Sail Far Live Free

I've often said that one of my favorite aspects of sailing is the ease at which you can unplug yourself from the complexities and over abundance of technologies. However, I'm also a bit of a gadget junkie and have become very fond of my iPad, even while on the boat. What follows is a list of my favorite apps for sailing. All are available in Apple's app store (and likely in the Android market too) and work on both an iPad and iPhone. 1) Navionics HD: While expensive compared to most apps, Navionics HD is an outright bargain when compared to tradition chartplotters. The bathymetric charts are beautifully detailed and include the option of overlaying Google Earth, Bing aerial photos or topographic terrain maps for land. Functions include tracks, route planning and guidance, speed data and many other goodies you would expect from a gps plotter.  You can view my more in depth review of the Navionics app here . 2) Sail Master: This is a simple app, but it loo

While the fall season means that the sailboat gets pulled from the water and tucked away for winter hibernation, I always look forward to watching a few big storms come ashore on Lake Michigan. Here's some video footage shot on September 29, 2011 at Grand Haven: And for those of you who (including my daughters) that wonder if anyone ever surfs on the Great Lakes, here's your answer:

The following post is a reprint of an article of mine that was published in the July 2011 issue of SAIL Magazine.  Enjoy! Weekend Cruising Destinations South Manitou Island, Michigan (Lake Michigan) by Kevin Walters As we approached the southern end of South Manitou Island the wreck of the cargo ship Francisco Morazan came into view resting in shallow waters where she ran aground in 1960. My daughters had plenty of questions about how the wreck got there, what happened to the crew (all survived) and what was left inside. If we had more time we could have anchored nearby and took the dinghy and snorkeling gear over for a closer look. Earlier that morning we departed the harbor at Frankfort, Michigan bound for the quiet calm we hoped to find in the lee of South Manitou Island. The 26-mile passage provides a perfect daylong sail. Our southern approach to South Manitou Island included rounding Sleeping Bear Point and eventually crossing the busy shipping lane in Manitou Passage. Our

Best North Channel Cruising Tips The North Channel is a unique cruising destination and therefore there are some things that just don’t fit into any of the previous "Best of" categories but still merit mention in an article titled “A Cruiser’s Best of the North Channel”.  So to conclude this series of blog posts, I'm presenting you with my "Best North Channel Cruising Tips". Tip 1: North Channel Cruiser's Net Every cruising season between July 1 and August 31, Roy Eaton broadcasts a very useful and entertaining VHF radio (channel 74) network specifically for North Channel cruisers. The net begins at 9 a.m. and lasts approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Roy starts each broadcast with calls for any emergency or priority traffic. Then he moves to world, national and local news stories, all communicated professionally and with a good dose of humor. Then the broadcast continues with check-ins from any cruisers picking up the signal anywhere in the North Channel.

Best Towns  (Part 4 of 5) The towns in the North Channel are typically small and isolated from larger population centers. This lends itself to a certain charm and quaintness. You won’t find Wal-Mart and Home Depot nor a Starbucks on every block, which means you might have to sometimes search and improvise to meet your needs. But typically cruisers are known for their ingenuity and self-sufficiency, so no worries! For Quaint Adventure: Kagawong, Manitoulin Island Kagawong is a small, out of the way stop deep inside of Mudge Bay on Manitoulin Island. Kagawong isn’t a major stop for provisioning. There’s a small market store across the street from the marina, but they carry very few groceries. If you want a bigger selection you’ll have to hoof it a mile or so up the hill on the way out of town and stop in at the gas station that carries a few more provisions such as milk, frozen meats, and canned goods. The point is, don’t come to Kagawong for provisioning. Come to Kagawong to visit