There’s always a reason not to go cruising. The boat’s not ready. The budget’s too tight. You’ve got a job to think about, or a kid who still naps twice a day. There’s always something. There are a thousand reasons not to go, and only one reason to go… The Dream.
I’ve been sailing with Frank for a dozen years. In that time, we’ve cruised in many parts of the world together and he’s brought various family members along, but never the whole clan, not until now. The Tahiti trip formed around the perfect vortex of graduations, birthdays, engagements, and so forth, so the tribe tapped into the Bank of Dad and converged on paradise.
For one thing, there’s the immensity of the spectacle. There are tens of thousands of people exploring over 175 boats and 500 exhibitors connected by two miles of floating docks. For a few days each year, Annapolis is transformed into a reunion of sailors from around the world.
Picture this: your ultimate week-long getaway on the water. The sun is blazing, the breeze is just right to keep you cool as you zip through the crystal-clear waters between the breathtaking British Virgin Islands on a pristine, spacious new catamaran.
In October 2020, communications for leisure boats and commercial vessels changed irrevocably, although we didn’t necessarily realize it at the time. That month, SpaceX launched the “Better than Nothing” beta tests for a new satellite communications system that most people had never heard of: Starlink.
While the Aegean, Dodecanese, and Cyclades are top sailing spots, Greece’s west coast facing Italy should not be overlooked and as is well worth exploring.
The first time I saw Island Lady, I knew she was meant for me. A Tartan 4400, launched in 2007, with the grace of a dancer and the soul of a voyager.
Every offshore delivery is a unique challenge. Unlike sailing my own boat—where everything is dialed in just how I like it—stepping onto a customer’s boat means entering the unknown.
The Tartan-33 was built from 1979 to 1984, comprising a run of over 200 hulls. The design is from the prestigious firm of Sparkman and Stephens.
“Oh, crap.” Never entirely comforting words to hear from your captain, but utterly appropriate. I heard it too, after all—the cascade of rumbling and ripping, rising gradually in pitch in the span of seconds—the sound of thousands of pounds of sailcloth shredding.
