Cruising World is your passport for exploring the world’s coastlines and oceans while voyaging under sail. Its contributors inspire and entertain through stories, pictures and videos that underscore the beauty and adventure of sailing, while providing instruction on the disciplines of seamanship, navigation and boat handling. The Cruising World community is made up of experienced, committed sailors and boat owners. No matter their long-range sailing plans, Cruising World’s mission is to nurture their dreams with practical how-to information and stirring real-life adventure features.

A Wake-Up CALL • “In 2020, simple sailing was, well, even simpler. Essentially every boat we boarded, monohull or multihull, 20-something feet to 60 feet, had either a self-tacking jib or a slightly overlapping headsail, with the option for a self-tacker too”.

Cruising World

CLOSE TO HOME • NEWS and NOTES from the CRUISING COMMUNITY

Eight Bells: Frank Butler

A LIGHT IN THE DARK

ADRIFT: 40 YEARS LATER

NEW YEAR, NEW GEAR

SANDY SOUVENIRS

FIVE WAYS TO PREVENT FOOD WASTE ABOARD

FABULOUS FISH CAKES

GILL’S FISH CROQUETTES

REINCARNATING Trinka • “A sad sailor on St. Thomas had a brand-new 30 hp Yanmar diesel still in the carton because his boat had sunk before he could install it. One man’s bad luck is another man’s good.”

CRUISERS Make a DIFFERENCE • “When I first met Julia in 2016, Pass It On had one simple mission: recycling discarded boat batteries and solar panels to light up schools and clinics in remote villages.”

KEEP IT Simple • “It was enough of a challenge trying to stow three children and all their necessary gear on a smallish sailboat without trying to make room for battery banks, inverters, chargers and solar panels.”

STARGAZERS • “There are plenty of cruisers out there dreaming about endless palm-tree-lined sandy beaches, rum punches and dreamy sunsets. Why not film what you’re doing and share your journey on YouTube? After all, how hard could it be?”

In the Wake of Capt. Morgan • The shadow of this infamous pirate of the Caribbean lingers from Panama through the Greater Antilles.

SHIP IT! • After a multiyear journey from the West Coast to the East, a cruising couple decides to take the easy route back to Baja.

WINTERING ABOARD IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS • Longing for some extended time amid the hills and history of the Inner Hebrides, this family of six settles into a winter berth at the Oban Marina.

The Determined Dozen • In the midst of a pandemic, and with the fall boat shows—including the “big one,” the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland—canceled up and down the coasts, the fate of our 2021 Boat of the Year contest was very much in doubt. But with a bit of creative thinking, some luck, and the assistance of a persistent group of builders, brokers and sailors, a fleet of 12 strong nominees emerged, and a series of terrific tests were conducted from New England to Florida. When the spray had settled, there were prizes to pass out…including one to an overall winner—a tidy, peppy French catamaran—that surprised even us.

Little Big Cat

X Marks the Spot

Oh Yes, It’s Island Time

The Future … Right Now

East Meets West

Meet the Contenders • The 2021 Boat of the Year fleet may not have been the biggest ever, but it was strong from top to bottom. Here’s a look at the rest of the year’s nominees.

1 BLAME IT ON RIO • A college student skips school for a once-in-a-lifetime offshore delivery aboard a supermaxi and truly experiences how “the other half”—the professional ocean racer—lives.

2 TENDING TO GANNET • At the conclusion of a long ocean passage, a singlehander prepares his boat for what comes next.

3 EXHAUST ALL OPTIONS...