Going offshore in a small boat delivers both deep satisfaction and occasional frustration. Last winter, on a passage to the Caribbean, my wife and I ran headlong into that balance — and it wasn’t always pretty. We prefer sailing our Valiant 40 in warm waters to shoveling snow in New Hampshire. Our jobs allow us … Read more

Nordhavn 75 Expedition Yacht Sinks at Slip in San Jose del Cabo After Failed Tuna-Tube Fitting The Nordhavn 75 expedition yacht Melanie Jeanne sank at its slip in Puerto Los Cabos marina, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, after a PVC fitting on a bait-fish “tuna tube” plumbing system came loose and flooded the engine room … Read more

What We’re Watching Second Wind: The Snoek Refit Many readers of boating magazines will recognize the work of Onne van der Wal. Born in the Netherlands and raised in Hout Bay, South Africa, van der Wal learned to sail at an early age and developed a lasting relationship with the sea that would shape his … Read more

Nighttime Striped Bass Fishing: Anchor, Cast, and Catch Summer evenings are some of the best times to be on the water. For many anglers in the Northeast, fishing for striped bass after dark is a seasonal highlight. The combination of big fish, comfortable weather and schedules that allow evening trips makes night striper fishing a … Read more

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Upended Boat Movement and Hurricane-Season Insurance The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted countless routines — from supply chains and elections to how families work and learn at home. One less-visible disruption has been to the seasonal movement of recreational boats. Where owners and captains normally reposition vessels each spring and early summer, … Read more

Gelcoat is a pigmented, high-quality polyester resin applied as the visible finish on fiberglass boats. Like any material, it has strengths and weaknesses. One of the key shortcomings of gelcoat is its brittleness: it shrinks during cure and has limited elongation, which makes it susceptible to cracking under certain conditions. Understanding the common types of … Read more

Pilots Point Marina Dockmaster Katy Russell: Creating a Welcoming Marina Experience Within minutes of the 42-foot Silverton pulling up to the fuel dock at Brewer Pilots Point Marina, dockmaster Katy Russell and her team had the boat secured and were preparing to refuel. Skipper Scott Novak, visiting Pilots Point for the first time with his … Read more

Jeanneau NC 1095: A Family Cruiser Built for Chesapeake Bay Summers Few summer rituals on the Chesapeake Bay rival a crab feast: steaming blue crabs piled on butcher paper, generously dusted with Old Bay, and washed down with cold beer. After a long day on the water, cracking shells and savoring sweet crab meat is … Read more

SmartPlug: Safer, More Reliable Shore Power for Your Boat How many shore power cords have shown signs of overheating on your watch? For many boat owners, a charred or warm shore power cord is an all-too-common frustration. The root cause frequently lies in the connector design used by today’s twist-and-lock systems. Those L-shaped prongs and … Read more

On a recent trip to Europe I followed the development of autonomous sailing vessels — a technology that has matured from hobbyist tinkering into a commercial effort, driven by the same forces that propelled delivery drones and self-driving cars. The promise is familiar: remove expensive, fallible humans from repetitive or hazardous tasks. Autonomous sailboats, or … Read more