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…