A Truly Awesome Dinghy

In 1980, I owned a 26ft fiberglass ketch named Recycle, a full-keeled vessel with a 10 hp Honda outboard in a well behind the tiller. An inflatable dinghy would have been nice, but I could only afford an 8ft plywood pram. She had reinforced fiberglass seams, which made her reasonably strong and …

New Boats: J/9

Although they don’t generally make it into print, there’s often a backstory to the boat tests we do at SAIL: case in point my sail trial of the J/9, winner in the “daysailer” category of SAIL’s 2022 Best Boats” awards. Checking the forecast before setting out from Boston for Newport, Rhode Island, …

The Case for Small Boats

Though they don’t reel off the miles like a performance-cruiser, I would argue that some of the purest, best sailing can be found aboard small boats. Frankly, when it comes to being an expert in trimming sails, balancing loads and steering clean courses, a responsive small boat is a masterclass. …

Experience: Ides of March

While many sailors are said to be superstitious, I never had any qualms about casting off lines on a Friday or hanging a large stalk of Jamaican bananas from the mizzen. Nor did I see any cause for concern heading out on “The Ides of March” for a quick daysail aboard my Dyer dinghy. After a dozen …