Mischief Around Vancouver Island: Part 1

Highlights From A Circumnavigation Mischief's route around the northwest coast of Vancouver Island:A) Bull Harbour/Nahwitti BarB) Sea Otter CoveC) Quatsino SoundD) Klaskish BasinE) Columbia Cove. Like many Pacific Northwest…

Destinations: Going Wild On Cypress Island

In our latest destinations installment courtesy of SalishSeaPilot.com‘s Jim Burgoyne, we take a closer look at an often missed cruising spot — Cypress Island. Cypress Island was always a lump in the distance, looming darkly…

#TBT: Turning Adversity into Adventure

In our latest Throwback Thursday, we're kicking it back to a near miss story in the October 2003 issue of 48° North by Lance Ekhart. It all started innocently enough. I am careful to always shorten my dinghy painter before…

A Tale of Two Passages: Colombia>Aruba>Curaçao

We've owned the good ship Yahtzee for 11 years now and, with all the passages in our wake and the places we've been, our family has learned a lot about life and the realities of living aboard a traveling sailboat. Besides…

Lazy Days in Greenway Sound

Greenway Sound should be on your list of places to visit when cruising the Broughtons. Slowing down to discover a gem of the Broughton Archipelago Like many sailors, I love sailing fast. I love the interaction of wind…

The Outside Passage

The lightning started at 1 a.m. on night four of our 600-mile offshore passage from Craig, Alaska, to Neah Bay, Washington. We were 40 miles west of Vancouver Island and our 50 foot aluminum mast was providing the highest…

#TBT The ABSURDITY of Boat Projects

Pacific Northwest-based cruisers Becca and John sailed away on their Valiant 40 Halcyon and shared their great stories with 48° North for several years. In the time since, they've returned to our local waters, moved aboard a…

Navigating the Past: Cruising the Key Peninsula

You know a place like this. It is a secluded, cherished cove seemingly frozen in time. Most boaters have at least one. Mine is located on the east side of the Key Peninsula in south Puget Sound. The site is hardly a secret —…

Editor’s Letter: The Course Less Traveled

Cruising means something a little different to everyone. There are as many unique definitions as there are cruisers out chasing their dreams. Thankfully, the waters of the Pacific Northwest accommodate pretty much any…

Close to the Water: Sketching the Sea

Sailing a small boat is like moving a paintbrush across the water. It’s slow, thoughtful, and requires a careful, continuous attention to detail. A typical cruising day for me covers just 10 to 15 nautical miles. On a pretty…