Sail Far Live Free

OluKai believes that everybody, no matter where they are, can live Aloha. Live "hello"? No, not exactly. The word "Aloha" goes far beyond just a greeting. The true deeper meaning is love, peace and compassion. A life of Aloha is one when the heart is so full it is overflowing with the ability to influence others around you with your spirit. Now you're educated about Hawaii's most popular word, but what about popular Hawaiian shoes for sailing? Shoes might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about sailing gear, but good grip and comfortable feet can make life on deck or the dock better. Here's two pair of OluKai's I've been trying out lately that I recommend for boat use: Holona ( "Sailing, Traveling" ) Non-marking molded rubber outsole with "traction pods" Built for the water: quick drying and water-resistant 100% synthetic, 0% animal products SFLF remarks: I love the low profile design but

Winning Back Memories (Anchored in Sleeping Bear Bay by K. Walters)

"Sail the main course, sail it in a simple sturdy craft. Keep her well stocked with short stories and long laughs. Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see. Moderation seems to be the key." Lyrics from Barometer Soup by Jimmy Buffett Does speed matter when you're sailing? I suppose that question depends on why you're sailing in the first place. Racing? Yes, speed matters. Day sailing to enjoy time on the water? Speed probably doesn't matter. Cruising? Sometimes speed matters.  When acting as weekend warriors or taking a 2 week summer cruiser, we've taken passages of between 6 to 90 nautical miles at time. Speed doesn't really matter to us on the short port hops of say less than 20 nautical miles, but when we're approaching hour 12 of a 90 nm passage, I admit that I start tweaking the sails to coax another 1/4 knot of boat speed from the wind gods. Doing a bit of math, if I would have found that 1/4 knot when I first raised the sa

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