Cruising World January/February 2023

As the first sliver of sunlight peeked over the edge of the horizon, I cocked my head to face it, hoping for any ounce of warmth that might counter the chill from the overnight cold front. The stiff northerly blowing 15 knots on the nose wasn’t about to relinquish its grip on my chattering teeth. Adrenaline finally began to warm my soul as I, along with the rest of our crew, zipped across the harbor toward the gorgeous new Lyman-Morse 46—the first boat scheduled for test sails in the Cruising World Boat of the Year contest. It was at that moment I realized two things: 1. The warm-blooded Florida kid in me was tragically ill-prepared for these elements; and 2. I’d probably just signed myself up for what would be…

The results are in! Find out which boats took home the trophies for 2023, beginning on page 46. Then meet us in the winners’ circle at cruisingworld.com for the full report, including bonus photos, videos and more. cruisingworld.com/boatoftheyear Bonus Features The Noob Files: Boat-Name Bingo Boat names can make us laugh, make us think, and make us cry. As he rings in the new year, CW’s resident “noob” cruiser, David Blake Fischer, finds himself staring at his boat’s transom, asking the question that all new-boat owners must grapple with at some point: Should I rename my boat? Be advised: Hilarity ensues. cruisingworld.com/thenoobfiles Sailing Totem: a Cellular Snafu This past fall, Behan and Jamie Gifford received a message that every long-range cruiser dreads. As expats, their Google Fi cellular service would…

Sailing rallies come in a lot of shapes and sizes. They’re a smart way to try long-distance cruising or a transoceanic passage with a group, to check out a new destination with people who know it well, and to meet some like-minded sailors who share your cruising goals. You don’t have to be an America’s Cup-level sailor to join a rally. Just the opposite: Many people join rallies as a way to improve their skills while having fun. You can be an entry-level sailor and participate in all kinds of rallies. You can use your engine whenever you want a little extra oomph. You can bring the kids and the family dog along as crew. Being part of a rally is a way to become a part of a sailing…

“The weather forecaster said conditions might be ideal. As we set off, I wasn’t quite ready to believe.” When Hank Schmidt of Offshore Passage Opportunities told me about a couple who had bought a slightly used Southerly 535 and were planning to sail it in the 2021 North American Rally to the Caribbean, known as the NARC rally, I needed very little convincing to join them and their professional skipper as crew. Southerly built only two of the 535s before Discovery Yachts acquired the brand. This boat was Hull No. 1, berthed in Boston, where I stepped aboard for one night and got to know the boat well ahead of the rally. My first recommendation to the husband: Add a second anchor on the bow. “Once in the Caribbean, you’ll…

I didn’t see the wave coming that tossed me to the end of my tether; I was too busy trying to secure a headsail on the thrashing foredeck of my dad’s old J/44. We had recently peeled from a heavy J1 to a high-cut J3, and my job was to ensure that the big jib made it into its blue North Sails bag and not into “The Race,” that often-choppy slot of water separating New York’s Long Island Sound from Rhode Island’s Block Island Sound. We were roughly 60 percent of the way through the 2005 Block Island Race, and our helmsman was clearly tired as he stuffed our bow directly into an oncoming square wave. That’s when my sea boots left the deck. I landed atop my buddy, someplace…

If you do end up in the drink and are separated from your boat, you want to do everything possible to be physically and electronically noticed. This can include employing an electronic beacon, waterproof flashlight and strobe lights (or, in Spinlock’s case, Lume-On and Pylon 360 lights). If you need to add a light source, check your PFD for room to tuck a lanyard and strobe into the outer jacket or onto the harness. Worst case, you can keep a strobe in your jacket pocket, but accessibility is key, especially if you’re disoriented, injured or scared.…