Tied to a Rope of Sand

A beautiful scene. The boat is heeling in the evening breeze. The mainsail is hauled tight. And all this in front of a romantic sunset.  But something is wrong.  No spray is flying, no bow is cutting through the waves, no whooshing, no splashes – no movement at all. No sound. A still. Surreal. I…

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Hit by a $3,000 Gust – Lesson Learned

$1,000 nights are notorious among sailors. This is what we call nights when a sail is ripped in a sudden gust, or the dinghy outboard motor falls over board, or the anchor needs to be given up. Ask any blue-water sailor and you’ll find they all had at least one of those $1,000 nights in…

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