This year has a special significance for both Cruising World and myself as it marks the 50th anniversary of both the launch of the magazine and my first boat, way back in 1974. In the years since, Cruising World has become the go-to information source for sailors planning extended voyages, many of them also referencing my books: World Cruising Routes, World Voyage Planner and World Cruising Destinations, which are the result of my own voyages on five successive Aventuras through those 50 years. When I was asked by Cruising World to report on this year’s International Multihull Show, held at La ..read more

The Oyster 745 Mexican Wave charges downwind in the 2024-25 Oyster World Rally. Courtesy Oyster Yachts Gabby Covill and her husband, now in their mid-50s, met when they were younger and both had an interest in sailing. They owned an X-332 that they’d race around their home waters in Britain, and they had three children, which meant that sailing around the world had to be put off as a dream. However, they chartered Oyster sailing yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean—and those experiences inspired them. With the children now in their 20s, the couple is embracing post-pandemic YOLO mode. Th ..read more

The Windelo 50 is an environmentally friendly fast cruising catamaran designed for long-distance sailing adventures. With its outstanding performance, high comfort levels, and sturdy construction, it inspires confidence in sailors to embark on vast ocean voyages. The yacht’s slightly fuller lines, powerful rig, and daggerboards ensure efficient sailing even when fully loaded, allowing travelers to cover vast stretches of the ocean without compromising on essential equipment. Cruising World got on board during the 2024 Miami International Boat Show. Key Features: Performance blue water cruise ..read more

On a rare misty morning in a serene anchorage in Haida Gwaii, it’s hard not to feel a ­connection to the souls from the past and the creatures that inhabit these waters in the present. klevit/ stock.adobe.com So it commenced, an unexpectedly magical trip with a couple of awesome shipmates, a journey that, in retrospect I wasn’t quite prepared for but will cherish forever. Aboard the rock-solid, sweet-sailing Cal 40 Dancing Bear, we set off from Anacortes, Washington, in ­mid-June, northbound for a group of islands off the coast of British Columbia called Haida Gwaii. It’s a remote a ..read more

Once a boat runs into the wave in front in a breeze, the result is ­usually wet. Aim to lift the bow over the back of the wave at an angle rather than straight into it. shufu/ stock.adobe.com The Beach Boys had a great song with the lyrics: “Catch a wave, and you’re sitting on top of the world.” Of course, they were referring to a surfboard, but the line certainly fits for sailing.   Recently, I had a long sail to windward with a friend. We sailed south on the Chesapeake Bay starting early in the morning. A good thermal sea breeze filled in as the hours passed. About 20 miles south ..read more

In 2001, Bruce Kessler became the first non-sailing powerboater elected to membership in the Cruising Club of America. Courtesy of the Kessler family Bruce Kessler, a lifelong adventurer and TV director, died April 4. He was 88. Kessler, one of the first Americans to circumnavigate the globe as captain of a motoryacht and who logged over 100,000 nautical miles as a captain of his cruising boats, became a race car driver at age 16. He soon retired from racing after surviving several car crashes, wrote friend Milt Baker.  He traded vehicle racing for filmmaking. He made “The Sound of Speed ..read more

56-foot Cherubini design Staysail Schooner Narwhal Courtesy Wellington Yacht Partners Wellington Yacht Partners has listed the 56-foot Narwhal for sale at an asking price of $275,000. The boat is lying in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, for onboard tours with a broker. Wellington Yacht Partners is based in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, with an additional office in Florida. 56-foot Cherubini design Staysail Schooner Narwhal Courtesy Wellington Yacht Partners Built in 1987, Narwhal is a Staysail Schooner that has two staterooms and two heads, with the ability to accommodate a total of six people o ..read more

Burton’s Baltic 47, Masquerade, sails with a reefed main, staysail and reefed jib halfway between Beaufort, North Carolina, and Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. Andrew Burton For the past 30 years, Andrew Burton has been trying to put himself out of a job—because he doesn’t want owners of the boats to miss out.  “A lot of delivery skippers won’t have the owner on board,” he says. “I encourage it, because for me, the fun part is the offshore sailing. To take that away from the owner doesn’t seem right.” He wasn’t always so concerned about sharing his biggest joy. He can remember, l ..read more

Safety techniques for going aloft vary from rigger to rigger. Most agree that a climbing harness is better than a boatswain’s chair. Ralph Navarjo A countdown begins as soon as your boat’s seasonal launch date is set. The more experienced the sailor, the earlier it starts. For months before the first flowers bloom in springtime, sailors tackle major projects by rolling up their sleeves and hiring pros for installations, major engine work, and complex upgrades. The bottom is painted, and the operational checks are completed to make sure everything is in good working order.  Those are the ..read more

In its ongoing commitment to eco-conscious cruising, the Trade Winds Experience charter company is on track to have its entire global fleet be fully sustainable by 2036. Laurens Morel/ saltycolours.com With its unmistakable aqua-and-­orange color scheme emanating from twin hulls, the Fountaine Pajot Samana 59 Aurora was easy to spot in the pack of competing rallyists at the 2024 Caribbean Multihull Challenge out of St. Maarten in February. Yet while the first-time participant managed to steer clear of any winners’ circles (sorry, Team Aurora), it certainly found itself a standout in perhaps t ..read more