Sail Far Live Free

When I think of the cruising lifestyle, I generally picture a sturdy 35'+ sailboat capable of serving as a liveaboard and hopping among idyllic anchorages sprinkled with a few marina days in between to recharge and restock. But my myopic view neglects a whole other niche of cruisers who can load up their sailboat on a trailer and tow it down the road to a faraway inland lake or a port many latitudes to the south. It seems trailerable cruising sailboats could also be a good fit for a weekend warrior on a budget who doesn't want to deal with seasonal marina slip fees or days long sails between destinations. In any case, I should know better since my first sailboat (a Helms 25) was in fact a trailer sailer, although I didn't use it as such. Here's a throwback to s/v Hannabel , our Helms 25 and very first boat Not all sailing adventures are found by crossing oceans. Some are waiting across multiple counties on the other end of the interstate. And so, from my non-tra

What's a Great Lakes sailor to do in the off season? Well for starters, there's the Chicago Boat, RV & Strictly Sail Show (formerly just "Strictly Sail Chicago") from January 11-15, 2017. The show is held at McCormick Place these days and includes much more than just sailboats, as the name implies. Even if you're not in the market for a new sailboat, there are plenty of vendors and seminars to occupy your time and interest. Here's just a sample of the talks and seminars you can attend from some of your (and my!) favorite sailing bloggers: Bahamas Adventure: Berrys, Exumas and Island Life from Katie & Jessie on a Boat Cruising Couples: An Egalitarian Approach to Cruising from Teresa and Ben (Sailing Simplicity and the Pursuit of Happiness)    What's it like to Live-Aboard a Cruising Sailboat on a Long Voyage from Paul Exner Or maybe you're like the Bumfuzzles and you're even considering a switch from a cruising sailboat to a

Some of us sailors sail because we like simplicity and disconnection from all of land's technology. But there's some technology that's just too useful and convenient to be left behind. The new wave of small, portable lithium ion jump starters are just such technology. It wasn't all that long ago that I was carrying around one of those heavy (>20lbs) old school jump starters that's essentially like stocking an extra group 26 12-volt battery. The thing I love most about of the new lithium ion jump starters is their compact size and light weight. The Gooloo gp37 I recently tested weighs in at a svelte 1.1 pounds and is smaller than a masonry brick, so portability and stowage aren't a problem. What sets the GP37 apart is its' power. This little jump starter packs a peak advertised current of 600A, with a more realistic starting current of 300A. Those numbers are a bit lower than the old school heavyweight jumpers, but they're on the high end for the smal

Haulout Blues (Photo by K. Walters) Though below me I feel no motion Standing on these mountains and plains Far away from the rolling ocean Still my dry land heart can say I've been sailing all my life now Never harbor nor port have I known The wide universe is the ocean I travel And the Earth is my blue boat home (Lyrics from Blue Boat Home by Peter Mayer)

As sailors, many of us are acutely attuned to energy conservation while onboard and away from the dock. In other words, we don't like running a generator or our engine to recharge batteries just to keep the refrigerator going if we can help it. And even if that's not your mentality, I'm sure you could still use some extra cold storage space as provided by quality cooler. This summer, we used Pelican's 20QT Elite Cooler  at the dock, on the dinghy and while sailing/cruising on a routine basis. This is one well-built and tough cooler. You'll get your first clue about those attributes when you pick it up because it's heavier (16 lbs empty) than you might expect for it's relatively modest dimensions. In fact, it weighs much more than standard Igloo and Coleman coolers that have twice the capacity and a quarter of the price. The benefit is that Pelican Elite coolers can stand up to harsh treatment and easily serve double duty as a bench/seat. But why are t