If you must transit the Somali coast or the Gulf of Aden, experts say you should travel with a trained, armed security team or avoid the passage entirely. As piracy off Somalia grows more audacious, better armed and more organized, yachtsmen, commercial shippers and the international community face difficult decisions. For private yacht captains, cruising … Read more

Phil Taylor’s Refit of a 1987 Sisu 26 For his first boat and his first refit project, Phil Taylor took a hands-on approach to bring his Sisu 26 up to his standards—and enjoyed every step. Living part-time on Bailey Island, Maine, Phil Taylor first fell for boating by riding in a neighbor’s 18-foot Corson runabout … Read more

Look at the Coast Guard’s annual boating reports and you might be surprised: the most frequent reason rescuers respond is not collision, flooding, or engine failure. The single largest cause of distress calls is medical emergencies aboard vessels. While headlines often highlight dramatic rescues, the quiet reality is that illness and injury to people on … Read more

Tiara 54 EX at the Palm Beach International Boat Show: A Compact Motoryacht with Big-Boat Qualities As our family prepares for a second child, I find myself thinking of siblings — how much will they resemble one another, and how much will each have a distinct personality? That same question came to mind when I … Read more

On April 22, 1969, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston made maritime history by becoming the first person to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world. He completed the Sunday Times Golden Globe yacht race after 312 days alone at sea, finishing as the only competitor to complete that inaugural event. His achievement remains a milestone in ocean … Read more

Editor’s note: The Tahoe Concours d’Elegance and Wooden Boat Week in Tahoe City, California, gathers roughly 100 impeccably restored classic wooden boats. While professional restorations often take the top awards, a remarkable exception came when Jack Bingham’s self-restored 1956 26-foot Chris‑Craft Continental Sedan won Overall Best of Show, First in Class, Best Non‑Professional Restoration, and … Read more

Stopping to help fellow mariners in distress is a long-standing maritime tradition — and, in many ways, a moral imperative. Beyond tradition, the duty to render assistance at sea is codified in international law, including Regulation 33 of SOLAS Chapter V and Article 98 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea … Read more

Nancy Hammond: Four Decades of Chesapeake Bay Inspiration For 40 years the Chesapeake Bay has been the wellspring of Nancy Hammond’s creativity. Although she was born and raised in upstate New York, the 74-year-old artist has spent most of her adult life along the Bay’s shoreline, living close to the water and sailing its channels … Read more

Three days after Christmas, Fort Lauderdale resident Greg Manker visits West Marine’s new Fort Lauderdale superstore searching for spinning rods for his sons, Trey, 8, and Brady, 11. The boys — and their dad — are drawn to the electronics department’s bridge simulator instead. West Marine bills the store’s electronics selection as one of the … Read more

When Peter Crenier restored his 13-foot Boston Whaler, he wanted it to mirror the look and feel of his larger Sabre 38. Photos by Rich Armstrong You can buy a kit with all the mahogany needed to replace the wood on an older 13-foot Boston Whaler, but Crenier had something different in mind for his … Read more