Research Notes
Spectra, Schenker, or Rainman — the watermaker question I keep circling
Three watermakers, three failure modes, and I still don't know which one I want at 200 miles offshore with four kids aboard.
Research Notes
What I want the GRIB to show before leaving Galapagos
The 3,000-mile leg from Galapagos to the Marquesas hinges on one GRIB pattern I keep watching.
Ownership
What a Five-Year Family Circumnavigation Actually Costs (And Why $1M Doesn't Cover It)
Most cruising-cost articles are written by someone who hasn't owned the boat. Here's the honest five-year number for a family of six on a 50-foot catamaran.
Catamaran
Daggerboards or Keels: The Cat Decision I Keep Going Back and Forth On
On a cruising cat, lateral resistance is the choice you make once and pay for in maintenance, draft, anchorage selection, and resale for as long as you own the boat. Three months into our worksheet, I keep moving — here's the case for both, and where I think we'll land.
Research Notes
A 2014 Outremer 49 in La Grande-Motte, $895K — what I'd actually pay
A French listing, ten-year-old standing rigging, and a refit math problem I'd rather solve before falling in love with the hull.
Racing
Spinnaker Handling in Heavy Air: When to Keep Flying and When to Drop
The right time to take the kite down is two minutes before you think you should. The wrong time is three minutes after.
Seamanship
Anchoring Fundamentals: Scope, Holding Ground, and the Boring Details That Keep You Put
Most anchoring failures aren't anchor failures. They are scope failures, ground failures, and the lazy version of a perfectly good technique.
Seamanship
Storm Tactics Offshore: Heaving-To, Drogues, and When to Deploy Each
There is no single correct heavy-weather tactic. Picking the wrong one for your boat and sea state is how good crews get into trouble.
Catamaran
International Multihull Show 2026: What's Actually New on the Docks
The biggest multihull show ever doesn't tell you much by itself. The trends in the boats moored four-deep at La Grande-Motte do.
Racing
What the New RORC Transatlantic Record Tells Us About Modern Multihulls
A new course record on the RORC Transatlantic isn't just about big numbers. It's about what stability margins look like when the boats keep getting faster.
Racing
Antigua Sailing Week 2026: A Different Ocean on Day 2
The breeze went north and the swell stacked up. Crews who stopped checking GRIBs and started looking out the windows had the better day.
Seamanship
Offshore Watch Systems: What the Sleep Math Actually Says
Three-on/three-off, four-on/four-off, Swedish system, Pardey four-and-six. They produce very different rest. Here's what works for which crew, with the sleep math attached.