Deer Harbor Boatworks: A Small Yard Preserving Wooden-Boat Tradition on Orcas Island Turning off Channel Road just before it crosses the new bridge that separates the saltwater of Deer Harbor from the silted Cayou Lagoon, a car pulls up beneath a weathered sign: Deer Harbor Boatworks. The yard refuses to follow the usual script. There’s … Read more

Buy the Boat You Can Afford: Realistic Advice on Boat Ownership and Maintenance I’ve owned six boats over the past 40 years. I’ve cruised and raced them, crewed in countless regattas and spent a lifetime around boats of every description — sail and power, dinghies to superyachts. People always ask me what kind of boat … Read more

Snow Goose: Grand Banks 32 Refit and Launch in Jamestown, Rhode Island After a six-month refit, Onne and Tenley van der Wal’s 1986 Grand Banks 32, Snow Goose, returned to the water on June 2 at Clark Boat Yard & Marine Works in Jamestown, Rhode Island. The launch marked the culmination of months of careful … Read more

The sea is heaving. A small commercial boat pitches and rolls as it rides over the swells, but the two lobstermen on deck move with steady purpose. For them this is routine work, another day spent on a livelihood shaped by wind, wave and weather. They have nearly 600 traps spread across the water, and … Read more

Rescue of Maine Maritime Museum Schooner Mary E After Capsize on Kennebec River First responders and SeaTow crews are being credited with rescuing all passengers and crew after the 115-year-old Maine Maritime Museum schooner Mary E capsized in the Kennebec River near Bath on Friday. The incident sent some people into the water and prompted … Read more

John Hauck Completes the Great Loop Twice in His Early 80s John Hauck first completed the Great Loop at age 80, and now, at 82, the former Cobra helicopter gunship pilot has done it again. Hauck made his second circuit in 2021 aboard his compact but capable Rosborough RF-246, affectionately named Grumpy. His accomplishment attracted … Read more

Successful anchoring depends not only on reliable ground tackle but also on choosing the right anchorage. Most boaters already know the basics: you want shelter from wind and waves and enough room to swing through a full 360 degrees without fouling other vessels or shorelines. But beyond those essentials there are several less obvious factors … Read more

Wally the Walrus: Why He’s Causing Problems for Dinghies in the Isles of Scilly A large walrus known as Wally has been drawing attention across Western Europe for months, and his recent visits to the Isles of Scilly have put him at odds with local small-boat owners. While his presence delights wildlife watchers, Wally’s size … Read more

Bruce Kirby, Designer of the Laser, Dies at 92 Bruce Kirby, the Canadian designer best known for creating the Laser—the single-handed dinghy regarded as one of the most successful production sailboat designs in history—died on July 18, 2021, at the age of 92. His death marked the loss of a towering figure in small-boat design … Read more

Rare Glass Octopus Filmed in Deep Waters off the Phoenix Islands A rarely seen glass octopus was recorded on camera by an underwater robot during a 34-day research expedition in the Central Pacific Ocean. The sighting occurred in the remote region of the Phoenix Islands, roughly 3,200 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia, and offers a … Read more