Working on Boats: A Space Odyssey
I’ll just come right out and say it — I’m one of those weirdos who actually enjoys working on boat projects nearly as much as I enjoy being out on the boat. Of all the upgrades and repairs we’ve made to our 1984 Passport 40…
Recommissioning: From the Blues to Blue Skies
This article was originally published in the March 2022 issue of 48° North Ah, spring at the marina. Full of promise. Renewal. Great times lay ahead. Blah, blah, blah. I trudge down to the boat in early March, dock cart…
The Four Lessons from a 10-year Refit
This article was originally published in the January 2022 issue of 48° North. It was a miserable February day in 2012, a gray slush dripping from the leaden sky as my wife, Deborah, and I walked carefully down the dock at a…
Report: 48°N Columnists Share Experiences and Tips Crossing Newly Opened US-Canada Border
48° North columnists Marty McOmber and Deborah Bach recently crossed the newly opened U.S.-Canada border in Sidney, British Columbia. Here's how it went for them, along with some tips for other cruisers considering doing the…
Three Sheets Northwest: The Evolution of Log Keeping
This article originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of 48° North. Date: August 25-26 Trip: Saltair (Stuart Channel) to Princess Cove (Wallace Island) Weather: Sunny + Hot Notes: First time to Wallace Island and it was…
An Ode to My Favorite Tool
In Marty McOmber's latest column, he gives props to an indispensable tool that is a jack of all trades aboard. One of the most important pieces of equipment aboard our boat has proven itself time and time again — so much so…
These are a few of our favorite (boat) things
From the December 2020 issue of 48° North If you’ve ever lived-aboard or spent much time on a boat, you probably know it’s the little things — that galley gadget, that tool you can’t do without — that make life afloat…
How have we never been here before?
Rediscovering a sense of surprise and wonder while cruising close to home From the October, 2020 issue of 48° North. I’m a little embarrassed to admit we’d never really heard about Watmough Bay near the southeast tip of…
Sound Transit: Go North, Go Fast
How do you cut nearly two hours off a slow sailing trip from Seattle to the San Juan Islands? Well, you could buy a new engine. Maybe get a super slick bottom paint job. Or just leave the boat at home and take the Victoria…
What could possibly go wrong? Find out in Brion Toss's new book "Falling"
Going aloft on a boat can be both thrilling and downright scary. Suspended 60 feet in the air, your health and life entirely dependent on a line (or two if you’re smart) and some hardware is living on a knife’s edge. It…