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Articles are of general interest to the entire CCA membership, and are not particular to any specific station. Categories include Feature Articles, Safety Moments, White Papers and For Ocean Racers.

  • Capsize at Cape Horn

    In this reprinted article from SAIL magazine, CCA member Rich Wilson shares the tale of a terrifying capsize at one of the roughest patches on the water.

    Read the article here.

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  • Survival Sailing

    Techniques, Tactics and Equipment

    As weather conditions get progressively more severe, there is a line that is eventually crossed.

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  • Passage East (excerpt) by Carleton Mitchell

    Excerpts from Passage East (the skipper/author’s log of the 1952 transatlantic race aboard his yawl, Caribbee)

    By Carleton Mitchell

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  • Evolving as Skipper or Crew

    In the attached article, Ralph Naranjo reviews his development as a sailor.

    Opening paragraph:

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  • Sherman Hoyt in Command

    By John Rousmaniere, The New York Yacht Club: A History © John Rousmaniere

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  • Evacuation from S/V Denali

    By John Rousmaniere, A Berth to Bermuda (2006) © John Rousmaniere

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  • Carleton Mitchell

    By John Rousmaniere, A Berth to Bermuda © John Rousmaniere

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  • Selkie
    A Perspective on Seamanship
    Good seamanship should include the ability to assess, address, and anticipate. The best offshore sailors use sight, smell, hearing, and feel to monitor what is going on below, on deck and in the wider environment for whatever may come next. Experience lets the crew member distinguish the significant concerns from normal variations. In a perfect world, every issue would be caught before it becomes a problem or emergency. Let’s snap back to reality—it’s not going to happen… Read more
  • Anchor at the Ready

    Several decades ago, entering Morro Bay around sunrise, I was at the helm of a 30’ wooden ketch while the rest of the crew slept below.

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  • Sharpening the Saw: Prepare before you cast off

    In Stephen Covey’s best-selling self-help book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, one chapter is titled “Sharpening the Saw”.

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  • AIS Updates and Thoughts

    After two major collisions with substantial loss of American lives between US Navy destroyers and merchant ships, many of us went to websites that provide histories of the movements of the ships in the area up to the minute of the collision.

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  • AIS diagram
    AIS Overview and Installation Considerations

    AIS, or Automatic Identification System, is one of the most significant marine safety innovations in a decade. Required on much of commercial traffic and available (and highly recommended) for recreational boats and even personal gear, AIS devices can serve to track other boats, alert to risky situations, and even help locate a navigational aid or crew overboard.

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