Downwind sailing in the Tradewinds can be delightful with the following swell rolling by and the bow aimed at a distant destination. It can also be entirely unpleasant when the apparent wind becomes so light that the mainsail flops around as the boat rolls heavily, causing the boom to slam about the rig. When that happens there are two choices — 1) alter course to increase apparent wind and reduce roll or 2) adjust the boom’s rigging to hold it stable. I’ve observed sailors trundling along offshore with their booms flailing side-to-side across the boat, flipping the mainsail so high…

For the past 13 years, I have had the honor, and privilege, of serving as a qualified Quartermaster of the Watch (QMOW), on board the U.S. Coast Guard’s training vessel Eagle, a 295-foot square rigger (technically a barque) that serves as the Coast Guard’s primary platform for training cadets and officer candidates. In my capacity as QMOW, I stand navigational watches, and help to instruct the trainees in piloting, celestial and electronic navigation. The Commanding Officers of Eagle have been big proponents of celestial navigation and like to offer challenges for the trainees. As an example, while on passage from…

On June 26, 2017, Eagle was sailing, en route to Prince Edward Island in the Cabot Straight, to the northeast of Cape Breton Island, Canada. Winds were light and variable and we were proceeding slowly to the west. At 08:04 (UTC) I observed the sun rising with the upper limb approximately one-third of a finger’s width above the horizon. At 24:00 (UTC), I observed the sun setting with the upper limb approximately one-third of a finger’s width above the horizon. Adding the times of sunrise and sunset, and dividing by two, yielded a time of 16:02 – the “observed” time…

A look at sewing machines for voyagers A reliable semi-industrial sewing machine suitable for shipboard sewing projects can be a smart investment. Although not inexpensive, these machines can pay for themselves after a few projects. A boat owner can effect simple canvas repairs — e.g., patching a ripped sail cover — as well as moving on to more complex DIY projects. One should never forget that even the best machine in the world won’t turn a beginner into a Betsy Ross. A good machine designed for the job can take the edge off the learning curve, however. Many different companies…

Bruce Kirby Canadian/American sailor and designer Bruce Kirby passed away July 19, 2021 at age 92. Kirby was best known as the designer of the Laser sailing dinghy. Well north of 200,000 of the 13-foot, 10-inch Lasers have been manufactured. Kirby famously drew out the idea for the Laser on a sheet of loose-leaf paper in 1970 while talking on the phone to a boatbuilding friend, Ian Bruce. Kirby kept the sketch and it later became known as “the million dollar doodle.”  Born in Ottawa, Kirby worked on newspapers in his home town and Montreal and was an avid dinghy…

The most memorable boat meal for me was in Brightlingsea, on the east coast of England. My elder brother, Chris, the owner of an old wooden boat named Wallop, was romancing a girl. After a leisurely sail, we anchored and I was decidedly in the way.  I took myself off to the cockpit to fish, using a line with multiple hooks. I caught a good-sized eel, creating a terrible tangle of hooks and monofilament and wriggling fish. To subdue the eel, I cut off its head. Unfortunately blood pulsed forth, all over the girlfriend. The eel finally stopped convulsing. We…