We’re at Latitude‘s cruising editor’s spring office aboard ‘ti Profligate at St. Barth in the Eastern Caribbean, where the busy youth sailing program starts at 7:30 a.m. every morning, where you can tell the cruise ships from the private motor yachts by the fact the cruise ships are the small ones, and where there’s a constant parade of magnificent sailing yachts, including two from Silicon Valley’s Jim Clark, the 295-ft three-masted schooner Athena and the 138-ft J Class Hanuman. More »

If you were to set sail from the West Coast and voyage around the world via the tropics, the largest patch of open water you’d have to face would be the first: the 3,000-mile crossing from the Coast to French Polynesia. More »

"The normally staid VHF cruisers’ net for Banderas Bay came alive at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21, when it was announced that Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle would start to charge a daily fee of $5 USD for the use of its dinghy dock for all those boats anchored outside the marina’s breakwater," reports Mark Schneider of the Portland-based Norseman 447 Wendaway. More »

The Boston-based Pacific Seacraft 40 Shango rides Cyril’s fury in Neiafu Harbor. © 2012 Gary Kegel Although this news is several weeks old due to interrupted Internet access at the scene, we thought this report and dramatic photos warranted sharing. More »

These happy young scholars caught a ride aboard the Seattle-based steel schooner Patricia Belle during the annual parade of sail. © Margaret Reid Praised by the state secretary of education as the most successful educational fundraiser in the state of Guerrero, Zihuatanejo’s 11th annual Sailfest, which concluded last weekend, raised just under $36,000 USD, all of which will go to enhance educational opportunities for local kids. More »

"I’m taking off cruising this year and — this is the really great part — not coming back," writes Tom O’Neill of the San Diego-based Catalina 30 Calypso. "But in this world of tons of instant info, I’m wondering what is the best way for a cruiser such as myself to get good weather forecasts when heading south. More »

Currents reign supreme on San Francisco Bay, so it’s not uncommon for sailors to forget to consult tide charts when planning a cruise-out, which can leave them in an embarrassing position for a few hours until the tide floats them free — at least that’s what we’re telling ourselves, so please don’t burst that delicate bubble. More »

Since arriving in Western Europe, Pacific Star has found berthage at a variety of idyllic locations, such as this waterfront berth at Honfleur, France, at the confluence of the tidal Seine and the English Channel on the Normandy coast. More »