Second Growth Wilderness on the Columbia
From the August 2020 issue of 48° North Shantyboat legend, Harlan Hubbard, once wrote of yearning to settle down in "some backcountry beyond the road's end, long ago abandoned or passed over by the expanding world, a…
Quaranteaming and hitting the pause button for hurricane season
Though I've been doing a lot of writing lately, it has been difficult to put words together for the blog. With all that has been going on in the world, writing about cruising in Mexico on a sailboat just hasn't seemed…
PNW Sailors Head… EAST?
Stalwart Pacific Northwest sailors take an opportunity to change their lifestyle and formulate a plan to hop cross-country to explore the East Coast Adventure. The sailor racing their boat around the world, the mountaineer…
A bumpy passage and lost toilet seat
Brisk winds and turbulent seas lead to an overboard toilet seat at the end of a passage The Charlotte Straits can be as calm, serene, and peaceful as any sailor in the dead of night could…
Sailing with My Clan
From the April 2020 issue. I’m hardly the first to row or sail the Inside Passage in a small craft. Yet, during the first 100 miles of my journey south from Port McNeil, Row Bird was the sole open boat on the water. Pulling…
Totem Bears Witness: An Environmental Photo Essay from Around the World
Immersing our family in the realities of the natural world is a meaningful part of our cruising dream When we set off from the Pacific Northwest aboard Totem over a decade ago, we anticipated the rewards of living with a…
Rally Reflections, Part Two: The Real Business of Living
The big bay of the Crown Jewel.…
Rally Reflections Part One: Sailing to Sucia
Take a Trip Back in Time to Last Year's 48° North Cruising Rally (formerly called the Cascadia Cruising Rally) It’s natural to hop in the time machine right now—fly off to carefree days of travel, exploration, and…
Infernal Combustion Blues: Learning To Go With The Flow On Cortes Island
“Life is short. Whatever happens, make sure you enjoy it."
Sirius 40 DS Boat Review
48° North Tests the Stout, Twin-Keeled Bluewater Cruiser The Sirius 40 Deck Saloon (DS) just made its North American Boat Show debut in Seattle in January, and I have to admit, it had not been on my radar. It certainly is…