If you think syzygy is a Polish sausage you are, I’m afraid, well off the mark. It’s an astronomical phenomenon where three or more astral bodies fall into perfect alignment. 2015 is the zenith of an 18-year cycle when the sun, moon and Earth fall into syzygy with the added refinement that the moon’s orbit is at its closest to the Earth. The resulting gravitational pull ...
Ultra Sailing is offering the opportunity to discover Croatia, leaving from one of its four bases, aboard Lagoon or Fountaine Pajot catamarans – including a brand new Helia 44 (the charter company is also the Fountaine Pajot dealer in Croatia). And for those who book in advance, the company is offering ‘early booking’ reductions.
To reach this impressive speed, the iDroptere will have to sail at four times the wind speed, an efficiency never before achieved under sail.
We waved goodbye to Astoria the morning of July 4, crossed the Columbia River Bar into the Pacific, and turned right. We had our first overnight passage on the ocean and watched dozens of 4th of July fireworks displays from our position off the coast of Washington State. We anchored out every night starting in Neah Bay and by the time we had worked ourselves over to Be...
There is no single “best,” because everything on a boat is a compromise, and individual styles/needs vary, but we have some opinions on the optimal choice for most cruisers. This question came up on a women’s sailing forum I participate in recently. Because Jamie is a sailmaker, I asked him for help with a response that would be useful to differentiate the options for...
Apparently, we had it all wrong. The best thing about Tonga is not the sailing. No! The true highlight of this island kingdom is in fact, a Tongan feast. This message was continuously reinforced from the moment we cleared customs. You “Must go to a feast!” admonished cruisers who had arrived a few weeks earlier. “Come to our village feast!” called the friendly voice of a...
That particular spot gives you access to the Bitter End Yacht Club and the Saba Rock Bar, and there is some good snorkeling around the rocks and reefs out near Eustatia Island and around Eustatia Sound. There is a lot to do at the BEYC. You can rent Hobie Cats and Lasers for some small boat sailing. You can laze away an afternoon on the beach before a sundowner at th...
With no sponsors, its skipper, Alain Thébault, has been waiting, and has now convinced two Californian companies - Finesse Solutions and Shasta Crystals – to help him get his beautiful trimaran flying again. So, the Transpacific is once again the aim for its crew, who hope to set off next spring. Meanwhile, at the end of the year, the Hydroptère welcomed a distingu...
We left Yvan Bourgnon after his shipwreck on the coasts of Sri Lanka, when he had already completed two thirds of his completely crazy challenge: sailing round the world, singlehanded, on a sport catamaran. Except that with his catamaran destroyed and finances run dry, the sailor was stuck. But it takes more than that to dishearten Yvan, who launched a participative f...
‘Low-tech’ means simple, ingenious systems which allow basic needs to be addressed, and which can be manufactured anywhere in the world. Very little research exists into these systems, which are however useful for millions of people in the world, in both developing countries and in towns. The idea is to build a big catamaran which will serve as a laboratory, and call on ...
This is the main development for the coming years. The rally will leave from Lanzarote on 14th December, to sail to Antigua, around 2,900 miles. At this time of year, the trade winds are well established (during the 2013 edition, the fastest boat only took 13 days) and the first boats should arrive in time to celebrate the New Year in the West Indies...
I recently had the pleasure to meet this guy named Tim. How long have you been cruising? I have been cruising for 2 years and 11 months now. But I took about 5 months of that for backpacking. What has been your general path? I started in Boston and worked my way down the East coast. From Ft Lauderdale we crossed into the Bahamas and then down through the windwar...
Feel free to include any additional information that you think would make you an asset on a passage and Salty Dawg Rally organizers will forward your information on to boats looking for crew. After another excellent (and snow free) winter season in warmer waters The Dawgs are preparing to head North. The 2015 Spring Salty Dawg Rally is scheduled to depart from the B...
Tarella has released the first 3 of a projected 10 maps depicting the bay: the area from Havre de Grace to Middle River, Middle River to Sandy Point, and Sandy Point to Herring Bay. Each map is oriented horizontally to illuminate the contrast between the densely populated western shore and the sparser, more bucolic, eastern shore. Tarella, an architect by trade, uses ...
MANILA, Philippines – Palawan has been judged No.1 and Boracay No.12 among the Top 30 Islands in the World, based on a survey by international travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler. Palawan gained international fame when its Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, said to be the longest navigable underground river in the world, was recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders...
‘I’ve never sailed the Atlantic before but I have a boat. Should I crew first or am I okay to skipper?’ Jeremy Wyatt, circumnavigator and World Cruising Club Communications Director says: ‘If you have been skippering for years and have plenty of coastal experience, you will probably be fine to skipper. An ocean passage is as much about system management as it is a...
Is there any better feeling than crossing the English Channel in your own boat? The sense of accomplishment and freedom is intensely rewarding and there’s nothing like being out of sight of land to ignite your sense of adventure. And then there’s a cold local beer and delicious French food awaiting you on the other side as you start your holiday in the comfort of your ow...
We’ve rounded up some tips to get you set for some sublime sailing in the coming months 1) Inspect your boat thoroughly and rectify any problems you spot. Following the recent high winds, it’s important to check there is nothing wrong. 2) Create a plan of the key DIY jobs that need completing and aim to do at least one a week. 3) Clean your boat from bow to ster...
