Washington State Parks Begins Mooring Buoy Repair in San Juan Islands
For boaters in Washington, if there's one thing we need to trust when we visit a marine state park, it's the mooring buoys. Fortunately, Washington State Parks was scheduled to begin contracted mooring buoy repair work in…
#TBT: A Sailor Returns Home to the Sea
From the June 2009 issue of 48° North by Lance Ekhart A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. Lao Tzu, 570-490 BC I felt all dressed up with nowhere to go. I planned to leave two days earlier but…
MY BOAT: 1926 36-ft Blanchard Standardized Cruiser, Faun
The sparkling varnish and classic lines of this vessel turn heads wherever she goes. Approaching 100 years old, Faun is pure Pacific Northwest beauty. When the crew at 48° North learned that owners Laura Stone Shifflette…
In Defense of Imperfect Races
To hear some of us racing sailors, you might think that anytime we aren’t sailing our boats in 80-degree sunshine and trade-wind breezes with our dearest pals, it’s hardly worth it. You’d think that we all sail in huge,…
Introduction to Polar Diagrams and Optimum VMC
A polar diagram is a graphic presentation of a sailboat's sailing performance in various wind conditions. But how do you interpret it? The same information is also often presented in the form of a table or spreadsheet, which…
Recreational Boat Pumpout Facilities Expanding Across Washington
State Parks Clean Vessel Act Grant Program funds $700,000 in new pumpout and floating restroom projects. Recreational boaters in Washington waters will have an easier time disposing of vessel sewage thanks to more than…
Working on Boats: A Space Odyssey
I’ll just come right out and say it — I’m one of those weirdos who actually enjoys working on boat projects nearly as much as I enjoy being out on the boat. Of all the upgrades and repairs we’ve made to our 1984 Passport 40…
New Web Archive Devoted to a Classic PNW Sailboat Design
The beautiful Blanchard Senior Knockabout has a newly-created resource chronicling its rich history in Seattle and around the PNW. Few sailboat designs are as deeply tied with the history of sailing in the Pacific Northwest…
April Products News
This article was originally published in the April 2022 issue of 48° North. » Garmin 79sc Handheld GPS Always evolving their handheld satellite communicators to help you cast off confidently on your sailing adventures,…
Destinations: Secrets of Sulphur Passage
Here's our latest installment from Jim Burgoyne of SalishSeaPilot.com about a seldom visited part of Vancouver Island's west coast. Riding the flow out the mouth of the Megin River was leaps easier than paddling the other…
