Favorite Offseason Anchorages
Top spots to visit when the nip of winter arrives The first big fall storm arrived in the Pacific Northwest recently, and the images and stories it brought to mind were familiar. While living and cruising our Grand Soleil…
Casting Off: Sloops, Groups, and Paddlemobiles
While many sailboats double as floating motel rooms for overnight adventures, our Columbia 28 sloop, Ariel, rarely fills that role. The old sailboat seldom finds herself away from her berth for more than a few midday hours…
Three Sheets NW: Destination Tacoma
On the list of great destinations for a weekend cruise on Puget Sound, Tacoma might not immediately spring to mind. But that didn’t deter us when we found ourselves without plans for the Labor Day weekend. The forecast was…
Hikes for Boaters: Strait of Georgia
On the way to Desolation Sound, there are several locations north of Nanaimo where boaters can stop to break up the long trip. Some of these also have excellent hiking opportunities and are worthy of a longer stay. The…
Lightning Strike on the Wesley Ann
My mom has always said, “Boating is never a vacation; it’s always an adventure.” That proved true for our family of four while cruising the San Juan Islands during the summer of 1978. Mom and Dad had anchored our 26-foot…
Boat Geeks Podcast: 48° North Columnist Bruce Bateau
48° North columnist Bruce Bateau sat down with The Boat Geeks Podcast at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend to chat about small boat cruising. Bruce is a small boat cruiser, and his enthusiasm is contagious. He has…
Editor’s Letter: Anchorages and Marinas
A while back, I found myself in a casual conversation with other cruisers when someone commented, “We always anchor, we never go to marinas.” “Ok, that’s fine,” I remember thinking at the time. Conversations like these…
In our latest Throwback Thursday, we…Embracing Offseason Cruising
The Wonders of Winter Cruising In Our Own Backyard
Cruising’s Magical Moments
Reminiscing on the highlights of cruising in the wondrous Salish Sea Our boating has been filled with memorable moments. There was that first, and thankfully only, moment I forgot to shorten the dinghy towline before setting…