July at the age of 92, started sailing competitively at an early age and in many ways began designing of necessity in order to sail the kinds of boats he felt he needed as a member of the International 14 developmental dinghy class. In the 1960s Kirby also represented his native Canada in the Finn and Star classes in multiple Olympics and worked as a marine journalist for a publication called One Design Yachtsman, now Sailing World. It was while he was working for One Design Yachtsman in 1969 that he…

Eight Bells: Bruce Kirby, Creator of the Laser

Life Begins at 40

For all the consolidation in the boatbuilding world in recent years, there remains plenty of variety out there, as can be seen in these two new monohulls. The products of two very different boatbuilders, they also offer two very different takes on performance-cruising, even as they also both offer much of the very latest in yacht design. HALLBERG-RASSY 400 In the minds of many sailors, nothing says “tradition” like Sweden’s Hallberg-Rassy. If anyone thinks, though, that this means the veteran builder of sturdy, bluewater cruisers is in any way standing still, they couldn’t be more wrong. As evidence, look no further than the company’s new Germán Frers-designed Hallerberg-Rassy 400. Aft, the boat features a large cockpit opening onto a drop-down swim platform, twin helms and twin rudders. Forward, a nicely sculpted combination anchor…

Life Begins at 40

B&G APP B&G has launched a new app that syncs with its chartplotters and brings your navigation dashboard straight to your phone or tablet. Both free and paid versions are available with features like manual and auto routing; charts from C-MAP; weather overlay; device mirroring and control; and waypoints and routes that can be synced with your chartplotter. The paid version adds global offline maps, extended weather forecasting and AIS to the experience. With a simple and clean user interface, charts on the app highlight what is most important at any given moments. With over 10,000 downloads to date, this app is sure to become part of the standard setup aboard many boats. $NA. B&G, bandg.com ANALOGUE SAILING WATCH This stylish analogue timepiece serves as the perfect addition to Ronstan’s popular ClearStart collection. Designed…

Trailer Travails in Miami

Gragkkkk! Schschs! These are NOT the sounds you want to hear as you trailer your boat to the launch ramp. I was about a mile away from the ramp at the time, and looking in the rearview mirror I immediately noticed Betty Jane, my 1982 Mystic 20 Catboat, was now riding a good deal lower than she should. Slowly pulling over to the side of the road, I got out and found the tongue of the trailer had broken in two and the front of the trailer was now dragging on the pavement. Th is was not the way I’d envisioned putting Betty Jane back in the water for her first sail after an extensive refit. Luckily, I was able to pull the car and trailer far enough over to the…

Trailer Travails in Miami

I’ve often written in boat reviews over the years that pretty much any boat sails well in 15 knots of breeze (typically as a word of explanation as to why sail trials done in drifting conditions are as relevant as those done in a small gale). However, it recently occurred to me there is an exception to this rule, and that is aboard a performance trimaran like the Corsair 880. The reason for this is the basic nature of tris. Aboard a monohull (especially one with a keel), things may get a little hectic in the event you’re ever hit by an unexpected gust. But the fact that a monohull heels before the breeze provides you with a kind of automatic safety valve. Not so a tri. The tremendous form stability…

Sticking with its proven design formula, but also cherry-picking a number of popular features from some of its other recent models, Leopard Catamarans has launched a “best of” package with this new boat that sold nearly 30 units before hull #1 even touched water. Like a greatest hits album, the Leopard 42 combines the best of its 40ft and 50ft sailing siblings, and even grabs a few interior styling features from the Leopard 53 powercat. The result has been rolling off the production line in unprecedented numbers. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION Naval architects Simonis Voogd and South African builder Robertson and Caine created a boat that cruising couples as well as full charter groups will love. Construction consists of a foam-cored vacuum infusion pair of hulls topped by a one-piece cabinhouse—a departure from…

Are You Ready To Bareboat?

Judging your own readiness is never easy. Th at goes double for chartering and running a yacht on vacation. What I hear most often from first-time charter guests is that they’ve been sailing for decades, so how different can it be to charter? The truth is it’s very different because managing a weeklong charter is a far cry from things like dinghy racing or daysailing a 30-footer on a lazy summer afternoon. Th is goes double if you’ve never sailed a large catamaran. If you’d like to get a better idea where exactly things stand with respect to your own sailing, try asking yourself the questions below. And don’t worry if you find yourself coming up short. There are plenty of ways to obtain the requisite skills! CORE SKILLS Sail trim may…

Are You Ready To Bareboat?

Exploring The Exumas

I typically don’t ask the crew about their favorite parts of a charter until it’s done. After all, how can you pick a highlight on, say, Day 2? I broke that rule, though, on a recent sail through the Exumas, the chain of Bahamian islands that extends in a southeasterly direction from Nassau on New Providence Island down to Georgetown on Great Exuma. The reason I asked is because we saw and did so much it became too hard to keep it all straight. Not surprisingly, their answers varied. One thing we all agreed on, though, was that a single week wasn’t going to be enough to even scratch the surface of this cruising ground, and we’d definitely be coming back for more. We landed in Nassau, rented a car and…

Exploring The Exumas

Hanging Loose in Loreto

Chartening and the notion of going “off the beaten path” may sound self-contradictory. Charter companies tend to put bases where demand is high and they can turn a profit, so if you’re lucky enough to find an outfit and a destination that gets away from the typical—say yes. To be clear, “off the beaten path” doesn’t mean unfriendly or uncomfortable, and certainly not boring. In fact, you may even find yourself discovering your “tribe” when chartering farther afield in a place where it feels more like actual cruising. To do this, though, you need to go where the cruisers go—which is how we found ourselves connecting with West Coast Multihulls (WCM: westcoastmultihulls.com) in Loreto, Mexico, on the Baja Sur peninsula about halfway down the Sea of Cortez. Here, you know…

Hanging Loose in Loreto

Racing is Back Photo Feature

For all that the pandemic turned the world upside down, the summer of 2020 proved to be a surprisingly good one for sailing. Sales of boats—both new and used—went through the roof, and sailors everywhere found ways of getting out on the water, either alone or with friends and family as part of their personal “bubble.” One kind of sailing, though, that didn’t fare so well was racing. Granted, local sailors did their best to find alternatives. But with the exception of the America’s Cup and Vendée Globe, major regattas everywhere had to be put on hold—which only served to make it that much more fun being able to compete again in 2021. THISTLE NATIONALS Hosted by the Cleveland Yacht Club and held on the unpredictable, occasionally tempestuous waters of Lake Erie,…

Racing is Back Photo Feature

Made To Measure

I’ve always known the importance of having good sails. As a low-budget boat punk, I prioritize making sure I can get where I’m going with the help of the wind, as opposed to under power. It isn’t necessarily my goal to be engineless, or basically engineless. It just happens that way, as I never seem have enough money to put much in the way of resources into an engine when there are other, more pressing matters necessary to make the boat seaworthy. Like sails. My current boat, Teal, is a 1962 Tripp 29 with an electric inboard that has a max range of nine miles traveling at 3 knots in a dead calm. Before that I had a 2.5hp outboard on a boat displacing nearly 10,000lb. At times my only form of…

Made To Measure

Refurbishing Shirley Rose Part 4

When I began repairs on my Santana 27, Shirley Rose, I focused on the major systems rather than cosmetics. My goal was to create a safe boat for the often rough conditions on San Francisco Bay, and I didn’t much care about winning any beauty contests. Th at said, while there were no urgent safety issues in the interior, it did still require a few repairs. Not only that, but as I spent more and more time aboard, I also found myself wishing things were a bit more warm and welcoming. The interior work actually began while the boat was on the hard. The cabin looked nice with its porthole shades, settee cushions and headliner, but a scent of mold was in the air. I therefore recruited two (very good) friends…

Refurbishing Shirley Rose Part 4

Watching charterers make a run for the last mooring in a cove is fun—and weird. I always wonder why so many would rather try to catch a mooring than drop the hook. Maybe charterers don’t trust their anchoring skills, but it’s harder to drive up and grab a buoy than most people think. I actually find anchoring not only easier, but safer and more enjoyable. It also allows you to get off the beaten path. Here are some reasons why moorings aren’t always the answer. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING Moorings are set up differently, and you never know what exactly you’re going to encounter. I was once forced to catch a mooring in a deep bay on the island of Taha’a in French Polynesia. It was the first day of…

The Power of Sails

I suppose it isn’t merely a coincidence that I’ve made significant changes to the sailplans of the last three cruising boats I’ve owned. The first project was the biggest. My old Golden Hind 31, Sophie, had lots of charm and character, but her sloop rig was laughably small. After blundering about for a couple of years, I treated her to a much taller spar, a fixed bowsprit and a new set of sails, and so transformed her into a very handy cutter. She sailed as smartly then as any boat with three keels (including her two bilge keels) could ever hope to. My first Lunacy, an aluminum Tanton 39 cutter, also got a new fixed bowsprit, though it had to be welded rather than bolted on. This allowed me to add…

The Power of Sails

In This Issue

Description

Details

Reviews

Recent Digital Issues Browse all

Recent SAIL Digital Issues Browse all back issues

SAIL (Digital) Subscription August 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) New Boat & Gear Guide 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription August 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) August/September 2024: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription June 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) June/July 2024: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription May 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) May 2024: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

SAIL (Digital) April 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription March 1st, 2025 Issue

SAIL (Digital) March 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription January 1st, 2025 Issue

SAIL (Digital) January/February 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription November 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) November/December 2024: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription September 24th, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) Multihull Power & Sail Winter 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription October 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) October 2024: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription August 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) New Boat & Gear Guide 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription August 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) August/September 2024: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription June 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) June/July 2024: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription May 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) May 2024: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

SAIL (Digital) April 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription March 1st, 2025 Issue

SAIL (Digital) March 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription January 1st, 2025 Issue

SAIL (Digital) January/February 2025: $5.99

SAIL (Digital) Subscription November 1st, 2024 Issue

SAIL (Digital) November/December 2024: $5.99

Customers Also Viewed

Consumer Reports Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Consumer Reports Magazine (Digital)

(1911)

12 Issues: $24.00 ~~$83.88~~

Family Handyman Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Family Handyman Magazine (Digital)

(871)

7 Issues: $14.99 ~~$48.93~~

Cook's Illustrated Magazine (Digital) Subscription May 1st, 2025 Issue

Cook's Illustrated Magazine (Digital)

(956)

6 Issues: $19.99 ~~$41.70~~

Fishing World Magazine (Digital) Subscription December 1st, 2024 Issue

Fishing World Magazine (Digital)

(1)

Summer Annual 2024: $4.98

SAIL Magazine Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

SAIL Magazine

(6)

8 Issues: $21.97 ~~$59.88~~

Family Handyman Magazine Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Family Handyman Magazine

(871)

7 Issues: $19.97 ~~$39.90~~

Firearms News Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Firearms News Magazine (Digital)

30 Issues: $34.95 ~~$119.70~~

Consumer Reports Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Consumer Reports Magazine (Digital)

(1911)

12 Issues: $24.00 ~~$83.88~~

Family Handyman Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Family Handyman Magazine (Digital)

(871)

7 Issues: $14.99 ~~$48.93~~

Cook's Illustrated Magazine (Digital) Subscription May 1st, 2025 Issue

Cook's Illustrated Magazine (Digital)

(956)

6 Issues: $19.99 ~~$41.70~~

Fishing World Magazine (Digital) Subscription December 1st, 2024 Issue

Fishing World Magazine (Digital)

(1)

Summer Annual 2024: $4.98

SAIL Magazine Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

SAIL Magazine

(6)

8 Issues: $21.97 ~~$59.88~~

Family Handyman Magazine Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Family Handyman Magazine

(871)

7 Issues: $19.97 ~~$39.90~~

Firearms News Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Firearms News Magazine (Digital)

30 Issues: $34.95 ~~$119.70~~

Consumer Reports Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Consumer Reports Magazine (Digital)

(1911)

12 Issues: $24.00 ~~$83.88~~

Reviews

5

1

0

0

0

Ask a Question

Ask a question about this product

Please enter content for the question.

Please enter at least 10 characters.

Your question can not be more than 150 characters.

Please enter your first name and last name.

Only letters allowed for first name and last name.

Please enter your email.

Submit Cancel Processing...

Thank you for your question! Your question has been submitted and will be published soon.

OK

Answer this question

Please enter content for the answer.

Please enter at least 10 characters.

Please enter your first name and last name.

Only letters allowed for first name and last name.

Please enter your email.

Submit Cancel Processing...

Thank you for your answer! Your answer has been submitted and will be published soon.

OK