Sail Training in the Gulf of Maine
31 Dec

Sail Training in the Gulf of Maine

Rob LaymonCelestial Navigation, Navigation, Ocean Voyaging
The sails themselves tell the story: A double-reefed main and single-reefed foresail announce that the ship expects wind, lots of it. The 131-foot schooner Harvey Gamage, operated by Sailing Ships Maine, sails with 24 Naval Sea Cadets and a crew of eight aboard. The schooner is on a sail training voyage in the Gulf of Maine, from Portland to a point 64 miles offshore, then back to Portland via the Isles of Shoals. To add to the challenges faced by the trainees, Tropical Depression Frederick is stalking the waters south of us, likely to march north. The Sea Cadets, however,…
Read More
Winning the Transpac celestial nav trophy
31 Oct

Winning the Transpac celestial nav trophy

Story and photos by Craig SmithCelestial Navigation, Navigation, Transpac Race
When I was preparing for navigation duties aboard Mikmaks, a 1984 Stevens 47, on the 2021 Transpac Race, celestial navigation was at the top of my mind. A big reason for this was that I had just completed my 200-ton Unlimited Yachtmaster license, and International Yachtmaster Training for that license consists primarily of celestial navigation topics. On the race, I wanted to compete for the Transpac’s Mark Rudiger Celestial Navigation Trophy. I had used a sextant and worked out some sights over the years, but I had never solely relied on celestial before. So, the month of April found me…
Read More
14 Apr
Ocean NavigatorNavigation, Offshore Sailing
There was a time not too long ago when I was a head magician of the local branch of the cult of celestial navigation; a cult that experienced its last hurrah through the early 1990s, before going underground with the emergence of GPS. During a relatively short period of time, there were various branches throughout the country, all practicing the art. My particular cabal was located in the northeastern U.S. I was pledged into this group, serving my apprenticeship with Eben Whitcomb, master of the schooner Harvey Gamage and celestial navigation wizard nonpareil. Along with others, I was wizard-in-training for…
Read More
08 Mar
Harry HungateBoat & Gear News, Electronic charting, Good Reads, Navigation, Press release
Egersund, Norway – C-MAP®, a leader in digital marine cartography and cloud-based mapping, announced today the launch of new high-detail C-MAP DISCOVER and C-MAP REVEAL charts for Lowrance®, Simrad® and B&G® chartplotters. The DISCOVER and REVEAL charts include new features like Custom Depth Shading, Shaded Relief for inland waters, subscription-free Easy Routing and more. The charts replace Insight PRO, Lake Insight HD, Precision Contour HD, MAX-N and MAX-N+ charts in the C-MAP line-up, greatly simplifying its chart portfolio. C-MAP DISCOVER – MAKE THE MOST OF TIME ON THE WATER Whether cruising, fishing or sailing, the entry-level C-MAP DISCOVER charts have…
Read More
01 Jan

A captain's ticket

Ocean NavigatorNavigation
Ever thought about getting your captain's ticket? Haven't we all? For many recreational mariners, there are some big questions: What are the advantages to getting a license? What are the different levels of license? How do I go about the process?" The advantages of the master's license are obvious for those who make their living at running boats, even in the recreational marine industry — sightseeing, whale-watching, fishing-party ("head") boats, etc. — but what about the recreational sailor? Well, many boat owners who use their boats primarily for pleasure voyaging also occasionally — or perhaps even regularly — seek delivery…
Read More
01 Jan

Nada's re-rigging: finally getting it right

Ocean NavigatorNavigation, Short Tacks
Recently we converted our wooden-sparred ketch Nada to an aluminum-sparred cutter. The idea was to remove weight aloft from what had always been an overly tender boat. However, I didn't get things quite right when I calculated the new location of the mast. It turned out that I moved it too far aft, giving Nada excessive weather helm. We have a relatively small main (303 square feet), and a relatively large genoa (550 square feet), but, even so, any time we set the full main it completely overpowered the headsails and Nada simply rounded up. The boat did so with…
Read More