Sail Far Live Free

"Peace is not found in a calmer storm, it's found in a better boat." - Travis Meadows I don't know what Yachtworld.com's web traffic stats are, but I'm guessing they pull huge numbers from both keel kickers and serious buyers trying to answer one basic question: What sailboat should I purchase for cruising? There's already been a lot written on the topic by sailors far more accomplished than me. For starters, I can't recommend these enough: Charlie Doane's The Modern Cruising Sailboat , John Kretschmer's Sailing a Serious Ocean  and Beth Leonard's The Voyager's Handbook . So I'm not going to reinvent the wheel with this post nor am I going to try to create the definitive source of information about choosing a cruising sailboat. Instead, I'm going to share a few simple tips I've picked up through reading, sailing, purchasing 5 boats of my own, and interacting with online sailing communities and some old salts on the doc

"Always look on the bright side of life." -Monty Python And what better way to literally do so than with a quality pair of sunglasses that are built for life on the water? After all, some of the most intense, bright light you'll ever encounter will be sun glare reflected off the water while sailing. I've recently been trying out  Hobie Polarized Cruz sunglasses  and Gill's Sense bifocal sunglasses . The first thing you'll notice about both is that these are from companies that knows active watersports and sailing in particular, so already I'm feeling a connection. But are they worthy of respected sailing brands? First lets start with the features. Both are a wrap style frame, meaning they're a bit curved, sleek and form-fitting for your face, as opposed to other styles that "sit" on your face/nose and don't offer much in the way peripheral protection from glare and wind. Both  Hobie  and Gill market these as multi-use for waters

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King, Jr. I began my review of " The Fin " shoes from SoftScience on Martin Luther King Day, and since SoftScience strives for ultimate comfort, I thought the quote was fitting. Are your knees and faith shaken when you're challenged, or are you on solid ground? But on with the review... First, let me say that these shoes are different. They look different - like a Sperry/Crocs hybrid. They feel different - like a soft but supportive slipper. But I suppose the look shouldn't come as surprise once you learn who's behind SoftScience. The top two SoftScience executives have deep connections to Crocs. Scott Seamans is the Crocs founder and former chief designer while John Duerden is Croc's former CEO. Their goal at SoftScience was to create shoes that provide ultimate comfort

"Relatively speaking you make me who I am. I need you exactly like the ocean needs the land."   - John Denver (lyrics from Relatively Speaking ) Muskegon Lighthouse (by K. Walters) As much as I love being on the water, there's truth in John Denver's lyrics above - "the ocean needs the land". The contrast between soil and sea makes each come alive. You've probably read about a sailor's senses being awakened at the first whiff of land after a long passage. Even miles out to sea and hours or days away from landfall, our bodies sense the contrast. Land is a necessary component of sailing, even for those of us who enjoy the journeys more than the destinations. And so, I'm giving my homeport of Muskegon, Michigan some blog love. To the uniformed and many sailors and powerboaters alike, Muskegon is nothing more than a large, safe harbor from Lake Michigan's gales. You can exit the "big lake" through Muskegon's two outs

You may not need an anchor swivel between your chain and your anchor, but a quality swivel can help your anchor perform its job even better and store more easily. Shifting winds, changing tides, currents and swell can all make your anchor pivot, twist and turn in its set, potentially compromising the ability to hold firm. An anchor swivel minimizes the impacts of boat movement on the anchor set. It also allows the anchor to position itself in the right orientation when you bring it up to your anchor roller on the bow. Typical anchor swivel design John over at MorgansCloud actually swears against using swivels because the more traditional designs end up being a weak link when sideways torque is involved. One of the two screws can give way with heavy side loads or quick, jerking motions. Mantus recently introduced a new uniquely designed swivel that is stronger than the corresponding Grade 40 anchor chain, potentially making it the strongest link in your anchor/rode/shackle co