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Lin Pardey has gone to sea again, and she has signed up for Loose Cannon.
The Grand Dame of bluewater sailing has weighed in on the controversial issue of solo sailing. And Lin Pardey put her money where he mouth is. Pardey didn’t have to subscribe to Loose Cannon to connect, but maybe she felt having paid status would help get our attention:
The reason I paid you for a sub was so I could send you a note—so will repeat here—I so so agreed with your post about the legal pitfalls of singlehanding. I have often wanted to write something similar, but several of my best friends crossed oceans on their own for various reasons, and my current partner did the same before we met so…Keep up the good work. And wish me luck as I begin my Substack journey. So far getting a nice number of readers. I am not good about asking for money, but hope more folks will add to my cruising kitty.
Yes, Pardey is voyaging again with her new beau, and she is writing about it on her Go Now! Substack newsletter. The other half of the famous partnership, her late husband Larry, died in 2020. Lin Pardey is 82.
A recent pair of stories about the pitfalls of singlehanding received a lot of reader pushback, which Loose Cannon described as cult-like devotion to the notion.
The Pardey’s themselves have been controversial as they promoted their philosophy of engineless (and toiletless) ocean voyaging.
Christine Kling is also on Substack with Sailingwriter. This author and friend of Loose Cannon calls herself a Pardey “fan girl.” Kling once wrote:
She lives life with a grace and enthusiasm that the years have not dimmed. Her laughter is infectious and all that personality comes through in her writing. For any writer who wants to understand “voice,” just read Lin’s work.
Then, there is a dissenting view from author and fellow Substacker J.R. Roessl (Out of Step)who once referred to Lin Pardey as “the Wicked Witch of the West,” based on her interactions with the Pardeys while cruising with her family as a teenager in the early 1970s. Her sailing memoir “Unmoored: Coming of Age in Troubled Waters” describes the Pardeys as self-righteous and nasty.
The point of all this is the not-so-subtle message that Loose Cannon covers the issues and personalities in our little world of cruising with depth and nuance. The goal is to create an online environment where readers can discuss and disagree without devolving into a cage-fight.
As far as readership, free subcriptions greatly outnumber the paid, as one would expect. My goal is to keep both categories growing at the same pace. There is no paywall for the latest stories, with the hope that once people find themselves reading with regularity, they will upgrade to a paid subscription.
For example, Loose Cannon has been publishing stories for more than six years, yet there are 3,087 people who signed up in 2022 and 2023 that are still reading for free. Those who read Loose Cannon a lot should consider upgrading to paid, if they can afford to do so. (If you can’t, no problem. Share the love instead. Share stories you like with others.)
Also a reminder: Another free resource for the nautically minded is theLoose Cannon Facebook page, which features daily links to stories about “boats, boating and waterways,” not written by, but curated by us.
(For example, did you know that Publix supermarket is opening a store on the Savannah waterfront with its own dock?)
Finally, another way to support the writing is to drink more tequila, specifically from Bellagave, the distiller that bravely became Loose Cannon’s sole sponsor. (See our pitch below.)
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
SECURITY ZONE in Charleston SC for the COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN on March 28, 7:00 am to 11:00 am. This is just north of Cruisers Net’s sponsor Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, a first-class marina and location to stay during a visit to Charleston.
MSIB 02-26_Security Zone_Cooper River Bridge Run
Good morning Charleston Stakeholders,
Please find attached a MSIB regarding the upcoming Cooper River Bridge Run. The details are below as well, thank you!
The Coast Guard will enforce a temporary security zone on certain waters of the Cooper River, near the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge during the Cooper River Bridge Run on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This temporary security zone prohibits persons and vessels from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the security zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative. Official event patrol can be contacted via VHF Channels 16 and 22A.
For questions or concerns regarding this MSIB, please contact the Sector Charleston 24-hour Command Center at (833) 453-1261.
Very respectfully,
LT Nicholas Jones WWM Division Chief USCG Sector Charleston Nicholas.J.Jones@uscg.mil O: 843-740-3184 C: 843-323-7761
Members of the RMHYS enjoy special and beautiful times together in Abaco’s. Membership is open to all. ” Give ’em a shout. You will be glad you did. If you are cruising the Bahamas this winter, consider joining Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club, a premier yacht club in the Abacos and A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR!
Dear Members and Friends of the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club,
As Commodore, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of you for your enthusiastic participation in this year’s events in the Bahamas. It has truly been a wonderful and active season, filled with great camaraderie, memorable moments, and plenty of fun. While doing all that we also donated funds to several local organizations that support the yachting community.
We were especially fortunate to enjoy such beautiful weather—certainly a welcome contrast to much of what was experienced back in the United States.
While it is always bittersweet to see everyone depart, whether heading back home or continuing on to other parts of the Bahamas, we take comfort in knowing we will gather again next season. I look forward to welcoming you all back next year.
I would also like to express my deep appreciation to our Bridge members and committee chairs for their dedication and hard work. Your efforts made this season a great success.
Wishing each of you safe travels and a pleasant journey ahead.
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I received a dozen tornado watch notifications while still trying to revel in the magic of a hundreds-strong pod of dolphins on the equator. When the afternoon blizzard stuck, completely blocking my view of the building next door (I shit you not), I couldn’t resist my favorite sarcasm of the season, “Nice ladder-climbing weather,” because, of course, that is what we have to do to do what we have to do.
Reality set in, I doubled up my Smartwool socks and headed out. Later on it was cold but we had a mix of sun and clouds; the sky seemed impossibly blue as I gazed up at the rig. I deconstructed the protective winter tent/greenhouse that allowed us to smooth and beautify our bottom, and are making tremendous strides finishing the rebuild of STEADFAST’s bow.
Contemplating this week’s content, I came across this photo, which ties together everything this crew has been working toward; the crucial reconstruction project intricacies that still lie before us and what we will most certainly, most hopefully, encounter on our passages this fall and forevermore; Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins.
Of most interest right now is the intricate, layered teak deck and the numerous rigging components, (which hasn’t looked like that in a long time); I imagine you’re as surprised to read this as I was to write it, dolphin-obsessed as I am. However, sometimes the practical things simply must capture our attention, even if we’re left-brained.(!) None of the essential topside deck or hardware is yet reattached, and none of the creatures on the left are ever guaranteed. There are no guarantees, but if you ever have this opportunity, and you lean over, dolphins will meet your eyes, which makes me tingle all over. OK, back to practicalities…
Destruction of deck August 2024; just the beginning.
The aforementioned intricacies of STEADFAST’s deck are exactly why Sailor Steve is absorbed by engineering, calculating, measuring, defining contact points, angles, strengths and the like while collecting bronze rod, oak, teak and tenacity. Importantly, this is only a third of what his boat-loving brain is processing. (foreshadowing)
Since we don’t do anything in particularly small style, STEADFAST is the recipient of an entirely new anchor system; that decision came with some difficulty and considerable financial burden but has practicality and safety on its side. Throughout the project we have insisted that all materials and a tremendous majority of the style components were original. We even reclaimed the planks from a factory built in the same era, long over a century ago.
Traditional William Hand Jr designs nearly all had a starboard bow anchor hause pipe (a channel for the anchor chain and shank that goes from the deck down to the starboard hullside near the waterline) where the anchor is stored while underway or at a dock. This system saves space on deck, is a classic design of the times and eliminates traditional bow anchor chain stress. Unfortunately and importantly it also trapped moisture and perpetrated some deterioration of her hull, as seen in the photos below. Steve’s theory, the less holes in the hull of the vessel, the better.
Whether you are experienced or not in the artful sport of using wind as propulsion, (and if you’ve read my more harrowing descriptions), you can imagine that the anchor, no matter how tightly it is restrained, can do some pretty impressive slamming on the bow as we spar with Mother Nature, borrowing her forces to propel us forward and being repelled (or additionally propelled) by what I consider the most powerful, consistent force on the planet, waves. Even tidal waves and currents are powerful and often underestimated—most of us know this simply by wading into a calm ocean on a picturesque beach; it’s impressive, surprising, and effortlessly tugs your feet from beneath you. Imagine the pressure and strength of waves that are many feet taller and pushed by not just the orbit of the moon, but winds which can be light, gusty, consistent, strong, and is nearly always unpredictable.
Right or wrong, with forgiveness asked of the famed designer William Hand Jr, Steve decided to not replace the starboard hause pipe and rather to redesign the anchor system, moving it to STEADFAST’s newly reconstructed stem and bow. No small task, and no wonder his hair has gone a little (more) Einstein.
With each rebuild, an opportunity to improve….
On STEADFAST, it is the physically smaller of the crew who manages the anchor deployment and retrieval (yep, that’s me). While that should not matter, it’s in the forefront of this relatively new sailor’s mind. Perhaps the most important thing in a boat is not how it goes forward, but how to keep it in place when necessary. After all, if we cannot do that, dangers abound close to shore, perils that can and will destroy, debilitate and least of which embarrass to no end.
It’s ironic that what is a final step in the long rebuild process, and not as grand as new planks and a glorious exotic stem, is also the most technical and essential to what we have already accomplished. The smooth new teak ridge on the left is inelegantly referred to as a ‘mud board’ which was designed to deflect dirty water from anchor retrieval back into the sea rather than down our decks. On the right is the glue-laminated oak anchor platform, which is currently being meticulously encased in teak. The new system is designed for a large primary anchor on starboard and a secondary storm anchor on port.
The top component on the left, the bitt, is the bottom component on the right.
We are STEADFASTly moving forward, and I hope warmer weather will prevail! March 20th was Equinox, so no matter if you are moving into fall or into spring, beautiful change is in the air. Until next week….thanks for staying on board; it’s crucial ballast! ~J
If you think my work is worthy, restack this baby and then, if you have time, tell me what you liked. Or not. No pressure! Glad we’re in this together.
It was remarkable. The olfactory senses took over and swept me to my childhood in the woods. As soon as the truck and trailer turned the corner, a hundred yards away, the sweet smell wafted, like a Christmas tree, when, a generation ago (or two already?), it was cut down and thawed in the living room, awaiting adornment. It’s an unmistakable memory and …
Our 1934 56-foot Wooden Motorsailer STEADFAST casts a big shadow. She’s tall as sailing yachts go; the top of the pilothouse is nearly twelve feet above the surface of the water. On April 26th and 27th waves loomed above that level, over and over and over, opposing gravity, it seemed, passing us by when it looked like they would completely flood our ent…
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That time the President improved upon a National Weather Service map with a sharpie. Yeah. No. Dorian turned right and went up the coast. Now, the same man says that Cuba is “not in a hurricane zone.”
“I think Cuba, in its own way, tourism and everything else, it’s a beautiful island, great weather. They’re not in a hurricane zone, which is nice for a change, you know? They won’t be asking us for money for hurricanes every week. I do believe I’ll have the honor of taking Cuba.” —President Donald Trump, March 16, 2026
Introduction: Yes, the hapless guy with the hurricane Sharpie says Cuba—one of the most hurricane-hit places on earth—is not in a hurricane zone. This man also happens to live in Florida and yet is somehow unaware that many hurricanes that hit his state got there by crossing the Florida Straits from Cuba.
Havana, at the center of this historical NOAA track map below, is like ground zero for cyclonic mayhem.
Hurricanes over eastern Cuba since 1851.
Yet, having said that, we owe our leaders the benefit of a doubt. Maybe the Commander-in-Chief was channeling a Loose Cannon story written a couple years ago that described a section of Cuba’s North Coast as having been historically free from direct hits, while blessed with several sheltered bays. Enjoy.
The Hurricane-Hole Row That’s a No-Go
Now would be a good time to talk about how government stupidity on both sides of the Florida Straits is keeping us away from some historically proven hurricane holes, which happen to be in Cuba.
Most cruisers have heard of Luperon Bay in the Dominican Republic. Geography has made Luperon a great hurricane hole for several reasons—some obvious and some not.
A narrow entrance opens into two basins, both of which are surrounded by hills and have deep sticky muck for holding. But it has a climatological advantage as well. The best shelter in the world isn’t much good if the location itself is a hurricane magnet. The opposite is demonstrably true in the case of Luperon, which has not had a direct hit since hurricane tracking began in 1851.
The National Weather Service keeps a record of all hurricane tracks since 1851. This only shows tracks after 1880 as of 2024. The darker the color the stronger the storm winds. Tropical storm tracks were excluded from this depiction.
Luperon: Irma at Her Worst, 45-Knots
Luperon’s cruisers fretted at the approach of Irma and Maria in 2017, but the eye of each came no closer than 65 miles as they passed to the north—as usual.
Cruiser weather consultant Chris Parker noted that being on the left-hand quadrant of a hurricane is fortuitous in its own right,¹that being the orientation of Luperon vis-a-vis Irma and Maria. Then he explained the role of topography:
No location in the western North Atlantic is completely safe from hurricanes, but if we were looking for a relatively safe spot, it would lie on the north coast of a large, mountainous landmass. Almost all hurricanes move in a general westerly direction during most of their time in the tropics. Later they turn north, then northeast or east-northeast. There are exceptions, but this is the usual pattern.
If a west-moving hurricane passes along or just north of the north coast of our large mountainous landmass, then harbors along the north coast will experience the less-strong south side (left-front-quadrant) of the hurricane.
If a west-moving hurricane passes over our large mountainous landmass, dry air and tall mountains disrupt the hurricane’s structure causing rapid weakening of the entire system. If a west-moving hurricane passes south of our large mountainous landmass, then it is so far from the north coast that conditions on the north coast are mild…
In order for a west-or northwest-moving hurricane to affect Luperon, it would pass over 100-200 miles of the mountainous Dominican Republic, including several 10,000-foot-plus peaks located south of Luperon. This would severely weaken the hurricane, minimizing damage in Luperon.
In his analysis, Parker also mentioned Puerto Vita in Cuba, which happens to be the easternmost port of entry on that country’s North Coast—same phenomenon. What he didn’t say is that—unlike the D.R.’s one-of-a-kind Luperon—Vita is just one of seven pocket bays on a 100-mile stretch of coast fronting on the Old Bahama Channel.
From West to East, they are Nuevitas Bay, Puerto Manati, Puerto Padre, Puerto Vita, Naranjo, Banes Bay and Nipe Bay. And these are just the bodies of water with marked entrance channels.
All Hurricane Tracks Since 1851
You certainly wouldn’t want to shelter in Havana or the Florida Keys, as you can see by this depiction of hurricane tracks beginning in 1851. The area outlined in black, however, shows significantly less storm-track density. Below are close-ups of adjacent areas roughly within that box. (U.S. Weather Service)
A catamaran enters the bay at Puerto Vita. (Photo by Peter Swanson)
Off Limits
But even during Obama’s second term—when we were allowed to take our boats to Cuba—we wouldn’t have been welcome at any of the places mentioned here except Puerto Vita, which is a port of entry and has a marina operated by a company that is a subsidiary of the Cuban military.
In fact, unless you were seeking refuge from a storm or experiencing a medical or mechanical emergency, there’s a high likelihood that a foreign boat arriving at the other six bays would be told to leave immediately or first thing the next morning.
No point going through all the trouble of maintaining a police state, if you’re going to let folks wander around wherever they please.
Nipe Bay is huge, and its shores are largely undeveloped. Ships come in to service the generating plant. (Photo by Peter Swanson)
There’s not a whole lot in any of these places for the cruising crowd anyway, except maybe Puerto Padre. I have not been there, but descriptions make it seem like a nice place.
Ports like Nuevitas and Manati feature crumbling commercial facilities. Some like Vita are bordered by thick mangroves. Naranjo is a base for excursion boats serving guests at a nearby resort. Nipe, a huge bay, is surrounded mostly by forest and pasture, the view dominated by a power plant at the small bayside village of Felton.
Nope, Vita aside, nobody wants us in the Cuban hurricane holes—not at the moment. But the potential…ahh, the potential.
Bay Charts, East to West, from Varied Sources (Just for Fun)
Nineteenth century depiction of Nipe Bay, which is show in a photo further up the story.
Banes Bay is more than five miles wide. (Google Earth)
These chartlets for Puerto Vita and Puerto Naranjo are taken from Waterway Guide Cuba by Addison Chan.
Here’s how Navionics depicts Puerto Padre.
Nautical author Nigel Calder made his own harbor sketches for his now outdated “Cuba: A Cruising Guide.”
And finally Navionics’ rendering of the industrial port of Nuevitas Bay.
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
“Prudent mariners know the right-front-quadrant (relative to its forward motion) of a hurricane is typically the most dangerous part. In the right-front-quadrant, not only do winds blow toward the path of the hurricane, but strength of wind increases by the forward speed of the hurricane, and we typically find about 90 percent of tornadoes and waterspouts and most destructive microbursts in this quadrant.
“Conversely, left-quadrant (relative to its forward motion) of a hurricane is its “navigable semicircle”. In the left-quadrant, wind blows away from the path of the hurricane, we subtract two times its forward speed from the “max sustained wind” (usually found in the right-front-quadrant), and we typically see fewer severe weather events. Let’s illustrate the difference in wind speed due simply to storm motion.
“Let’s examine a stationary Category 2 hurricane with 90 knot sustained winds. Now put the hurricane in motion at 10 knots of forward speed. The moving hurricane will support 100 knots (Category 3) winds in its right-front-quadrant, but only 80 knots (Category 1) winds in its left-front-quadrant. In addition, although hurricane structure varies, with most west-moving hurricanes along he latitude of the Northern Caribbean, the bulk of inbound tropical moisture feeds from the south into the right-front-quadrant while air feeding into the left-front-quadrant is pulled from the north (less-moist mid-latitudes).”
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G King- March 20, 2026 - 4:14 pm
I was considering subscribing to Peter's vlog… until I read the initial paragraph. That's when I discovered that the author was into making jabs at a politician, ( I'm sure just for the effect ).
I get enough of that sort of junk from the news. I don't need it on, near or anywhere in the vicinity of a boat!
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