When two distinct features line up one behind the other as seen from your vessel, they form a line of position, commonly called a range line. Before GPS and other electronic fixes, mariners relied on ranges to keep centered in a channel and to know when to alter course. Even with modern electronics aboard, using … Read more

Peter Ralston has spent more than forty years photographing the coast of Maine. His introduction to the region came in 1978 when Betsy Wyeth, wife of the painter Andrew Wyeth, brought him north. While working on one of the Wyeth family’s islands in 1980, Ralston met Philip Conkling; together they founded The Island Institute to … Read more

Calvin Beal Jr. still remembers the incident clearly enough to understand why Osmond Beal was furious. It happened around 1980, by Calvin’s estimate—he’s 79 now and admits the memory is a little hazy—but the essential facts remain vivid. Colby Young and his twin brothers, Arvin and Arvid, began visiting the boatbuilders on Beals Island with … Read more

Is the Anchor Becoming Obsolete for Fishing? The short answer is: not entirely. As a general safety item, an anchor remains essential aboard any boat. But for anglers—especially those targeting bottom species like blackfish (tog)—new positioning technologies can reduce or even replace the need to deploy traditional anchors during fishing. Based on personal experience, these … Read more

Chesapeake Bay Buyboats: Working Boats Turned Treasures The Chesapeake Bay is renowned for its crabs, oysters, and the hardworking boats that have supported the region’s seafood industry for more than a century. Bugeyes, skipjacks, log canoes and deadrise workboats are all part of the Bay’s maritime heritage, and several key vessels are preserved and operated … Read more

Last fall, aboard their 1986 Grand Banks Snow Goose, Onne and Tenley van der Wal set out for Florida with a goal: explore quieter, lesser-traveled places. Below are the highlights of their favorite stops along the Intracoastal Waterway and nearby rivers, each offering distinct scenery, wildlife and local character. Tangier Island, VA Onne had long … Read more

On a cold November morning in Little Compton, Rhode Island, three fishermen sit in a field, patching the worn net of a large floating trap. The season for hauling has finished weeks earlier, and the months of mending and preparing nets are nearly done. This quiet end-of-season work is part of the long seasonal rhythm … Read more

Jamestown: A Photographic Tribute by Onne van der Wal When you boat in the northeastern United States, few destinations are as inviting as Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay. Locals know the island simply as Jamestown. It’s a compact, accessible spot that draws sailors for its reliable anchorages, protected coves, and dramatic shoreline. Sheltered harbors such … Read more

John and Jennifer Scanlon live in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and have enjoyed freshwater boating on Green Bay and Lake Michigan for most of their lives. Both born and raised in the Midwest, their passion for being on the water only deepened after they met and married in 1990. For several years a Chaparral 2350 met … Read more

Edwin Pierpont is surprised to discover that an 8-inch blade on his Sawzall will cut right through the deck of his latest build. He had expected the deck to be thicker, but the cut goes cleanly and he isn’t worried—the deck is more than sturdy enough. Edwin works as an outside machinist at Bath Iron … Read more