Ocean Navigator - September - October 2020

In this issue

In this issue we have a special section on Weather. Voyagers need reliable weather info and a strategy to deal with likely weather on a voyage. One way to do this is to employ a weather router. Weather expert and professional router Ken McKinley explains what voyagers can expect from going this route. Our second weather story in the section is on the differences between the tropical cyclone and the mid-level cyclone. In our Power Voyaging column we look at maintaining your power voyager's fuel system. Our Ocean Voyaging story describes how a group of young sailors chartered a catamaran and explored the south and northwest coast of Cuba. On a passage from Cienfuegos to Havana, they experience the beauty of the Cuban coastal countryside and the frustrations of dealing with its petty bureaucracy. Celestial Navigation: Part 14 of a series. In this installment we look at a celestial navigation day at sea and what types of sights we can make use of to establish our position. Voyaging life: Ten Tools Cruising Sailors Bring to the Stay-At-Home Table. A voyager quarantined in the Philippines identifies ten tools that voyagers usually posses that help them get through tough times at sea and while waiting out the coronavirus. Voyaging strategy: Dealing with Schengen Area requirements. A power voyager discusses the length of stay requirements for North American vessels in the Schengen Area in Europe and easy ways to reset the Schengen clock. Voyaging tips: A voyager discusses why it makes sense not to pile gear up against the lifelines, but to secure the deck when sailing offshore. Plus, the Nav problem and more.

The Ocean Race postpones next start

THE OCEAN RACE, A CREWED RACE AROUND THE WORLD THAT has held two other names and sponsors since its inception (Whitbread Round the World Race, Volvo Ocean Race), has announced that the 14th running of the race originally scheduled to start in October 2021 will be pushed back one year to October 2022.

1 min

Winds of change

AS OUR WORLD STUMBLES THROUGH THIS PAINFUL AND unprecedented time, with businesses and schools closed, boat shows canceled and so many of us compelled to shelter in place, it’s frustrating to think that even our boats can only provide limited respite from the draconian restrictions of the pandemic.

2 mins

Coping with COVID

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS FORCED SAILING ORGANIZATIONS around the country to adapt to social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home policies. Here’s how two are dealing with the problem.

2 mins

Radar advances

Marine electronics companies continue to make impressive technical strides in a variety of areas.

4 mins

Good maintenance stops bad fuel

As most of us know, good clean fuel is important to any diesel engine.

5 mins

10 tools cruising sailors bring to the stay-at-home table

On March 19, as Jon and I finished setting the hook in Corong Corong Bay, Palawan, we were approached by the Philippine coast guard and told to leave. The enhanced community quarantine was newly in effect, and we were unwelcome.

6 mins

The rebuilding of Golden Rule, the first protest boat

It’s a misty day in the photo and the sand is brownish gray, setting off the white paint of the derelict hull as if the boat were lit by a ray of sunshine.

4 mins

A cultural and visual spectacle

Sailing a multihull through western Cuba

10+ mins

The eye of the butterfly

The difference between the tropical cyclone and mid-latitude cyclone

6 mins

Securing for sea

Attaching gear to lifelines and stanchions is generally not wise and sometimes dangerous.

4 mins

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Ocean Navigator Magazine Description:

Ocean Navigator magazine is for voyagers, both power and sail, who want to know more about their boats, their gear and the techniques to make them better voyagers. Whether you are crossing oceans or making coastwise passages, Ocean Navigator will help and inspire you.

Our editorial offices are located in Portland, Maine, but we cover voyaging topics for sailors and power voyagers from the Southern Ocean to the North Sea, from South Pacific atolls to rocky coasts and the Great Lakes.