Takeaways from Twenty Years of Sailing Instruction
Sitting in a 15-foot RIB at the pin end of the start line, my arms are crossed over my life jacket and an orange whistle is clasped in the side of my mouth. I’m watching closely while Optimist sailors jostle to get up on the…
Swimmable Saltwater from Puget Sound to Alaska
The author and his son, Porter, enjoy a swim in…
It was late February when a plan for heading…Translating PNW Cruising Skills Abroad
Swinging on anchor in a picturesque cove in the eastern Caribbean, my wife Jill and I still love reminiscing about special places in the Pacific Northwest where we’ve had the good fortune to drop our hook. A few nights ago,…
Yahtzee’s Cruising Adventure Continues
Five years after sailing south from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, 48° North Editor, Andy Cross, and his family are making tracks again in the Caribbean.
by Andy Cross
Favorite Offseason Anchorages
Top spots to visit when the nip of winter arrives The first big fall storm arrived in the Pacific Northwest recently, and the images and stories it brought to mind were familiar. While living aboard and cruising our Grand…
Editor’s Letter: Anchorages and Marinas
A while back, I found myself in a casual conversation with other cruisers when someone commented, “We always anchor, we never go to marinas.” “Ok, that’s fine,” I remember thinking at the time. Conversations like these…
Editor’s Letter: Racing Rewards in the Pacific Northwest
The smell of hot dogs wafted through the cockpit from the grill on our boat’s stern, and laughter rang out from friends sitting on the side deck and perched on the cabin top after a sappy joke. We were making way, but the…
Editor’s Letter: The Season for Learning
A couple weeks ago, I sat on a yacht club lawn in a white Adirondack chair and watched as my boys and the rest of the summer sailing campers in their weeklong class put away boats. Porter, our oldest at 11, helped fold the…
Together Adventures: Family Cruising Near and Far
Over the years of cruising with our children, I’ve had a number of people contact me for advice about starting out cruising as a family, especially in the Pacific Northwest. I’m happy to oblige and provide relevant…