Editor’s Letter: 2026, A ‘Let’s Do It’ Year
Who doesn’t love the fresh start of a new year? Boat folk certainly do, and I always join the chorus. Winter may persist for months to come, but the days are already getting longer, and there’s no better time to make plans.…
Editor’s Letter: Luddite Alert…Simple Boats are Still the Best (For Me)
Every boater knows the moment when a piece of gear doesn’t quite work as expected—the engine that dies, the sail that rips, the light that goes out, the block that blows up, or the line that parts. There may be some rolling…
Editor’s Letter: Through Three-Year-Old Eyes
I am fortunate to be connected with the full array of ways to approach boat life, and am moved and humbled by the whole wonderful lot. I particularly admire those doing versions of family life afloat far more ambitiously…
Editor’s Letter: I Love When a Community Comes Together
My kiddos are now ages 3 and 1. During this kid-centric season of life, I find special value in the seemingly-rare opportunities to top up my boat-love tanks. A month ago, I got to do that with a week of summertime cruising…
Editor’s Letter: Yep, One-Design Racing is Still Where It’s At
Sitting among dozens of J/70 racers who had sailed the 26 boats that made up that evening’s fleet, I drank in the fading summer twilight on the lakeside patio. The post-race din held everything from casual conversation to…
Editor’s Letter: Worth the Wait
Regardless of your chosen vessel or how often or adventurously you get on the water, the boating lifestyle will inevitably test your patience. The waiting game is part of the deal, and can sometimes be positive, a stoke…
Editor’s Letter: Trust the Team, Go to Sleep
With several references in this issue, I’m finding renewed amazement in the commonplace decision to have some of the crew asleep when a boat is underway. Of course, I’ve been there myself plenty of times both racing and…
Editor’s Letter: The Return
Who isn’t inspired by those always chasing the farthest horizon, the uncharted territory, the most wild and remote nooks? It’s a part of the dream for tons of us, and a reality for many. On the other hand, if I was limited…
Editor’s Letter: When the Remarkable is Also the Expectation
There’s no doubt that the biggest story in the Pacific Northwest boating community from the last month is the successful recovery of two sailors who found themselves overboard during a blustery mid-distance Center Sound…
Editor’s Letter: March of Tides and Time and Promise
I love the month of March in the Pacific Northwest. In amongst late winter’s wild weather swings, signs of spring are intermittent but unmistakable. On land, the hopeful beauty of crocuses and cherry blossoms catch your eye…