Enjoyable Cruising World article by influential sailor Lin Pardey

| November 10, 2017

There is not a single "cruising" sailor my age who hasn’t been influenced one way or another by Lin and Larry Pardey. Their "go small, go simple, go now" sailing books, videos and decades of article contributions to the sailing community have been huge for generations of dreamers and sailors. I really enjoyed a recent […]

Great Yachting World tip for anchoring near coral heads

| September 24, 2017

Part of a 12-part sailing advice series by the UK Yachting World site is worth archiving.

Aviation and sailing in one great Shot of the Week photo

| January 15, 2017

The quality of the photo isn’t the best, but the content is pretty impressive. The latest issue of the weekly Cruising Compass had this photo as the "Cruising Shot of the Week" … excellent! This busy shot of Boston Harbor from July 2013, with the Navy Blue Angels flying over the USS Constitution (Old Iron […]

Sailing around the world for 8 years with 3 kids taught us to live without structure

| October 10, 2016

The Giffords are part of a growing, but little-known community of people called cruisers. (A 2011 survey placed the global total number of cruising boats at 10,000.)  “Cruising requires that you learn to live without structure. And some people are really afraid of that.” While many cruisers are couples or individuals who have given up […]

TechFriday archive: Using your tablet or iPad on the boat

| May 27, 2016

Top ways to use your tablet or iPad on board your boat — Matthew Sheahan 12/15/2015 How are sailors using their iPad or tablet on board? Matthew Sheahan talks to cruising sailors, racers and industry professionals Photo: Tor Johnson As iPads and other tablets become a part of the arsenal of electronics on board, their […]

Creative Anchoring: Everything about Anchors and Anchoring

| March 28, 2015

One of my favorite sailing authors Fatty Goodlander has a new book, Creative Anchoring: Everything about Anchors and Anchoring, and it is now available. With some travel ahead I opted to purchase and download the ebook to my iPad for $9.99 at Amazon. Fatty's writing style is always entertaining be it a magazine article, sailing […]

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry

| March 22, 2015

Last year about this time I had mentally decided that Brenda and I would be cruising the Bahamas aboard our sailboaat Encore in March 2015, but as “life happens” those dreams were not meant to be. As the year progressed, both of our surviving parents had health concerns requiring more of our attention, Encore started […]

Roller furling headsail tips from Sailboat-Cruising.com

| August 31, 2014

Archiving a great sailing tip from the sailboat-cruising.com website starting with a tip on how to adjust the jib sheet car when using a roller furling genoa: Deck-sweeping genoas are not wonderful on a cruising boat if you’re at all interested in what’s going on ahead; nor do they work well with furling gear unless […]

A frequent question: What about an Australian Cattle Dog?

| August 6, 2014

I recently chimed on a forum question regarding dogs for sailboats and a member wanting input on an Australian Cattle Dog. Since we’ve had Tootsie for 16 years now (below), I felt qualified to offer an opinion … besides I wanted an excuse to archive her recent photo. Our “beast” has been a wonderful addition […]

Windtraveler.net: My pick for best sailing blog of 2013

| January 3, 2014

Those who enjoy cruising, but aren’t on the water as often as they’d like, still enjoy armchair sailing — reading about those who are liveaboard cruising. One of the most inspirational sailing and cruising blogs is Windtraveler.net by Brittany and Scott Meyers. Their story over the past few years of sailing from Chicago to the […]

Yes, I still dream about extended cruising on our sailboat

| June 10, 2013

Encore’s sailing projects have taken a back seat to illness, funerals and wedding this past year, but I’m doing my best to do some project planning and research for next year. I received a reply from the Rich Boren, the CEO of CruiseROWater after I made a comment about his infatuation with fish tacos. In […]

Movie Trailer: One Simple Question – Quest to Find an Iceberg

| April 22, 2012

I’ve been following Ben Erikson’s sailing, great photos and videos since he was sailing his NorSea … a boat like we once owned. Over the years he has used his talents to share information on a couple blogs while he reconditioned his sailboats (plural) – the most recent his BCC Elizabeth. Eventually he met up […]

Costa Concordia collides with rock off Italian island of Giglio

| January 15, 2012

As a family who enjoys traveling by cruise ship, the reports from Italy and the Costa Concordia are shocking after the ship ran aground on Friday. It is difficult for me in the day of GPS, sonar, autopilots, etc to understand how a ship of this size (4200 people) with an experienced captain and crew […]

B-E-A-UTIFUL anchorage photo from the Chagos

| August 15, 2011

Couldn’t resist dreaming of exotic ports of call and far away anchorages … this one is from the Chagos in the Indian Ocean (he archipelago has the largest expanse of undisturbed coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, as well as rare and endangered species of birds and other wildlife. There are strict conservation rules, which […]

Abby Sunderland “is in very good spirits” after being spotted

| June 11, 2010

According to the Search and Rescue crews and the AFESA taskforce leader Will Blackshaw, “Abby is in very good spirits.” From Abby Sunderland’s blog: Search and rescue crew members have described how stricken 16-year-old yachtswoman Abby Sunderland remained “in good spirits” after being spotted from the air yesterday. A crew of 11 SES and FESA […]

Update on teen solo sailor Abby Sunderland

| June 11, 2010

I’ve scanned the heavily reported news stories (over 3000 on Google) on Abby Sunderland this Friday morning after hearing she was safe inside her damage boat Wild Eyes and have concluded that the media does a pretty good job of reporting the sensational side of blue water sailing – and with a 16 year old […]

Concern for 16 year old solo sailor Abby Sunderland

| June 10, 2010

I’ve posted a couple of times on circumnavigators and in particular a couple solo sailors that are female. I followed and shared emails with Donna Lange a few years ago as she rounded the globe and have recently posted on Jessica Watson (Australian teen) who completed her circumnavigation and 16 year old Abby Sunderland of the […]

Reid Stowe Returns – June 17, 2010

| June 3, 2010

Reid Returns – June 17, 2010 10 am to 1 pm Flotilla to welcome Stowe from south of the Verrazano Bridge to Pier 81 All vessels must register. — Flotilla Plan Noon (approximately) Best viewing of the Welcome Flotilla is at Robert F Wagner Park along the Battery Parkcity Esplanade; Bring signs saying “WELCOME HOME, […]

Reid Stowe on his ‘Mars Ocean Odyssey’ Day 1088

| April 13, 2010

As I continue following Reid Stowe (previous) and his sailing “Mars Ocean Odyssey,” I wanted to post a short video of him and Soanya shortly after setting sail 3 years ago (below). They began their “odyssey” as a couple in April of 2007, but Reid has continued on alone after Soanya left the schooner as […]

Book: World Cruising Routes, an ocean crossing necessity

| January 12, 2010

For many years I’ve contemplated buying a fairly expensive reference style book — one that I really don’t currently need, but have wanted. Since I had a few Christmas dollars to spend (thanks Mom H.) I figured now was the perfect time add the $60.00 628 page book to my library. After spending a few […]

Sharing a “Christmas Afloat” Captain Fatty Goodlander Yarn

| December 14, 2009

With the republishing of a Christmas article on Facebook from sailing author Gary “Fatty” Goodlander, I’ve been re-thinking my vow to avoid this social networking site. Facebook being my kids preferred peer-to-peer (no geek humor intended) communications medium, I’ve avoided it not wanted to look like a ‘helicopter parent. So far, its not been all […]

Archiving article on ‘1000Days’ sailor Reid Stowe

| May 8, 2009

I regularly read the updates from Reid Stowe and his 1000 Days at Sea Mars Ocean Odyssey and wanted to archive an AP story from earlier in the week. The AP article written by Verena Dobnik was published a couple days ago and portrayed Soanya and Reid’s story as “quirky” — at least the beginning. […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog