SpinSheet Magazine

Four Years and 10,000 Nautical Miles of Singlehanded Cruising In part two of this two-part series, I continue my conversation with solo sailor Julie Roberts as she reflects on the joys and challenges of cruising aboard At Ease, her Leopard 44 catamaran (find part one in our June issue and at spinsheet.com). With four years and over 10,000 nautical miles at the helm, Julie shares insights gained from experience.

For Us Sailors, Fall Doesn't Mean the End of the Season... 1. September offers some of the best sailing conditions of the year. When Labor Day arrives, we Chesapeake sailors are just getting started. The start of the Navy Fall Oxford Race, which unfolds this year September 12. Photo by Ted Morgan/ SpinSheet 2. The water is still warm enough to swim, and nettles are going away (if they ever showed up—our Northern Bay friends are the lucky ones). 3.

There is a special relationship between the sailors of the US-based sailing association known as The Corinthians and the sailors of the UK-based Little Ship Club (LSC). Every two years we arrange a joint cruise in either the US or the UK. This year, it was the Corinthians’ turn, and we chose a spring cruise in the Abacos, a small group of cays in the northern Bahamas. Swimming and rum punches at the Thirsty Cuda floating bar at Tahiti Beach, Elbow Cay.

Peninsula Sailors Embark on a DelMarVA Rounding Sailing and Learning Adventure DelMarVa stands for Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, but for 11 sailors from the Peninsula Sailors club, it became something much more than a route on a chart.

Annapolis Sailboat Show Sneak Peek 2026 Excitement is growing for the Annapolis Sailboat Show, which will unfold Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18 at City Dock. Yes, you read that correctly; the show is not the first weekend in October this year. In fact, it follows the powerboat show, which will run Thursday through Sunday, October 8-11. Flags flying from the masts of new sailboats signal to the sailing world that the best show in town has begun.

New and Exciting Sailboats and Products for 2026 Ready to wet your whistle for the Annapolis Sailboat Show? Check out these boats and products. This is just a teaser. For the latest updates, visit annapolisboatshows.com and turn to our October issue for more show insights and highlights plus a roundup of boats and gear that you won’t want to miss.

From White-Knuckling to Serenity on the Potomac We were looking for something new. Although Mike and I had cruised together since 1991 on four different boats and covered a fair amount of territory up and down the Bay, we tended to daysail. We were usually inclined to set a beam reach on whatever the wind gave us, sail until we ran out of Bay or time, tack once, and head back to Rockhold Creek.

How will the renovations at City Dock affect the 2026 Annapolis Sailboat Show? With our close relationship with Annapolis Boat Shows, we at SpinSheet are sometimes asked questions about how the Annapolis City Dock renovations will affect the 2026 Annapolis Sailboat Show. Disruptions are clearly visible and might seem concerning. Tents in Susan C.

Eight Things Racing Sailors Do When the Wind Dies There is a special kind of silence that descends on a sailboat when the wind dies. It is not peaceful. It is the silence of a boat holding its breath, judging you, whispering, “well genius, now what?” Here is what a seasoned race crew does when the sails hang like wet laundry and the telltales stop pretending they have purpose. Clouds can be come a Rorschach test for bored sailing crew on a windless day on the Chesapeake Bay. 1.

Meet Returning Sailor Matthew Sheridan One never knows where life’s twists and turns will lead. Sometimes, a seemingly unfortunate situation has a silver lining. For Matthew Sheridan, a move from the West Coast to the East Coast to care for an aging parent led to a return to sailing. Matt sailing on the Chesapeake Bay off Annapolis. Matt learned to sail as a small boy aboard his father’s 12-foot O’Day Widgeon in Lancaster County, PA.