Chris Caswell

3 weeks ago | boatingmag.com | Chris Caswell

OverviewOn our outing aboard the newly revamped Pursuit S 328 Sport, I realized why Pursuit is the perfect name for this builder. Fishermen are always in pursuit, but the conditions, well, they're not always perfect. This applies equally to boaters simply seeking to head home after a day at the beach or a weekend up the coast. In fact, conditions can be downright crappy, as we discovered after leaving the dock.

1 month ago | tampamagazines.com | Chris Caswell

When it comes to luxurious private charter flying, most people automatically think of jets. But there’s a world of propeller-driven private aircraft that can access impossibly small airports, make solid financial sense for short trips and even land on water. There are two main types: prop planes, which use a conventional reciprocating engine like a car, and turboprops, where the propeller is turned by a gas turbine engine. Both come in single- and twin-engine designs.

1 month ago | tampamagazines.com | Chris Caswell

The subject of boating licenses is a touchy one, with heated debate on both sides. Some argue that you can’t operate a car or plane without a license, so why not boats, which can be just as dangerous? Others say the sea is our last great freedom and should be open to everyone. I won’t risk my readers’ wrath by supporting either side. However, there are licenses that can vastly improve the boating lifestyle for many skippers.

1 month ago | sailingmagazine.net | Chris Caswell

I like naval architects. I really do. In fact, two of my best friends are naval architects, and when I think about high points in my sailing career, some of the best were spent in the company of the vastly amusing naval architect Gary Mull. But naval architects take a beating. If they design a slow boat, then it's always the naval architect's fault for losing the race. "This dog just won't go upwind/downwind/heavy wind/light wind/etc." It is never, ever, the skipper or crew's fault.

1 month ago | passagemaker.com | Chris Caswell

I admit it: I’m just not a morning guy. My family will readily back me up on this. I’ll snuggle back under the covers for the faintest of excuses: a rainy morning, a sunny morning and especially those days when the paperboy (yes, I still read a printed newspaper) manages to hit near the front porch so I can read in bed. As I said, it doesn’t take much. But there’s one type of morning I always enjoy, and it seems to embody much of what I love about cruising: the dawn watch.