Well, this was exciting. We are docked at the Harborage Marina in St. Petersburg, FL. We love this marina. It’s a little pricey, but we always felt it was worth the extra money. We were actually offered a slip at a nearby marina for less than half the price. When we went to see it, Read More
How do you destroy a Lewmar triple clutch bank? Oh, that’s easy! Step 1 Start sailing in 28 knots of wind and 4-6′ seas coming at you from about 45 degrees off your starboard bow. Single reef your main and jib. Put up with that kind slop all day until the sun starts to set. Read More
I’d never been to the Dry Tortugas before. It’s actually two small islands about 70 miles west of Key West. Fort Jefferson is a brick fort built on Garden Key between 1846-1875 to protect one of the most strategic deepwater anchorages in North America. It was never finished or fully armed. And today it’s a Read More
So, we bought this beautiful sail last year. It’s called a Parasailor. It’s a downwind headsail meant for light winds. The set-up can be a bit confusing, and it has to be exactly right for it to work. We flew it for a few minutes during our training. Another time, our friends, Karl and Natalie, Read More
The second leg of our trip to the Dry Tortugas was a 4-5 hour sail into the Venice Inlet. The weather was fine, just a few squalls on the horizon. We motored under the Longboat Pass Bridge again, without the anxiety of its narrow space this time. The waves in the pass maintained their washing Read More
Remember when we went to the San Juan Islands to sail with our friends Bill and Kris in July? We loved the scenery and the weather. Long sleeves during the day and snuggling under four blankets at night to stay warm. I didn’t even have any hot flashes! As summer turned to fall, Bill and Read More
I always thought it would be so cool to sail into a big city. Chicago, New York, Seattle, sail on in, tie up to the dock, and walk out into the hustle and bustle of city life. Rounding the turn past Discovery Park, we began to see the cranes from the port. Then the arenas Read More
Hidden Bay is just that. Hidden. You’d never know it was there or how beautiful it is if you were flying by the entrance with the throttle wide open. We found it on the map and decided to check it out, hopefully spend the night. This beautiful harbor on the north end of Bainbridge Island Read More
You have to plan ahead before entering Deception Pass. The pass is narrow, surrounded by rocks and cliffs. The tides are large. The currents and the eddies are strong. If you time it wrong, you’ll end up on the rocks. Most boats don’t do well on the rocks. They end up with scrapes and holes. Read More
Jeff and I have spent most of our anchoring time in the Caribbean and Bahamas. We never thought much about underwater rocks because the water is so clear down there. You can usually see them as you come into an anchorage. But not here. We entered the bay at high tide, apparently. When we woke Read More