Ready to tack,” Chris said, nodding to our nephew Truman, who sat cross-legged in front of me, his eyes wide with anticipation.

At just 10 years old, Truman was now the same age Chris had been when he started racing in the High Sierra Regatta with his father. I was witnessing the proverbial tiller pass from one generation to the next as Truman scrambled into the cabin of our Victory 21, Geronimo. Moments later, with the maneuver complete, he popped back up like a seasoned crewman and found his place on the rail, just as Chris had instructed him. The transition was almost second nature.

“He’s good blood ballast,” I quipped, chuckling as our sensitive little boat responded favorably to the added 80 or so pounds. Every bit of weight and inch of adjustment makes a noticeable difference, as the elders of our fleet have been telling us for years.

This race was special for many reasons. Chris and I have been sailing together for 10 years, but this was our first regatta with a third crewmember. Let’s just say that in years past, the way we conducted ourselves was not exactly conducive to having little ears aboard. This year, though, something had changed. Maybe we were still riding the high of our second-place finish aboard Avocet in the Banderas Bay Regatta in Mexico, or maybe we were ready for a new chapter. Either way, we were thrilled to have Tru on the water with us—and after two solid fourth-place finishes, we were certain it wouldn’t be our last regatta as a crew.

After our final race (which ended in a photo finish), Chris handed over skipper responsibilities to Truman, who navigated us back to the marina. Watching him, you could see the subtle shifts in his focus—the way his small hands guided the tiller with growing confidence, his eyes locked on the telltales as he read the wind’s subtle shifts. His voice, though young, rang out with the command we’d taught him—“ready about”—both timid and confident in equal measure.

Chris and I were in awe of his raw talent, but there was no real surprise that he was a natural. After all, he has Neely blood in him. It’s about 80 percent salt water and 20 percent  wanderlust. Chris spent his formative years sailing with his family on Sea Castle, a Mason 43, navigating San Francisco Bay. His older brother Jon later bought his own bluewater cruiser, the Hans Christian 33 Prism. Sailing was more than a pastime—it was a family tradition, a bond forged through wind and waves.

Back in 2021, when Chris and I cast off for cruising adventures on Avocet, our Cheoy Lee 41, we promised ourselves that summers would always be spent back home, anchored in family. Part of that promise meant making lasting memories with our nephews before they grew up. During those sun-soaked summers, we noticed Truman’s natural affinity for sailing. His comfort with the elements came so easily that Chris and I offered to foster that talent.

After securing approval from Truman’s parents, we set out to find a boat that he and his brothers could call their own. Something small but capable where the boys could learn and grow as sailors. Our search led us to an International 14—a classic choice.

I’ll never forget the sheer excitement in Truman’s eyes on Christmas morning when we unveiled it. The boys christened it with a splash of soda on the bow and the name Bluey on the stern. Since then, the whole family has enjoyed countless sails on California’s Huntington Lake. Truman’s love for sailing has only grown, fueled in part by his time at Gold Arrow Camp, which holds its own legacy of sailing on those same waters.

I often look at old photos of Chris at that same camp, stretched out on a Sunfish with the unmistakable Neely grin and zest for spending time on the water. I see the same sparkle in Truman’s eyes.

“And in fifth place, the crew of Geronimo!”

The sound of applause brought me back to the present. Chris was off helping friends load their boat onto a trailer, so Truman and I made our way to the front of the crowd. The trophy wasn’t for first place, but the sense of accomplishment glimmered all the same.

I held the microphone and thanked the fleet for nurturing our love of sailing as well as the budding passion of our new crew. I said that I hoped to see Truman on the water again next year, continuing the family tradition.

This regatta marked the beginning of something new. Our journey now had a third crewmember to share in the adventure—someone to help carry the legacy forward.

Who knows? Maybe someday Truman will help our future kids, his cousins, learn to sail, passing on the same knowledge and love for the water that we’ve shared with him. Sometimes, you just have to pass the tiller.

The post How To Inspire Young Sailors: Pass the Tiller appeared first on Cruising World.

Each October, the Annapolis Sailboat Show sets the stage for the latest trends in sailing and cruising. The 2025 edition, running October 9–12, promises no shortage of clever innovations and gear designed to make life afloat easier, safer, and more comfortable.

Among the standouts this year is Easysea’s Flipper, a foldable winch handle that locks directly onto the winch and folds flat when not in use. It’s a space-saving solution for any sailor tired of chasing loose handles across the cockpit.

Comfort takes center stage with the debut of the BosunCloud, a foredeck lounge system that transforms unused bow space into a cushioned retreat. Sunrise Yacht Products also introduces the Sunrise Shade, a tensioned canopy designed for multihulls that offers quiet, stable sun protection.

For those chasing amps, Custom Marine Products’ latest solar panels bring shade-tolerant performance using SunPower cells, flexible enough for decks and Biminis. Meanwhile, Digital Yacht’s OneFix GNSS sensor adds sub-meter accuracy and anti-spoofing reliability for serious navigators.

Safety and durability also feature prominently. Mustang Survival unveils offshore-ready gear built with PFAS-free fabrics, while Bellingham Marine’s GoDu StartLok combines outboard security with quick-start functionality in a compact package.

Other notable products include the OGM LX Steaming/Deck LED light from Weems & Plath, a dual-purpose mast fixture; the Arntson Marine Speed Brim WindSun Hat, designed to stay put in 70 mph winds; and the Sailor’s Pillow, a floating cushion for deckside relaxation.

Visitors will also find updates in cruising education and resources. The Boat Galley launches new courses tailored to aspiring cruisers, and Carolyn Shearlock’s new book Weather Basics for Boaters offers guidance on making informed decisions beyond the forecast.

With gear spanning high-tech navigation, comfort, safety, and lifestyle, the 2025 Annapolis Sailboat Show is set to deliver plenty of inspiration for sailors eager to upgrade their time on the water.

The show runs October 9–12 in Annapolis, Maryland. Tickets are available now at annapolisboatshows.com.

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In this special Ahoy! podcast episode, recorded live at the Annapolis Sailboat Show, we sit down with two icons of modern sailing—Steve and Doris Colgate, co-founders of Offshore Sailing School and inductees into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.

For more than six decades, the Colgates have been at the forefront of sailing education, shaping the skills, confidence, and adventurous spirit of more than 160,000 graduates. From humble beginnings with two boats and two instructors, Offshore Sailing School has grown into a world-class program with multiple locations, an unmatched faculty, and a curriculum that’s even recognized for continuing education credit by the American Council on Education.

In this warm and wide-ranging conversation, Steve and Doris share what drew them each to the water, how they built their school from the ground up, and the philosophy that’s helped thousands of new sailors take the helm with confidence. They reflect on unforgettable voyages—from the Caribbean and Pacific Northwest to the French Riviera and Cape Horn—as well as the thrill of competitive racing aboard ocean thoroughbreds like Sleuth and Nirvana.

But the Colgates’ legacy isn’t just in miles logged or students taught. They’ve given back to countless communities, supporting causes from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to programs for at-risk youth. Their story is one of passion, partnership, and a lifelong belief that the skills learned at sea—self-reliance, teamwork, adaptability—can chart a better course in life.

Whether you’re hoisting your first sail, dreaming of a charter vacation, or looking to refine your racing tactics, this episode offers timeless lessons from two sailors who have dedicated their lives to teaching others the joy of life under sail.

Listen in, and discover how the Colgates have helped generations of sailors find not just their sea legs—but their place in the world.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The post PODCAST | Steve & Doris Colgate: A Lifetime of Sailing and Teaching appeared first on Cruising World.

Planning a Caribbean cruise or bareboat vacation this fall? Cruising World’s Caribbean correspondent David H. Lyman shares expert advice on routes, island cruising, and marine photography.

If you’re heading south to the Caribbean this fall or planning a two-week bareboat vacation among the islands, don’t miss three insightful seminars by Cruising World’s Caribbean correspondent David H. Lyman at the Newport International Boat Show this September. Drawing on his extensive offshore sailing experience and numerous voyages through the Eastern Caribbean, David’s presentations will equip sailors with the knowledge and confidence to make the most of their island adventures.

On Thursday, September 11 at 12:30 pm, David will present Sailing Offshore to the Caribbean: boats, crews, route and rallies, weather, designations and staying safe. This session is perfect for sailors planning their fall passage and covers everything from route options to Gulf Stream navigation, weather windows, vessel types, and safety tips.

Later that day at 2:30 pm, he will host Cruising the Islands of the Eastern Caribbean from the Virgin Islands to Grenada, offering practical guidance on island hopping, anchoring, customs, provisioning, and local amenities. This seminar provides firsthand insights for those dreaming of or preparing to explore the Leeward and Windward Islands.

On Sunday, September 14 at 2:30 pm, join David for Photographing Your Adventures Afloat: cameras, lenses, GoPros, drones, and how to see the world as a photographer. This seminar blends storytelling and technical tips, teaching you how to capture your cruising journey with compelling images, whether using a smartphone or professional camera.

All seminars take place in Room B – Below Deck at the Hammetts. Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or new to bluewater sailing, David’s presentations will inspire and inform your next voyage to the Caribbean.

Get more information at newportboatshow.com.

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From September 11–14, downtown Newport, Rhode Island, will once again come alive with sails, smiles, and sea stories as the Newport International Boat Show celebrates its 54th edition. And this year, showgoers won’t just be there to browse boats—they’ll have a chance to deepen their boating knowledge through a robust offering of hands-on courses, expert workshops, and interactive seminars tailored to both seasoned sailors and new boaters alike.

One of the key highlights is the Cruiser’s Classroom, returning this year thanks to the Annapolis School of Seamanship. These popular sessions provide a front-row seat to practical boating skills, with topics ranging from docking and navigation to offshore cruising prep and diesel maintenance. Seats are limited and sessions run daily throughout the show.

“We’re thrilled to bring our hands-on, real-world training to Newport,” says John Martino, CEO of Annapolis School of Seamanship. “This partnership allows us to empower boaters at every level with the skills and confidence they need to enjoy the water safely and fully.”

Joining the program lineup for 2025 is a series of new ‘Tech Talks’ presented by IYRS, designed to offer deeper technical insights for DIY-minded sailors and those managing complex systems aboard their cruising boats. These workshops will be taught by some of the industry’s top educators and technicians.

Ed Sherman, ABYC expert and Cruising World Boat of the Year judge, will lead two classes on lithium battery integration and electronically controlled diesel engines—topics in high demand among cruisers making energy system upgrades or preparing for extended voyages.

Meanwhile, composites expert Bob Lacovara, a Hall-of-Fame inductee, will teach a three-hour workshop on gelcoat technology and repair—a must for any cruiser tired of chasing spider cracks. Registration for these workshops is $125 per course and includes one general admission ticket to the show.

For a more immersive experience, BoatClass powered by Freedom Boat Club will offer 90-minute on-water training sessions taught by certified captains. Departing three times daily from the Newport Harbor Hotel docks, these practical classes walk participants through boat handling basics, safety maneuvers, and real-world seamanship. At $99 per person, these are a great value for new boaters or seasoned sailors brushing up on their skills. While walk-ups may be allowed, advance online registration is strongly encouraged due to limited availability.

“As we continue to welcome more boaters to the water, we need to ensure that they have the education and guidance to make them comfortable, confident and safe,” says Jocelyn Emory, director of strategy for the Newport International Boat Show. “There’s truly something for everyone in these course offerings that bring safety and enjoyment on the water.”

Whether you’re considering your first boat, outfitting your dream cruiser, or simply looking to level up your boat handling, the Newport International Boat Show’s educational offerings promise to make your visit even more rewarding.For more information and to register for training sessions in advance, visit newportboatshow.com.

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The next generation of sailors in the US Virgin Islands took a confident step forward last week as 22 public-school students graduated from the 4th annual Junior Sailing Summer Program at the St. Thomas Sailing Center, located at the St. Thomas Yacht Club.

Now in its fourth year, the free summer program is a collaborative effort between the Sailing Center and the Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association (VIPCA), with financial support from RapierMed LLC, a local healthcare investment group that donates $25,000 annually through VIPCA’s non-profit Marine Rebuild Fund.

“What started with just 14 enthusiastic participants has expanded significantly,” says Bobby Brooks, director of the Sailing Center. “This summer we welcomed 30 youth, including 22 first-time sailors. Eight of our past graduates returned as Counselors-in-Training to guide the new students, helping to foster safety, leadership, and hands-on learning on the water.”

The two-week program, open to students aged 13 to 18 from public schools in the Virgin Islands, offers both land-based and on-the-water instruction. Students began with swimming lessons at the St. Thomas Swimming Association pool before progressing to sail training aboard Hobie Waves and IC24s. Instruction included boat handling, navigation, weather awareness, safety, and teamwork—all delivered by a skilled crew of instructors including Brooks, Spencer LeGrande, Emily Verdoia, and Kasheem Sexious.

On graduation day, proud parents joined their teens for a sail before a beachside certificate ceremony at the yacht club.

“Watching these students complete the program and graduate with hands-on experience in the marine industry is a powerful reminder of how exposure and opportunity can shape futures,” said Trey Goldsmith, COO and General Counsel at RapierMed. “We’re excited to see how they carry these skills forward.”

VIPCA Executive Director Kennon Jones emphasized the greater impact: “This camp teaches teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving. It’s more than just sailing—it’s career preparation, and we are proud to support it.”

Graduates now have access to the After-School Sailing Program, held weekly starting in January and supported by IGY’s Yacht Haven Grande St. Thomas. Many will go on to VIPCA’s Marine Apprenticeship Program, where young adults can earn their USCG OUPV Captain’s licenses and prepare for employment in the marine sector.

For more information on the program or to become a sponsor, visit stthomassailingcenter.com or vipca.org/junior-sailing-summer-program.

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The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water has launched a new free online course designed to help boaters avoid one of the most common causes of accidents: distraction. The new micro course, S.C.A.N. – Improving Boater Situational Awareness, provides practical instruction and tools to help recreational boaters improve focus, better anticipate danger, and avoid collisions.

The timing couldn’t be better. According to U.S. Coast Guard accident data, “operator inattention” and “improper lookout” consistently rank among the top five primary contributing factors in recreational boating accidents. Whether it’s fiddling with electronics, chatting with passengers, or being overwhelmed in busy waterways, distraction can happen fast—and have serious consequences.

The new S.C.A.N. course teaches boaters a four-part method: Search, Concentrate, Analyze, Navigate. It emphasizes maintaining a proper lookout and using the rules of the road effectively. Through a mix of short videos, real-world scenarios, and interactive quizzes, students learn to spot distractions and develop simple techniques to stay alert.

The entire course is designed to be completed in less than 30 minutes, making it a quick and accessible option for anyone who wants to refresh their awareness skills before heading out on the water.

“The growing list of distractions aboard a boat only made us more determined to offer a new and innovative accident avoidance course that will sharpen anyone’s skills,” said Ted Sensenbrenner, Director of Boating Safety for the BoatUS Foundation.

Funded by a grant from the U.S. Coast Guard and support from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, the course is available now at BoatUS.org/Courses.

While S.C.A.N. does not fulfill state boating education requirements, the Foundation also offers the only free online safety course that provides NASBLA certification in 37 states, along with a variety of other specialized paid offerings.

Whether you’re a weekend sailor, powerboater, or just getting started, S.C.A.N. offers a fast, effective way to sharpen your skills and make every trip safer.

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When thirty new catamaran owners gathered in mid-May on the sun-drenched coast of Canet-en-Roussillon, France, it wasn’t just for a celebratory maiden cruise—it was for school. The third annual Excess Campus, hosted by Groupe Beneteau’s catamaran brand Excess, brought together owners from around the world for four days of hands-on training, community-building, and coastal cruising.

Launched in 2019, the Excess brand has quickly carved out a niche in the performance cruising catamaran market, offering a blend of stripped-down simplicity and sporty responsiveness. But beyond hull shapes and rig plans, the brand is cultivating something less tangible but equally valuable: a sense of belonging.

“At Excess, the adventure doesn’t stop with the acquisition of a catamaran,” the company notes. It’s a guiding principle behind initiatives like Excess Campus—a program aimed at helping owners gain confidence and integrate into what Excess calls the “tribe.”

A Floating Masterclass

The 2025 Campus event, held May 14–17, blended classroom-style instruction with real-world, on-the-water practice. Attendees rotated through modules covering mechanical systems (led by Yanmar), electronics and navigation (with Garmin), and hull and deck maintenance (with RM Nautisme). The French sea rescue organization SNSM hosted a critical safety-at-sea workshop, and each afternoon, participants sailed along the Catalan coast, applying what they learned in docking and sailing exercises.

Programs like this reflect a growing industry-wide emphasis on post-sale support—not just for service, but for skill building.

A Broader Trend in Owner Education

While manufacturers have long offered factory tours and occasional owner rendezvous, some are now creating structured programs to help owners become better sailors. In addition to Excess Campus, Groupe Grand Large’s Outremer offers its popular “Blue Water Sailing Seminars” in La Grande-Motte, and Leopard Catamarans continues to foster owner engagement through flotillas and events.

For today’s multihull buyers—many of whom are transitioning from monohulls or are new to sailing altogether—this type of education fills a crucial gap between boat handover and bluewater confidence. For builders, it also supports customer success and long-term brand loyalty.

The Human Element

Excess Campus is as much about camaraderie as it is about catamarans. Between technical sessions and sea trials, participants spent time socializing, sharing stories, and making plans for future meetups. The sense of community that emerged was palpable—evidence that support after the sale isn’t just a value-add, but a meaningful part of the ownership experience.

“The Excess Campus was launched as an immersive and communal training experience,” the company says, “designed to offer Excess owners training and support after their purchase and to fully integrate them into the Excess family.”

With its third edition now complete, the program appears to be gaining momentum—and setting an example. As more builders recognize the value of helping owners grow into confident sailors, the days of a simple handoff may be fading. In their place: experiences that strengthen both skills and relationships, afloat and ashore.

The post Excess Campus Builds Skills and Community for Catamaran Owners appeared first on Cruising World.

The cruising life thrives on a simple but powerful truth: Sharing knowledge strengthens the entire community. Out on the water, where self-reliance is key but no one succeeds alone, passing along hard-earned wisdom isn’t just helpful, but it’s also essential.

Whether it’s fixing an autopilot, plotting a tricky passage or simply pointing out the best local market, the acts of teaching and learning bind us together. It’s a cycle of giving and receiving that elevates the experience for everyone, turning a collection of independent sailors into something greater: a floating, ever-shifting village built on trust, generosity and shared adventure.

We learned this truth early on in our cruising journey. Anchored off Punta de Mita, Mexico, we watched our three young children splash in the surf, their laughter carrying on the breeze. Our 9-year-old son, Niall, scrambled up a rocky breakwall, eyes wide with excitement.

“I saw a seahorse!” he shouted. 

Skeptical but amused, we nodded along—sure, kid, if you say so. But the next day, as we swam together, Niall transformed before my eyes. 

“Look, there’s another one!” he declared, pointing beneath the surface. 

And there it was, curled amid the rocks, just as he had said. In that moment, he became my teacher, and I, his eager student. His enthusiasm was contagious, shifting our roles and opening my eyes to the endless ways we learn from each other out here—young or old, novice or expert.

Compared with the relatively disconnected modern world, cruising facilitates connectedness. It lends itself to share from our particular skillset to benefit another, and to find fulfillment through a combination of continuous learning and giving from what we know. 

RawsonVision

Tweens and teens kick back on a doughnut-shaped floatie in the turquoise-clear Bahamian water, tossing comments across the gap while one person gesticulates enthusiastically. Would you believe this is a school classroom? 

High school physics teacher turned cruising dad Alex Rawson brought a tool from his alternative-education kit to share with more than a dozen boats in the Bahamas. Back in Vermont, colleagues dubbed his engaging method RawsonVision, and the Georgetown fleet was about to learn about it too. Boats with kids on board were invited to participate in analyzing themes in a film, then participate in Socratic dialogue about the questions those themes raised. Choosing Jurassic Park as the subject
ensured interest across a span of kids.

Movie viewing was set for a Friday night. Distributed across several vessels, groups of kids would watch the film alongside material prepared by Rawson that called out characters, their development, themes, key lines, foreshadowing and more. 

Thanks to synchronized start times across multiple host boats, any interested child could participate. The next day, lively conversations shifted from dispersed chats among boats at anchorage to in-person gatherings on floaties, where kids dangled their legs in the water as Alex facilitated. 

“Mr. Rawson’s teaching passion on full display made me teary,” parent Amber Morse said. “What if school could be like this?” she posted in their Instagram
channel, Everyday Saturday. “I’d go! Would you?” 

The goal of this setting, known in educational circles as a Harkness discussion, is to help students grow by learning from one another. It’s rooted in advancing knowledge through group discussion among peers, as opposed to receiving materials from an omniscient teacher. In this way, more than two dozen kids learned about Socratic debate while pondering questions raised from the film such as: Just because you could do something, should you? 

Whether it’s fixing an autopilot, plotting a tricky passage or simply pointing out the best local market, the acts of teaching and learning bind us together, elevating the experience for everyone.

These boat kids are advancing their rhetoric skills, making priceless memories and, possibly best of all, keeping learning fun. Mirroring the greater good of
learning in the cruising community, where givers can benefit as much as recipients, the appreciation has prompted Alex to expand RawsonVision with further sessions for the kids in their radius.

A Sense of Purpose

The VHF radio speaker crackles on the morning net in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico. 

“Attention the fleet, attention the fleet! This is Marina Riviera Nayarit. Kat here reminding you that volunteers for beach cleanup will meet me in front of the deli at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. The Kids Club trash boat regatta is this week. I’ll make a more detailed announcement on the kids’ net, on Channel 71, after this net concludes. Also coming up this week, we have cruisers leading seminars on Tuesday and Friday in the yacht-club lounge: Tuesday is a Panama Canal transit session from S/V Apsaras, and Friday M/V Noeta leads the Women Who Sail gathering about how to cruise and stay married. Wine for the women! Don’t forget, Wednesday is propane-refill day: Bring your tanks to Dock 9 before noon, pick up after 4 p.m.”

Echoing over VHF radios aboard boats scattered around Banderas Bay, Kat Liana makes announcements during the morning cruiser net. This West Coast cruiser arrived on her own boat more than 15 years ago, liked it so much that she stayed, and eventually became an integral part of the community. Her announcement indicates a few of the many hats Kat wears as a community organizer. Perhaps the most important, and entirely unofficial, role is helping cruisers find purpose.

Banderas Bay is a cruising hub for sailors who have done the miles and surmounted the hurdles to cut the docklines and sail away. After exhaling with the relief of arrival, it’s easy to sag into complacency. This happens often enough: After dreaming of retirement to the tropics on a sailboat during the daily commute, the reality of one beautiful Groundhog Day after another is less appealing in reality than it was from afar. Mission accomplished? It can leave a vacuum where purpose used to reside.

Needing purpose is an often unanticipated challenge for early cruisers. Back in 2008, I was excited to quit my job and embark on an exciting life cruising with Jamie and our children. It was surprising to feel gaping holes as I sought fulfillment in everyday life. The rewards my job provided had evaporated, and I wasn’t getting high-fives for another awesome pancake breakfast from the kids. It took time to find new sources for fulfillment, new ways to find meaning away from a “normal” working career. 

Kat’s a champion for cruisers and the community that’s become her home. She helps cruisers find purpose and cruising kids to bond through shared experiences. The free seminar series she sets up (two or three weekly during cruising season) are led by her recruits from the fleet. One boat brings medical skills. Another can give a celestial nav session. Saltier cruisers who have made the passage to the Pacific help the newer sailors prepare. Cruising kids do everything from beach-trash cleanup to taking over the service side of a local restaurant to helping at a nearby orphanage—all because Kat makes this happen.

“I want to volunteer along the way” is an aspiration we’ve heard from many hopeful cruisers. But there’s no app for that, and many cruisers are sometimes overwhelmed enough adjusting to their new life. In La Cruz, Kat can help them find their balance and purpose.

Splicing Lessons

There’s a warm late-afternoon glow over tables in front of the Cruiseport marina where Curtis Denmark is sharing knowledge. The focus of today’s gathering: splicing Dyneema and making soft shackles. Curtis has worked with Dyneema for years, and soft shackles are used extensively aboard his 48-foot Tayana, Manna, when they can replace traditional hardware. 

After four years making a lap of the Pacific on Manna, Curtis and his wife, Julie, looped back to Alaska and down the North American coast. While paused in Ensenada, Mexico, for a refit to prepare for further adventures, they lent a hand to the newer cruisers on their first leg beyond the US border. There’s another golden hour lesson: modeling the cruising community’s unspoken code of mutual support.  

Curtis and Julie were introduced to that code as part of the Coho Ho Ho. While this Puget Sound-based organization describes itself as a rally, it doesn’t have a shotgun start or staggered parties down the coast. Instead, the heart of the organization is in preparing crews who plan to sail from Puget Sound to California and beyond. They accomplish this through months of seminars and community meetups—in person and online—where experienced sailors guide and uplift hopeful newcomers. They emphasize individual preparedness with a strong underpinning of mutual support to help each crew reach their goal of sailing in warmer waters to the south.

It might seem like a small example, but it’s an important one. It’s setting the tone for the rest of their cruising lives—for newer cruisers who might not yet be introduced to the code, the value of paying it forward and being mindful for when it’s their turn. 

Building Community

It’s 1996. We’re guests on a sailboat in the Sea of Cortez, hosted by cruisers and friends that Jamie made in Yugoslavia while backpacking a decade earlier. We have just spent an entire day clustered in a cockpit with their anchorage neighbor. The neighboring boat was a trawler, and the engine wasn’t working because a widget wasn’t working. They had the replacement part, except it didn’t fit. As a burning sun sank below saguaro-spiked sierras, the assembled brain trust of a half-dozen cruisers finally cobbled together a working widget. Icy Pacificos to toast victory never tasted so good.

Jamie hadn’t sold me on cruising yet, but seeing the way a community came together for mutual support was a tipping point.

Exactly two decades later, in July 2016, Jamie and I began our coaching business to decode cruising and make it easier for others to enjoy. Building a service based on work we find deeply gratifying felt almost too good to be true, but it came with an ironic barrier. We feel that pay-it-forward cruising code keenly, yet now we were asking to be paid.

For years prior, we answered questions sent to us, often investing hours of our time and sometimes never hearing back. We still do. But charging a modest fee for it gave us a vehicle to focus that energy, give our best, and keep cruising.

Choosing to sail away might seem like disregarding the security of a good life. For many cruisers, the choice is rooted in the opposite: We’re running toward greater fulfillment.

As our business grew, so did the connections among people we worked with. At first, it was incidental: introducing crews who we knew were in similar locations to share notes and routing plans or planning a meetup at an Annapolis boat show. But as our business gained momentum, our community grew beyond us with a genuine culture of sharing knowledge.

Today, we actively foster this shared village of sailors following their cruising dreams. It happens in group sessions based on whatever the zeitgeist is, be it steering-system inspection or South Pacific routing. It happens in forums we have on WhatsApp, Noforeignland and Facebook. It also happens everywhere cruisers are. A more experienced couple currently in St. Augustine, Florida, has organized meetups for first-year cruisers as they pass through on their way to the Bahamas, providing orientation and camaraderie. They’ve even created a moniker and a demonym: the TRU Crew, derived from Totem Raft Up, our community forum, also known as TRUmans.

Few things make Jamie and me happier than seeing the successes of crews we’ve aided along the way, and I like to think we’ve helped extend the culture for providing mutual support in our coaching community, cementing this code before they have to feel the pointy end of that shared vulnerability. It can come fast and hard: Ask the boat struck by lightning and suddenly disabled but comforted by the immediate aid from a rush of support by boats around them. 

Sharing what we know to help others has given us refreshed purpose too. It’s not a stretch to say that the community feels like family, as we celebrate their successes and support their harder days. Seeing how they—we, really—come together and take pride in being part of the community has filled our cups too. 

Choosing to sail away might seem like disregarding the security of a good life. For many cruisers, the choice is rooted in the opposite: We’re running toward greater fulfillment than the mainstream delivered, actualized in ways that the lifestyle enables. It’s like our friend, delivery skipper John Herlig, says at his seminars for hopeful cruisers: “What you will see happen out there—and a lot of people are quite unprepared for this—is people with more knowledge than you offering to help you, not to show off what they know, and not to impress you, but simply because you are there and you need help. Which is, after all, the best reason.”

The post Cruising to a Greater Good: Sailors Find Purpose by Sharing Knowledge appeared first on Cruising World.

Sailing enthusiast Scott Herman was looking for a sailing program in Charleston, South Carolina, for his son who is on the autism spectrum. Upon learning that none of the sailing programs in his area were equipped to provide his son instruction, Herman decided to start his own camp.

Born modestly out of necessity, Spectrum Sailing became the first sailing camp specifically created to serve people on the autism spectrum. The first camp was held in 2017 with a maximum capacity for ten sailors. When seventy applied, Herman quickly realized the impact that his new endeavor might have on the community of kids on the autism spectrum. 

“From the very start, I wanted to build a program where we really do hold a camp,” Herman says. “These kids aren’t the ones who get picked to be on the school team. They don’t have drawers full of team shirts. These kids spend almost every day with their parents, who are constantly looking for new things for them to try. So, for three days, these kids get to spend time with camp friends. They tie knots. They laugh at silly camp jokes. And while they’re doing that, maybe their parents get a break as well.” 

The camps are staffed by a combination of Spectrum Sailing leadership and sailing instructors from the host clubs, who receive advanced training in working with kids on the spectrum. On each boat, there’s a second adult volunteer—some of whom travel long distances to provide the help. Local sailors sometimes lend their boats to take parents out to watch. By the end of the third day, it’s more than a boat ride. The kids are sailing the boats, and the instructors are just riding along. 

This year alone, ten camps have been held from Newport Beach, California, to Portland, Maine, and from Holland, Michigan, to Houston, Texas. Each camp was fully attended, giving more than 400 campers the confidence-building experience of learning to sail this year. More than 100 volunteers gave their time and effort to make it all happen, and even more growth is planned for 2025. 

According to Herman, the biggest challenge remains how to scale the camp initiative to meet the demand. Unfortunately, for every camper accommodated, currently, at least three must be turned away. 

“Harken joined as a national sponsor of Spectrum Sailing in 2023,” said Harken CEO Bill Goggins. “We watched how Spectrum Sailing campers would come in on Day One as halting first-timers—sometimes not wanting to leave their parents—and leave after the camp picture on Day Three feeling like they’ve discovered something that they didn’t know they had inside. The expressions on their faces are the same ones you see from any first-time sailor, old or young, who first experiences sailing’s magic. ‘I can do this. I got in a boat. I did this and it was really fun.’ And that just goes to show how being exposed to sailing can be life-changing for these kids.

“It teaches self-reliance in a way that sports with lots out-of-bounds lines can’t,” added Goggins. “We started Harken Blockheads to help pass that along to the next generation of sailors. Scott’s concept for Spectrum Sailing felt like it might work similarly. Then we went to a camp, and we saw how they did it. And they do it well. 

“They bring specialists to teach the local sailing instructors who host the camps how to instruct kids who are differently enabled. They bring a curriculum that is tested and tweaked and proven to work. Then they watch the power of sailing work in these people’s lives. And in that incredibly loving and organized environment, sailing delivers. You can see it on their faces. You can see it in the way the kids run to camp on Day Three where they might have held back on Day One. And then there are the stories you don’t always get to see in what sailing does for these kids days and weeks later. Those things are sometimes even more incredible.”

For more on Spectrum Sailing, visit their website. 

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