Riot Stretches Her Legs I hate spinnaker socks. At first I was drawn in by their allure: an easy way to set and douse the spinnaker in all conditions. I mean, who doesn’t want that; especially when the wind comes up on you unexpectedly! But in my experience “troublesome” is a much better word than […]
Gulf Stream Surfing
A quick video from this year’s shorthanded (3 crew) return from Bermuda. I don’t want to spoil the surprise so without further ado: My ego may never recover 😛 That night was some of the most intense helming I had ever done. The winds got stronger (30+) and the seas larger the next day but […]
Sailing Through Time – A Glimpse of S/Y Sea Pearl
The 830 nautical mile voyage from Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands to St. George, Bermuda was some of the most relaxed time I’ve ever spent at sea. After a bit of nervous energy regarding the number of hacksaw blades aboard I settled into a very comfortable watch schedule where each day was comfortable conditions […]
Anxious
Anxiety is fear of what might happen. It’s that feeling of unease you feel when you’re about to leap in; unsure of how it will turn out. It’s that feeling in the pit of your stomach before you step off the dock into difficult conditions. Usually for my offshore “pick up” trips there isn’t time […]
Our Atlantic Gale: Chip is Not Impressed
I got to crew on a delivery from Nantucket, MA to the Annapolis Sailboat show this year. The GRIBs indicated that if we went far enough south that we’d miss the worst of the low crossing our bow, we even delayed our departure to help it pass. That didn’t work out; the wind never clocked […]
A Difficult November Delivery to Maine
The shit hit the fan all at once: we rounded Cape Ann and suddenly we were no longer sheltered from the northwest wind or seas. We headed up to close hauled and began pounding into the chop. The sun dipped below the horizon and we were quickly enveloped in darkness. Rounding this natural choke point […]
The Scenic Route to the Boat Show
“Today is rain free and just a little bit on the windy side in the Boston Harbor. Let’s go sailing ehh?” “The bay will be much like the open ocean. Sounds like an adventure!” “I really want to get out there now!” Thus were my lamentations as I watched some formidable weather pass the East […]
Fantastic First Delivery: Offshore at 17+ Knots
My first offshore trip was a delivery and it was an amazing sail. When I look back on it I always remember feeling relaxed and cruising downwind. This video makes me feel the same way. Though, as the end alluded to there was still some adventure along the way. With as many things as went […]