Embracing ‘One Week Cove’
When a lone anchorage unexpectedly becomes home base for a week, the best thing to do is make an adventure out of it... Sitting on Yahtzee’s cabin top, I watch in utter fascination as prehistoric-looking pelicans catch their…
Tips to Get Your Boat Out of its Winter Slumber
From the April 2021 issue of 48° North. One of the fortunate parts of being a boater in the Pacific Northwest is that the waters of the Salish Sea are open for year-round racing and cruising adventures. That said, most…
Farewell Lifeline Netting, You Were a Win-Win
At this point 7 years ago, Porter was on the verge of his first birthday and in the preceding few months had become increasingly mobile aboard Yahtzee. Holding onto the settees and cockpit coaming to stand up and take small…
U.S. Coast Guard Announces Law Requiring Use of Engine Cut-off Switches
As of April 1, 2021 operators of recreational vessels of less than 26 feet in length will be required to use an engine cut-off switch in U.S. waters. When the following USCG press release announcing the new requirement of…
Spontaneity Rewarded
From the March, 2021 issue of 48° North. Reminiscing on unplanned racing, downwind sailing and idyllic anchorages turning from winter to spring Flying the spinnaker as we head north towards Port Townsend. When we hoisted…
Destination El Salvador: Embracing a New Country and Cruising Style
Motoring over a glass calm sea towards the coast of El Salvador, the excitement of getting to a new country is palpable. To the east, the sun has just come up and is throwing golden light on conical volcanos and then…
Video: Heading to Alaska? Baranof Island’s Warm Springs Bay Can’t Be Missed
Southeast Alaska is home to innumerable cruising destinations that beckon to be explored — Warm Springs Bay is near the very top of the list. Over the past couple weeks I've been hearing chatter from Washington- and…
R2AK 2021 Canceled, But the News Isn’t All Bad…
There's no other way to break the news than to just say it: Race to Alaska (R2AK) 2021 has been canceled. Being a R2AK alumni and finisher in 2018, it's particularly disappointing to me because I know how amazing the race is…
Lazy days in Zihuatanejo
Looking skyward from our dinghy, I watch dozens of dark brown frigate birds whirl overhead in continually shrinking circles. They soon begin to dive all around the small cove, hitting the water with a splash, setting the…
#TBT: Fall Cruising Adventures | Circumnavigating Fidalgo Island
Looking back down memory lane at some classic fall cruising adventures, here's a post for Throwback Thursday (#TBT) I wrote on November 20, 2015, about cruising around Fidalgo Island. “Why not go down to Deception Pass?” my…