Editor’s Page

Photo by Dave McKissockThere is great joy to be found in embracing a slow pace on the water.

Faster ain’t always better

November 25, 2024 at 12:00 am

December 2024 By Bob Muggleston Did anyone catch this year’s America’s Cup? I’ve never been a huge fan, but for sailors of a certain ilk it’s always been must-see tv. Certainly the 2013 version of the contest, in which Oracle Team USA overcame an 8-1 deficit to Emirates Team NewRead More

Artie and me

Artie and me

September 30, 2024 at 12:00 am

Fall 2024 By Bob Muggleston Over the years I’ve noticed that when I sail with one particular person in my life – my brother-in-law, Art – things reliably go sideways. On paper the math has never made sense, like adding two positive numbers and coming up with a negative. AndRead More

Photo by Bob MugglestonThe author’s 1974 Siren provides plenty of fun at a budget price and is easily maintained.

Sometimes small is better

August 26, 2024 at 12:00 am

September 2024 By Bob Muggleston Of all the memorable sails I’ve had over the years, and there have been a few, one in particular stands out. Yes, there was an exhilarating aspect of the experience, as is often the case with memorable sails, but there was one particular feature ofRead More

Photo by Nicholas HorbaczewskiHound heads offshore in this year’s Bermuda race.

Wrong place, wrong time

July 29, 2024 at 12:00 am

August 2024 By Bob Muggleston My days of competitive sailboat racing ended many years ago, but I still find the big offshore events endlessly fascinating, mostly because of the stakes involved and the drama that invariably occurs when men (and increasingly, women) head for blue water at a time notRead More

Photo by Tim PlouffGrounded on a ledge near the bridge connecting Bailey and Orr’s Islands in Brunswick, Maine.

The man on the beach

June 24, 2024 at 12:00 am

July 2024 By Bob Muggleston A good friend of the magazine who lives in Maine recently sent me the photo below, which he’d taken in the vicinity of Brunswick. In the subject line of the email he wrote, “A bad way to start the boating season.” Indeed. Anytime you leaveRead More

Photo by Bob MugglestonThis ancient Suburban has been cleverly re-purposed for yard usage.

Ode to the functionally elegant

May 20, 2024 at 12:00 am

June 2024 By Bob Muggleston Over the last few years, working for a marine-canvas business, I’ve been in a lot of boatyards and taken photos of more unregistered yard vehicles than I can count. The one I’ve included with this piece is my favorite. My educated guess is that thisRead More

Photo by Bob MugglestonOn April 8, at roughly 3:30 in the afternoon, Mother Nature put on a show in Northern New England that onlookers won’t soon forget.

The path of totality

April 22, 2024 at 12:00 am

May 2024 By Bob Muggleston Here in Connecticut the daffodils are blooming and the peepers are in full throat. Can it finally be spring? Mother Nature has been reluctant to show her cards. Two late-season snowstorms in ski country had me running back to Vermont, while here in Southern NewRead More

Photo by Bob MugglestonEditor Bob Muggleston and his daughter, Abigail, on the slopes. There seems to be a connection between people who enjoy water in both its frozen and liquid states.

Fingers crossed for a blockbuster

March 25, 2024 at 12:00 am

Spring 2024 By Bob Muggleston One thing I’ve noticed over the years working for this magazine is that a large percentage of folks who sail also love to ski. Not to be morbid, but our Final Passages section routinely features sailors who are nearly, if not more, as passionate aboutRead More

Photo courtesy Meredith CurrierThis boat would make a wonderful project for . . . someone.

Lost and found

February 5, 2024 at 12:00 am

Winter 2024 By Bob Muggleston I’ve always had a soft spot for pretty boats that are down on their luck. A notable example of this predilection, and how it eventually plays out for better or for worse, took place 30 years ago when I was driving down a country road.Read More

Photo by Bob MugglestonIt was a wet summer that worked well for making canvas, but not so well for actually using it. Unless, of course you were seeking protection under it.

A look at the year that was

November 20, 2023 at 12:00 am

December 2023 By Bob Muggleston It’s early November as I write this, and, for the last two weeks, after what seemed like little or no movement at marinas here in Connecticut, suddenly boats are being yanked from the water at a breathtaking pace. What this means for the company IRead More