Close to the Water: Eating on a Small Boat

The finished flatbread.Its secret flavor…

Close to the Water: Stitch & Glue

When the need for a new dinghy arises, a reluctant boat builder goes to work "I’m going to start building a wooden boat this weekend,” I told a colleague one Friday last December. It was casual workplace chit-chat, but deep…

Close to the Water: The Log of Row Bird

No matter the size of the vessel, a log book still has a place aboard. When I tell fellow sailors that I keep a log for my 18-foot sail and oar boat, they mostly look puzzled. Why would I want to do that? I see them wonder.…

Close to the Water: The Best Gift

Able to be carried, Tim’s peapod is a good…

Close to the Water: A Dream Boat Saved

Boats are dreams. The ones we want, the ones we build — even the ones that just sit collecting rainwater. All of them embody those aspirations. The dream boat represents different aspects of our identity and personifies the…

Close to the Water: My Boat Crush

For some people, a friendly sailing community is a…

Wooden Boat Festival 2022: A River of Stories

I’ve always thought of the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend as a broad, winding river full of stories and adventures. Each time I attend, I jump in with a destination in mind, but once in the current, I’m pulled along…

Close to the Water: Feeling the Love

The author rows across a calm stretch of…