Doug Ryan

Walk down any dock in the U.S. or Canada, and you’ll hear it: “Powerboating’s easier!”“Sailing’s real boating!” The debate has been going on for decades — loud, friendly, and fueled by equal parts pride and rum punch. So, is powerboating actually easier, or are sailors just making it look hard on purpose? Let’s hoist the … Read more

There was a time when the local yacht club was the social heartbeat of summer.Picture it: crisp white polos, rum punches on the deck, kids learning to tack while parents compared teak varnish recipes. Back then, a yacht club burgee fluttering in the wind meant you’d made it — not because you were rich, but … Read more

Ghost boats, lost dreams, and a fiberglass problem no one wants to talk about. When a Dream Boat Becomes a Nightmare If you’ve ever wandered past a marina and seen a half-sunk sailboat with seagulls perched on its boom, you’ve probably thought: “Who just leaves a boat like that?” Turns out — a lot of … Read more

If you’ve ever tried to explain sailing to a powerboater and watched their eyes glaze over halfway through “weather helm,” you’re not alone. Sailors and powerboaters may share the same waters, but we live in completely different universes. Sailing isn’t just transportation — it’s a mindset, a lifestyle, and occasionally, a form of group therapy. … Read more

There’s something quietly powerful about a 25-foot boat. She doesn’t dominate the marina or make your dock neighbors jealous — but she’ll take you just as far, maybe even farther, because she’s yours. In a world where boat shows keep getting flashier and every glossy ad seems to feature a 50-footer with twin helms and … Read more

If you’ve spent any time around a marina, you know that sailors love to argue about which boat is the “best.” But when we talk about the most influential and beloved sailboats ever made in North America, the debate gets a little easier. From dinghies that launched a million sailors to ocean-crossing cruisers that changed … Read more

If you’ve spent any time in a marina or wandered through a used-boat listing, chances are you’ve seen a C&C. For decades, these Canadian-built yachts were the gold standard of racer-cruisers—boats that could take line honors on Saturday and still carry the family on a comfortable Sunday sail. From their early dominance on the racecourse … Read more

Not every boat that’s ever splashed into American waters was a masterpiece of naval architecture. For every timeless design like a J/24 or Catalina 30, there were clunkers that left their owners swearing off sailing altogether. During the big fiberglass boom from the 1960s through the 1990s, manufacturers churned out hundreds of models in the … Read more

If you’ve ever daydreamed about trading your daily commute for a mainsail and a horizon, you’re in good company. Chartering a sailboat is one of the easiest ways to taste the cruising life without the long-term commitment (or the boatyard bills). Over the years, I’ve sailed in some incredible places, and I’ve also spent way … Read more