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  • About
    • Why Choose Us?
    • What To Expect
    • Essential Information & FAQs
    • Testimonials
    • Photos
    • Publications
    • Our Movie: One Simple Question
  • SV Rocinante
  • Our Team
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Publications

We now publish on Substack
Read our awesome posts there

Night Vision: Can You See In the Dark
The Knot You Never Thought You Needed
The Gifts of Solo Sailing

Why I’ll Never Lead My Lines Aft
The Nuts & Bolts of Kite Aerial Photography
What Causes A Sea Breeze
The Cruising Kitty
What to Pack in Your Sea Duffel
Understanding the Rule of 12ths
Understanding Long Shore Drift
What’s An Ocean Gyre

Right Sized Boating
Yeah Water, Yeah Happy

Unleashing Women’s Potential

Your Disability Is Your Opportunity
Afraid Of The Dark

Our Latest From Instagram

Fog, tide, ledges, and granite don’t care how many Fog, tide, ledges, and granite don’t care how many books you’ve read; they ask what you’ll do next and when you’ll be done. 
It’s the moment you see the fog boiling in over the bay and know you’ve got just minutes to plot a position. You grab the chart, plot courses to the next three nearest buoys, and start dead reckoning into a wall of gray, listening harder than you ever thought you could. When that bell finally clangs out of the mist right where you expected it, it’s more than a navigation win — it’s the feeling that you and this wild, beautiful coast just shook hands. That’s what I love about sailing Maine.
The pretty pics are by the talented @dladds.
Watch our 2011 film FREE for a limited🎄🕎 time. LIN Watch our 2011 film FREE for a limited🎄🕎 time. LINK 🔗 BIO. It’s slightly “embarrassing” because it’s real and  authentic! And bonus: it offers some real insight into #sailinglife! 🫣😝⛵️
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#bristolchannelcutter #newfoundland #iceberg @indiefilm #bcc28 #sailingmovie #sailingfilm #tanbark #livingsmall #nomadiclife #seagypsy #kitecam
If you’re buying a boat or thinking about sailing If you’re buying a boat or thinking about sailing off over the horizon, you need to hear this… New podcast episode! BIO LINK 🔗 We’re talking about surveys. Yacht brokers. Buying consultants. Insurance. How all the players interact. What makes a good broker. A good surveyor. We talk With two guests: Ian Stewart a surveyor, and Scott Woodruff a yacht broker/consultant. This a timely discussion with all the used boats on the market for seemingly good prices. 
We get into the issues of trust and clear communication with a surveyor, and why buyers should attend the survey day to see and feel issues firsthand rather than relying only on paperwork. Scott & Ian also discuss managing emotions and expectations on survey day, the role of insurers in approving a deal, and how a good surveyor presents facts and costs without telling you whether to buy—framing the boat as a “problem” you may or may not want to own. They emphasize that there is no perfect boat, that online design dogma (like insisting on a full keel) can mislead buyers, and that both bolted and encapsulated keels have failure modes that a survey should uncover. Finally, they highlight practical takeaways: build a long‑term relationship with a qualified surveyor, review the full written report before deciding, keep realistic expectations about age‑related wear, and, if you’re selling, invest a weekend in cleaning and organizing the boat—especially the bilge—to show care and give buyers confidence in its condition… plus a whole lot more (of course)!
Adopt the speed of nature: her secret is patience Adopt the speed of nature: her secret is patience ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
#sailinglife #sunrise #lifeatsea #slowdown #innerpeace #findingbalance #emersonquotes
11 years and hundreds of students later…we’re stil 11 years and hundreds of students later…we’re still at it and better than ever. Our reputation as an excellent sailing school that provides a robust curriculum and confidence building atmosphere has spread far beyond our expectations. The pudding is in the proof ⬇️
A review from a former student…
“I just got back from the 6-day coastal/overnight offshore expedition without a lot of sailing experience going in. I wanted to build my confidence and ability to manage a vessel in hopes of chartering and sailing more independently with my husband. This course was everything I had hoped for and then some! Ben is an exceptional instructor and has put together a very organized schedule that let me quickly put the new skills I learned to use. The morning and evening musters gave us all the chance to say what our goals were each day and he made sure we met those goals and get the most out of the course. The first mate Adam was just as great with years of sailing behind him and approachable to ask questions and reinforce skills. They are also just very funny people who are a pleasure to be around! I’m already planning a charter and feel so much more confident in my abilities. I highly recommend and will be sailing with Morse Alpha again in the future!”
Sail training is Sailing Concentrate™ — a focused Sail training is Sailing Concentrate™ — a focused voyage where the goal isn’t miles made good, but skills gained. It’s a passage designed to teach, challenge, and build real seamanship. The destination matters less than what’s learned along the way.
☑️ Sailing and standing night watches
☑️ Reefing efficiently on every point of sail
☑️ Navigating safely in fog or limited visibility
☑️ Practicing proper watchstanding routines
☑️ Planning routes and weather windows
☑️ Setting and trimming every sail on board
☑️ Heaving-to, fore-reaching, and handling heavy weather
☑️ Performing engine checks and basic maintenance
☑️ Running safety drills and using emergency gear
This is hands-on training, every hour, every day. It’s demanding, rewarding, and a blast.
Under the cover, the projects can continue through Under the cover, the projects can continue throughout the winter. We built a cover that we can work underneath in reasonable comfort, with access to the caprail, and one that keeps the cover off the hull and allows air to flow. With the mast down, there is little chance of water getting on deck or down below. For a boat in New England it’s really best to remove the mast. It’s virtually impossible to keep water out of the boat with a keel stepped mast in place. I look forward to a dry deck and bilge all winter. 
Our winterizing is pretty basic:
Engine winterized ✅
Oil changed ✅ 
Fresh water drained ✅
All liquids and cold sensitive items removed ✅
Top up fuel tanks, add stabilizer ✅
Build cover ✅
Now the bigger projects begin.
Truth? Excerpt from a podcast episode on ocean cro Truth?
Excerpt from a podcast episode on ocean crossing preparedness. Read the article on Substack or listen to the podcast. Bio Links will take you there.
Where are you sailing in 2026? And how are you goi Where are you sailing in 2026? And how are you going to get there? Our route across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean has a variety of gorgeous destinations and some classic ocean passages. It’s a perfect combo. 
Music by @andytimmonsofficial and @simonphillipsofficial 🙌 Our sailing soundtrack for many a passage!
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#slowtv #sailfar #explore #journeyoflife #seizethemoment #rollthebones #sailinglife #applebutter #sailing #sailtraining #sailaway #yachtlife #progrock #guitarsolo
The sea has always called, but it was primarily fo The sea has always called, but it was primarily for work, not play. Although, calling it work is sometimes a stretch! I love my job!
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#womenwhosail #sherlockholmes #womensailors #schooners #mainetheway #howtosail #cowboylife #forehead #pinkponyclub #sailinglife #67 #bb #funlearning #tattooed
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