Cape Sable is beset by ferocious tides and uneven shoals. Throw in regular doses of dense fog and you’ll need no convincing to avoid this place in bad weather. With the right weather and timing, however, you can have a pleasant rounding, opening up the whole Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia for you to explore.
There's more to Yarmouth than meets the eye—don't just sail on by.
Crossing from Maine to Nova Scotia can be daunting, due to the big tides in the Bay of Fundy. But the rewards of entering a new cruising ground make it worthwhile. Here are a few tips on how to make the passage.
Some of the world's most interesting cruising destinations are subject to theft and violence. Colin provides tips to stay safe. Fixation on risk plays no part in adventure...but planning does. Complimentary Post.
Colin's report on testing some of the latest and coolest gear on a brand new Boreal 55: autopilot, plotter, radar, stove, hydrogenerator, it's all here. A real gear-heads article.
Colin continues his tale of a fall voyage to Scotland, complete with snug loch anchorages, a gale in confined tidal waters, and a fast canal transit, wrapping up with a summary of the Boréal 55 based on a good real-world test—lots more to learn and enjoy.
There are few trickier places to sail than the waters surrounding the British Isles and when you throw in fall weather that goes double. Colin puts his decades of experience in the area to work to make it look easy—we can all learn a lot about coastal passagemaking from this article on the maiden voyage of the first Boréal 55.
After seven years of building great expedition sailboats, Boréal have put everything they have learned into the new 55. And no one is better qualified to tell you about this new boat, that we can all learn from, than Colin, who supervised her build.
The Golden Globe Race 2018 is on and AAC will be there. This post is one of the most exciting we have ever published, with news that will make a real difference to you, the readers of AAC...don't even think about missing this.
Colin is one of the best sailing travel writers in the business, but he has truly outdone even his own high standard with this lovely tale of tropical islands, drug smugglers, and folk musicians.
The near-universal availability of accurate weather forecasts and GRIBs is great, but over-analyzing the data can lead to analysis paralysis and missed opportunities. Colin tells the story of an imperfect forecast that lead to a perfect voyage.
The Virgin Islands are a great place for a charter escape, but do you really want to cruise there? And if so, where are the hidden gems? This chapter will help you decide if and where to go in the Virgins.
Poling out the headsail to sail downwind can be intimidating, particularly offshore in big breeze, but Colin has a way to make it easy and safe.
Colin draws on his decades of experience racing and cruising to share some tips and tricks that will make reaching and downwind sailing faster and more comfortable. Chapter FREE to view for three days.
Alter two full seasons in the Eastern Caribbean, Colin has found the best places...and he is even willing to share them with us in his usual lyrical prose.
A real voyaging sailboat that will be ready to take you around the world in safety and comfort for US$200,000.
Solar, wind and hydro generation, it’s all here—real practical advice from an experienced voyager who has walked the walk, not just talked the talk.
Information you need to put together a bullet-poof anchoring system—solid gear recommendations that have been tested in the real world.
There are few activities in the voyaging life that cause more anxiety and stress than anchoring, so here are the techniques you need to get anchored and stay anchored every time.
A complete, but simple, protocol to get the very best life out of batteries—real information that works based on 25 years of live-aboard experience.
A sailor with decades of experience as a research boat skipper in demanding conditions builds his dream voyaging boat—we can all learn a lot.
Considering buying a boat with a carbon fibre mast or replacing your existing aluminum mast with carbon? The benefits and drawbacks of carbon fibre for voyaging boat masts.
There are literally thousands of snug harbours on the east coast of Canada—these cruising notes, collected over twenty-five years sailing this coast, will make planning your voyage easier.
Seasickness is the great spoiler of offshore voyaging—tips and wisdom for fighting off the dreaded mal-de-mer and what to do once it strikes.
An analysis of what makes an ideal cruising boat engine, together with a step-by-step account of a highly successful repower.
If you can’t get along with your crew, your cruise will not be a success. Chock full of practical tips on crew management.
John, Phyllis, Christopher and Colin write about what you need to do to get out cruising and have fun when you do.
The options for storm survival from heaving-to to drogue deployment with a step-by-step guide to putting together an easy to deploy and retrieve system.
The critical issues that you need to understand before you buy an offshore voyaging boat. Time-tested tips to help you determine what really matters.
A look at the loss of several yachts and what we can learn from each—reading this book could save your boat…and maybe your life.
Do you dream of sailing in turquoise waters? Join “Pélerin” on a voyage in the Caribbean. Colin weaves a travel tale like only he can.
Often what will really govern how much fun and how safe your cruise will be is how good you are at maintaining your boat.
How to prepare for every voyaging sailor’s worst nightmare—a medical emergency at sea. Medical kits, emergency medical training, it’s all here.
Most sailors have thought about transitioning to a power boat, even if only as a way to stay on the water as we age. Here are the issues and options for a sailor’s power boat.
The fruits of a combined century of navigation, much of it before electronic gadgets, and then we relate that experience to modern electronic navigation.
Knowing the difference between a boat that will work inshore and one that can go to sea could save you from making a terrible and expensive boat-buying mistake.
If you fall overboard from a short-handed boat, you are probably not going to be rescued. Tips and procedures that will help keep you and your loved ones on the boat.
Telling the story of your voyage in photographs. Techniques and gear tips that will make you a better photographer.
Setting, reefing and striking sails and doing it in challenging conditions—tips, techniques, gear, sail selection and how-to slideshows, it’s all here.
A different and much more interesting transatlantic than the classic milk run, with valuable voyage planning and execution information.
In the market for a boat to take you to out-of-the-way places in safety? Even if you don’t buy a Boréal, you will learn a huge amount about what makes a good expedition boat.
There is nothing more important to an offshore boat than keeping the water out. Here are real practical tips.
Step-by-step methods to receive weather information while offshore and in remote places.
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