It was the end of May 2010 when the 64-foot steel expedition yacht Ocean Watch set sail from Seattle on the 28,000-mile “Around the Americas” voyage–the first continuous circumnavigation of North and South American continents. One year and one week later, Captain Mark Schrader and his valiant crew returned to the Pacific Northwest when they… Continue reading 2011: “Around the Americas” Voyage Comes full Circle
Category: Cruising
2011: Discovering the Secrets of B.C.’s Newcastle Island
Whether you visit Nanaimo BC. by sea or land, you should find time to visit Newcastle Island, the Provincial Marine Park that sits just a short distance from the city’s center. If you are berthed at the downtown marina or on foot, you can take advantage of the small passenger ferries that run from Maffeo-Sutton… Continue reading 2011: Discovering the Secrets of B.C.’s Newcastle Island
Cascade Yachts: Building Boats for the Long Run
Portlanders Built Fiberglass Keelboats in 1956 The sport of sailing never got any respect in Portland. But that’s understandable. It’s 100 miles upriver from the Columbia Bar then another 10 to the home of the Willamette (River) Sailing Club. Dodging barges on a narrow waterway with the downtown skyline for a backdrop-it’s an unlikely place… Continue reading Cascade Yachts: Building Boats for the Long Run
Colin Archer and the Viking Tradition
How a 150-Year Old Pilot Boat Became the World’s #1 Offshore Design Pride in the Norse seafaring tradition is kept alive in the Pacific Northwest by immigrants from the Nordic countries and is visible in many forms. In Seattle for example, we have the statue of Leif Ericson, the Viking chief who led the attempt… Continue reading Colin Archer and the Viking Tradition
Around the Americas Voyage Sails the Northwest Passage
Around the Americas Crew Enjoy Portland Welcome When skipper Mark Schrader set in motion his plan to make a voyage “Around the Americas,” he knew he’d need a strong, versatile vessel built to withstand the rigors of the Arctic Circle, the Northwest Passage, and later on Cape Horn and the Chilean channels. The ambitious goal… Continue reading Around the Americas Voyage Sails the Northwest Passage
1996: Sailing Back In Time by Maria Coffey
Cruising the B.C. Coast with the Farrells on China Cloud by P.M. In a literary market awash with regional memoirs and local biographies, Maria Coffey has produced a work so unique it overflows these categories. Ostensibly, it is about “yachting,” a subject which is thoroughly over-subscribed. But this book rises far beyond the typical formula… Continue reading 1996: Sailing Back In Time by Maria Coffey
2011: The Nomadic Nautical Life of Allen and Sharie Farrell
Introduction: Allen Farrell spent 69 years building over 40 wooden boats on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. With his wife Sharie, he lived for almost 50 years aboard many of their handmade vessels or homesteading on the coast, continually building wooden boats and sailing up and down North America and across the Pacific. The… Continue reading 2011: The Nomadic Nautical Life of Allen and Sharie Farrell
1989 – Tales from the Inland Passage
Adventures on the Wild NW Coast – copyright Peter Marsh Cold Water and Hot Springs By the time most sailors have weathered Cape Scott, at the tip of Vancouver Island, they are ready to set a course for the undeniable attractions of Hot Springs. Cruising alone in a half-ton boat, usually with plenty of time… Continue reading 1989 – Tales from the Inland Passage
1990 – Exploring the Columbia/Snake Rivers
The Forgotten Rivers East of the Columbia Gorge – copyright Peter Marsh Nearly 500 miles from the ocean and 730 feet above sea level, the Snake River emerges from the deepest canyon in North America and, within miles, its white waters become placid enough for boating. The rushing river that Lewis and Clark travelled in… Continue reading 1990 – Exploring the Columbia/Snake Rivers
1986 – A Superior Cruise in a 21′ Trimaran
Crossing Lake Superior and Beyond in a 1/2-ton Boat – published in Sailing magazine’s 25th anniversary issue. Early one July morning in 1986, after three days of dawn-to-dusk motoring, I brought my weary car, an aging 1600 cc Datsun, to a stop above the Lake Superior shoreline in Duluth, Minnesota. I was towing a bright… Continue reading 1986 – A Superior Cruise in a 21′ Trimaran