Artist’s View: How Birds Keep Warm in the Winter
Baby, it’s cold outside. But compared with some other places — the Arctic, Alaska — the Salish Sea has a fairly balmy winter. So balmy that many thousands of birds migrate here to spend winters in relative comfort. It’s…
Beacon Background: The North Head Lighthouse
This article was originally published in the November 2021 issue of 48° North North Head is a perfect example of an iconic lighthouse. Rugged and isolated setting? Check. White tower overlooking an endless expanse of ocean?…
Artist’s View: American Golden-Plover
Last spring, I saw hundreds of American golden-plovers on the western wilderness beaches of Olympic National Park. They were spending their days resting and eating sand flies, then at dusk they would rise in a rush of wings…
Diesel Deep Dive: Quirks of the Engine Cooling System
Exploring the quirks of the marine diesel engine cooling system. This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of 48° North. It’s a beautiful sunny day, and the water is calling. Once the diesel is started…
Beacon Background: The Mukilteo Light Station
This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of 48° North. What is it about lighthouses that makes them so alluring? Although they were designed to keep vessels and mariners at a distance from shore,…
Artist’s View: The Painted Anemone
This article was originally published in the September 2021 issue of 48° North. Anemones are mostly stationary animals that have stinging tentacles to subdue prey. Their waving arms then transport the hapless creature to a…
What Puget Sound Pilots Want You to Know
Note: This post was originally published on RainshadowNorthwest.com and is republished unaltered here with their permission. It may sound counterintuitive, but when a big ship leaves the high seas and enters the restricted…
Three Sheets Northwest: After Nearly A Decade, A Boat Is Reborn
This article was originally published in the September 2021 issue of 48° North. Some things just can’t be rushed. So it was with the renaming of our boat, the vessel formerly known as Meridian. We knew when we bought our…
Tech Talk with SeaBits: Anchor Alarms
This article was originally published in the September 2021 issue of 48° North. Anchoring is an essential skill for cruising, but it can be stressful — finding the perfect spot in a crowded anchorage can test even the most…
From the Drink: Takeaways After a Fall Off the Dock
Falling into the water from a dock is a real danger that we don't think will happen to us ... until it does. Well, it does not just happen to others. This morning, I was working on a boat project, stepping off to the dock to…
