Just as there are many ways to enjoy sailing — daysailing, racing, cruising — there are also a variety of ways by which you can learn to sail. Some neophytes take a battery of lessons from a sailing school or community sailing program, some learn from relatives or family friends, while others do their best to figure out the mechanics of the sport on their own, perhaps after leafing through a learn-to-sail book or watching a few YouTube videos.  More »

Illegally mooring a boat long-term in Marin County’s Richardson Bay might sound like a good idea. But storm-generated wind waves out of the south inevitably pummel the anchorage, leading to a ‘culling of the herd’. More »

Imagine yourself aboard this monster tri, blasting across the Southern Ocean at 35 knots. Check out how tiny the crew seems when compared to the mainsail — less than half of which is visible. More »

Perpetual LOYAL charges south toward Hobart in record-breaking time. © Rolex / Daniel Forster Like Thomas Coville breaking Francis Joyon’s solo ’round-the-world record after several failed attempts, today’s ‘Lectronic is about persistence and faith’s paying dividends. More »

How about finally getting your boat handicapped and doing some Bay races this year? Despite the rowdy conditions seen here in The Slot, many Bay Area races take place in more protected waters.  More »

The icy docks seen all over the Bay Area recently remind us of an important lesson learned: A few years ago I was walking down a dock toward my boat on a cold winter’s night when I heard a muffled sound that I first assumed was a seal — which was puzzling, as we never see seals in our marina. More »

The idea of traveling around the world in 80 days by any means was once viewed as mere fantasy. But Thomas Coville just did it in 49 days, alone aboard his maxi tri.  More »

One frustrating aspect of living in this ‘app-happy’ era of endless innovation is that is it seems almost impossible to keep up with the latest, greatest developments. That’s certainly true when it comes to smartphone, tablet and computer software related to boating — which is precisely why we did a call-out to ‘Lec Lat readers last week asking for tips on their favorite boating apps. More »

With a little luck, you can snag a berth in front of Victoria, BC’s Empress Hotel — at the center of that sparkling-clean port’s many shoreside attractions. latitude/Andy
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC In a bareboat chartering report a few years back, we referred to the cruising grounds containing the Gulf and San Juan islands as "the Greater Puget Sound area." More »