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DEAD GUYS: Phillip “Phoopa” Anderson, Paul Gelder
Just prior to my leaving for St. Thomas, and again soon after I arrived there, I received sad news of the passing of two old friends. The first blow was a bit more disturbing, as Phillip Anderson (see...
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THE TRAGEDY OF DAVID PONTIOUS: Did a Scopolamine Patch Drive Him to Suicide?
I know I’m not the only one interested in the legal adventures of skipper Rick Smith, recently acquitted in federal district court in St. Thomas on a manslaughter charge in the death of David Pontious...
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IN IRMA’S WAKE: Xmas/New Year’s Cruise from St. Maarten to St. Thomas
We descended en famille into SXM two days after Christmas to find a) the airport was no longer running out of tents and the regular terminal had (sort of) reopened; and b) the Christmas winds, as Don...
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OCEAN SAILING MOVIES: The Mercy, Coyote, Following Seas
Decent films about ocean sailing are, alas, few and far between, so it’s worth noting there are at least three recent offerings I’ve screened that are truly worth watching. The first, unbelievably, is...
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GUNDALOW GATHERINGS: Dinner With a Twist This Sunday
I’ll be giving a presentation on behalf of the Gundalow Company this Sunday at 6 pm at the home of Ida McDonnell in Portsmouth, NH. Anyone who’ll be in the area this weekend can sign up here to get a...
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NORTHBOUND LUNACY 2019: Puerto Rico to Bermuda
This year’s seasonal repatriation began with a quick cruise down Puerto Rico’s south coast in company with my old compatriot Phil (P.T. Cav, formerly Snake Wake) Cavanaugh. Our departure from the...
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INTEGREL GENERATING SYSTEM: Nigel Calder’s Frankenstein Comes Alive!
I wrote about this in my regular column in the current issue of SAIL (the February issue, which of course comes out in mid-January), but it’s something EVERYONE should know about, so I’m pimping it...
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NORTHBOUND LUNACY 2019: Bermuda to New Hampshire
The subject was cruise ships. In the harbor at St. Georges, no less. I promised to tell you a story. This dates back to 1992, when I arrived at St. Georges as crew aboard the old Alden schooner...
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ROSIE G: A Scow-Bow Junk Named After a Dead Dog
This is the most interesting new cruising sailboat design I’ve seen in a long time. Currently in build at Berkeley Marine Center, as conceived by a notable client, Barry Spanier, and drawn by a notable...
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2019 JULY 4 CRUISE: Rudder Repair, Family Lore, Another Flooded Engine
We sailed over to Popham Beach for the holiday, as has been our habit the last several years, to visit friends and family, but first there was the rudder to attend to. Or rather the steering system, as...
View ArticleDEAD GUY: Jeremy “Mac” McGeary
I’m just back from a cruise down the coast (of which more later) and during said cruise received the very sad news that yet another old sailing friend has passed on. I first met Mac when he was living...
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DETH CRUZ 2019: To Matinicus With Matinicus
First some deep background: the term “death cruise” was coined during the 1980s to describe a series of outings under sail enjoyed by the editorial staff of Offshore, a now defunct New England boating...
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LOGAN SPEAKS: Doug’s New Book BoatSense
What a charming book this is! A slim volume, but with a surprising variety of material in it. There’s a good deal of standard-issue practical advice you might find in other marine how-to tomes, but...
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DON STREET’S IOLAIRE: Lost On the Coast of Ibiza
I heard glimmerings of this on the interwebs and immediately contacted Don, who obliged with a detailed release and obituary, most of which I’m publishing below. I don’t want my headline to confuse...
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AMERICA’S CUP 36: Kiwis Splash the First AC75
Right! We’re getting closer to the interesting part of the run-up to the next America’s Cup, the part where people actually start sailing the boats they will race on. Team New Zealand stole a small...
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RM 1270: Rich Wilson’s New Boat
Seen at Maine Yacht Services in Portland while fixing stuff on my boat: Vendée Globe two-timer Rich Wilson’s new ride from France. A step down from an Open 60 perhaps, but still a very interesting...
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2019 SUMMER CRUISING: More Fooling Around on Lunacy
Sept. 24/2019: I haven’t kept you all up to date re my doings aboard Lunacy since the end of the Deth Cruz so I thought I’d share some glimpses of what’s been going on. A lot of it has been...
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FLYING OBJECTS: More Foiling AC75s and IMOCA 60s Too
Oct. 11/2019: Since visiting the America’s Cup 36 scene last month to glimpse the launching of the first new foiling monohull AC75, I’ve noticed three more AC75s have launched, and lo, they have gone...
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2019 ANNAPOLIS SAILBOAT SHOW: The Eagle Has Landed (And Got Its Feet Wet)
Oct. 12/2019: Just back from Phase One of my annual boat show dive in Nap Town. The most interesting new boat I saw there by far is the Eagle Class 53, a foiling (there’s that word again) all-carbon...
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REID STOWE: Art Inspired by His Voyaging on Display in Chelsea (Plus a Big...
Oct. 21/2019: I was in New York City last Thursday after test-sailing boats in Annapolis and stopped in to see this show. All I can say is: WOW! Reid was there to greet me, first time I’d seen him live...
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