Why I’m Passionate About Sailing
A few weeks ago, a friend and I were having a wide-ranging conversation via email about our lives. We’d been students together a million years ago and went off in our different directions and were catching up. At one point, she wrote, “Tell me why you love sailing so much.” I thought I’d share a […]
Who’s game for sailing?
Let’s play a little sailing game. I don’t mean a board game, I mean a game involving actual sailing. We can call it a maritime scavenger hunt. Or a nautical treasure hunt. Or a sailing rally. Whatever. A rose is a rose, right? Who cares? Here’s how it works. We give you five tasks. You […]
Reliable Old Relics
In a corner of a village fishing museum in Spain a few weeks ago, I came across an item that got me thinking about hardy seafarers. As pilgrims walking The Way toward Santiago de Compostela ambled by outside, I pondered a somewhat more modern relic — a British Seagull outboard motor on display. It was […]
Nautical Gifts
Find the Perfect Gift for the Sailor in your Life Sailing instructor and knowledgeable nautical gift-giver Patrick Twohy put together this list of gifts that your friends will enjoy for years to come. As I have grown and, I hope, matured, I’ve come to find more joy in giving gifts than in receiving them. Finding […]
The Secret Markings on Cargo Ships
Look closely at the sides and stern of the cargo ships docked at Redwood City as you sail to and from San Francisco Bay, and you’ll see cryptic markings in a language filled with history and drama. The painted symbols provide critical information to tugboat captains, harbormasters and San Francisco Bar Pilots. Deciphering these maritime […]
What’s A Coast Guard License?
ASA certifications are very good for showing a charter company that you have a certain amount of formal training and on-the-water experience. If you own your own sailboat, it’s a way you might convince your insurance company that you are a lower risk and deserve a discount on your premiums. But if you want to […]
How the Leech Got its Name
Leech seems like a peculiar word to name a part of a sail but it makes sense if you go back farenough into sailing history. Going back to the late 1700’s and early 1800’s is far enough. That’swhen trade and warfare was conducted on square-rigged ships. These plied the trade winds,which largely meant sailing east […]