Sail Far Live Free

If there's one thing that a snowy day in the deep of winter provides, it's time indoors to create things like the movie trailer below that we put together this morning while watching it snow.  Enjoy!

Wind Dancer reaching to the horizon (Photo by K. Walters) I was recently contacted by a reader requesting recommendations for crewing opportunities on the Great Lakes for the upcoming season.  Since I'm sure she isn't the only one looking to catch a ride on OPB's (other people's boats) here in the Great Lakes, I thought I'd share my recommendations in this blog post. My first recommendation for those with a hunger for adventure is to check the crew opportunities for the Chicago to Mackinac race .  You've probably heard of the race.  Maybe some of you have even sailed in a Mac race.  But for those who haven't, I know first hand that there are plenty of opportunities for both crew and media (writer/photographer) ride alongs.  Obviously your chances of scoring a crew position on one of the boats is greatly increased if you have race experience, but some captains/boats are willing to coach newbies and provide a thrilling learning experience.  Remember, th

Afloat and waiting in Bonaire (Photo credit: K. Walters) Do any of you feel a deep, tethered attachment to the water?  Does your spirit fly highest when your feet are wet?  I've been thinking since my last post about how to put to words what it is about water that seems to keep me driven and inspired.  But the answer is either so complex or so simple that it escapes me.  Suffice it to say, water has power in my life.  Consider the following quote from Isak Dinesen (one of several pen names for Karen Blixen): "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." When has life ever thrown something at us that we can't handle with a good dose of hard work (salty sweat), a hard cry (salty tears), or a trip to open water (salty sea)?  Is it any coincidence that more than half our body weight is composed of water?  The Earth's surface is about 70% water.  We are literally surrounded by water.  I, for one, intend to explore as much of it as I can.

Ever restored an old sailboat?  If you have, you know how therapeutic in can be.  Have plans to do so?  What follows are my tips to make the project more enjoyable and successful.  (This blog post is adapted from an article of mine that appeared in the January/February 2012 issue of Good Old Boat magazine .) I first got into sailing by restoring a 1972 Helms 25 swing keel.  I'm not particularly handy, nor did I have boat restoration experience at the time.  In fact, restoring a sailboat wasn't "Plan A" for getting into the sailing and cruising lifestyle.  However, sometimes the winds of life (and budgets!) don't blow from behind and we can't sail downwind to our future.  Instead, we've got to trim the sails and figure out how to make progress towards our windward goals.  And so, I picked up a $400 project boat and started to teach myself about restoration.  Hopefully you'll some of the tips below useful for your own project. Document the proce

Have you ever been told that you can accomplish anything you can dream up if you have a positive attitude?  I recently read an anonymous quote that restates the concept in mathematical terms... "Your net worth equals your dreams minus your doubts."   My simple resolution for 2012 is to keep my net worth out of the red and firmly in the black.  I'm resolved to having dreams that are heavier than doubts. Hibernating mooring balls on Muskegon Lake, MI. (photo by K. Walters)