Spontaneity Rewarded

From the March, 2021 issue of 48° North. Reminiscing on unplanned racing, downwind sailing and idyllic anchorages turning from winter to spring

Video: Talking Van Isle West Cruising with Salish Sea Pilot

Learn about cruising the west coast of Vancouver Island with Jim and Lynne from Salish Sea Pilot. This is a video of a PowerPoint presentation that we gave virtually at the 2021 Vancouver International Boat Show. Again,…

Historic Coupeville

From the November, 2020 issue of 48° North. EXPLORING AN UNSUNG ANCHORAGE AND SEAPORT This year created cruising challenges and opportunities around the Salish Sea, with the Covid-19 pandemic and the border closure between…

Video: Heading to Alaska? Baranof Island’s Warm Springs Bay Can’t Be Missed

Southeast Alaska is home to innumerable cruising destinations that beckon to be explored — Warm Springs Bay is near the very top of the list. Over the past couple weeks I've been hearing chatter from Washington- and…

Standing Firm

The natural ambiance of Hope Island provides a mariner’s sanctuary From the January 2021 issue of 48° North. Standing with my little rowboat on the mainland shore, I stare out across the still black water toward Hope…

48N Editor Andy Cross Wins Boat Writers International Award!

Our own Andy Cross wowed a panel of judges in Boat Writers International's annual contest, winning first place in the coveted Boating Adventures category. Congrats Andy! by Joe Cline

Exploring Local: Kilisut Harbor

Making the most of a pandemic holiday, I did what sailors do — I sailed. I left Boat Haven late Friday morning bound for Scow Bay, at the southern end of Kilisut Harbor. A Gale Warning had been declared for the evening, with…

Buying a Bluewater Sailboat During the Pandemic

A Complicated Delivery, An Unplanned Adventure, and One Family’s Maiden Voyage From the January, 2021 issue of 48° North. In March 2020, the Coronavirus hit our hometown of Nelson, British Columbia, and an isolated…

Destination: Home

I felt the ship dock with a gentle bump, then the engine shut down. A moment later, shouts reverberated through the metal hull, “Home! We’re at Home!” I lay in my bunk in the dark, puzzled. Home — for both me and the ship —…

Close to the Water: Fun Stinks

As a kid, I loved our family’s banana-yellow speedboat. It was the most typical fiberglass outboard boat you could buy in those days, but it was my ticket to fishing, knee-boarding, camping, and just zooming around. I…