Casting Off: Snapshot of a Dedicated Puget Sound Kayaker
A few years before Ariel, our Columbia 28 sailboat, became part of our world, my wife and I explored the local lakes of Sonoma County, California on a sit-on-top inflatable kayak called an Advanced Element. When we moved to…
Casting Off: Sailors for Trail or Rent
For boating enthusiasts and dreamers, the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend is an annual revelation. The boat manufacturing industry, like the car and aviation industries, has its share of variety, allowing the…
Casting Off: Reefing Madness
Exploring the Mathematics of a Safe Practice It may not seem so by looking at it, but the author's mathematical formula shows that the first reef point reduces sail area to 75% of the original, the second reef reduces it to…
Casting Off:Brother, Can Your Spare a Line?
Tom gives a hearty wave. Nearly every hobby or endeavor has its unofficial fraternity or sorority membership, and sailing is no different. Woodworkers get together to share techniques and tools; Mopar car owners gather at…
Casting Off: Adding Personal Touches Aboard
Ariel comes out of the water; what surprises will they find? When my wife, Laura, and I were searching for our first boat after moving to the Pacific Northwest, we spent hours reviewing the qualities and characteristics of…
Casting Off:
Looking for Sludge in All the Wrong Places
Disassembling and cleaning the carburetor. Whenever the small engine on my Uncle Jess’ Chris-Craft stalled, he’d remove the cowling and work some mechanical magic with a screwdriver to get it started again. Not one…
Casting Off: Remember the Main!
From the June 2022 issue of 48° North. “Sailing is 90% boredom and routine punctuated by 10% heart-pumping adrenaline.” Hearing this adage from our sailing mentor had the effect of both assuaging and alarming me and my wife,…
Staying Afloat: On Zodiacs, Zinfandel and Buoyancy
When it comes to the attributes of buoyancy, most boaters have some awareness of their vessel's displacement, ballast, and draft, as those concepts pertain to their ship’s navigation and handling. As the confidence in their…
With a Little Help from Our Friends
This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of 48° North. After I retired from teaching, my wife and I moved to Tacoma to be closer to our son and escape the wildfires of Northern California. As we spent…