Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the USA

Hello and welcome to the Sailing the East podcast.  This is our podcast about sailing and cruising the East coast of the United States.   In some episodes we will focus on passages and destinations, in other episodes, we will talk about boats, equipment, and techniques, and when we come across an interesting person, we will try to get them as a guest on the show. Today we have Simon...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing the East podcast. This is our podcast about sailing and cruising the east coast of the United States. In some episodes we will focus on passages and destinations, in other episodes, we will talk about boats, equipment, and techniques, and when we come across an interesting person, we will try to get them as a guest on the show. As our frequent listeners can tell, I...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing the East podcast.  This is our podcast about sailing and cruising the east coast of the United States.   In some episodes we will focus on passages and destinations, in other episodes, we will talk about boats, equipment, and techniques, and when we come across an interesting person, we will try to get them as a guest on the show. In this episode, Mi...

Hello listeners and welcome to the Sailing the East podcast.  This is our podcast about sailing and cruising the east coast of the United States.   In some episodes we will focus on passages and destinations, in other episodes, we will talk about boats, equipment, and techniques, and when we come across an interesting person, we will try to get them as a guest on the show.  In...

Hello listeners and welcome to the Sailing the East podcast.  I’m Bela Musits.  This is our podcast about sailing and cruising the east coast of the United States.  In this episode, I am interviewing Simon and Sawyer Balint.  They are a father and son team that spent last summer cruising the coast of Maine.  Sailing is relatively new to them and this was their first extend...

Hello listeners and welcome to the Sailing the East podcast.  I’m Bela Musits.  This episode will be a bit different than the usual conversation between my co-host Mike and I.  In this episode, I interview Carter Yepsen.  Carter wrote to us back in Episode 22 asking for some tips and suggestions as he was getting ready to do his first bareboat sailing charter with his wife. &nb...

In this episode, Bela and Mike discuss Spring launch day and getting Paradox back in the water.  Paradox is a 2009 Hunter 45DS that Bela purchased in the Fall of 2020.  As with anything new, you have lots to learn and things tend to take longer than expected.  Adding to the challenge, each boat is different.  Even if you have been on many boats, simple things like turning on th...

In this episode, we discuss planning a 4-day sailing trip.  Bela and Mike review the various factors that go into planning a trip.  We cover selecting destinations, average sailing time per day, weather, wind, and tidal currents.  Bela also lists his “no-go” weather criteria. We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at sailingtheeast@gmai...

In this episode, Bela travels to the marina to take care of the remaining projects before the boat gets put back into the water.  Listen in as Bela arrives at Cove Haven Marina and he gets to work.  Projects include: getting the batteries charged and hooked back up, installing the Shaft Shark, removing the old boat name, Majic’s Ride, and applying the new boat name and port of call, Para...

In this episode, Bela and Mike discuss getting tangled up in crab or lobster pot lines and selecting a prop shaft line cutter. If you sail or motor in saltwater, there are many parts of the world where you need to avoid crab pots, lobster pots, or fishing nets.  Getting any of these tangled around your prop shaft can cripple your boat and also potentially cause significant damage.  The b...

In this episode, Bela has a conversation with Ryan Miller.  Ryan founded Lattitude Yacht Brokerage located near Newport, Rhode Island,  Ryan represented Bela as a buyer’s broker when he purchased his boat in 2020.  They discussed how Ryan helped Bela sort through all of the various sailboat models and then focus on the ones that were best for how Bela was going to use the boat. &nbs...

In this episode, Bela and Mike respond to an email from Carter.  Carter will be going on a charter with his spouse for the first time.  Carter is an experienced sailor and his spouse is not. He wants to make it a great experience for all.  In his email, Carter asks for some tips on bareboat charting with non-sailors.  Bela shares some of the lessons he learned the hard way. We...

In this episode, Bela and Mike discuss the annual ritual of uncovering the boat from its winter hibernation.  It’s always an adventure as you never know how the boat survived the cold New England winter.  Luckily no critters had taken up residence in the boat for the winter, although a bird decided to peck away at my cockpit table cover for some nesting material.  With all of the lo...

In this episode, Bela and Mike discuss a long passage Bela made from Shelburne, Nova Scotia to Marion, Massachusetts, USA. It was Bela’s longest passage to date and for the first few days the seas were rough and the nights cold.  It’s about 450 NM from Shelburne to Marion and the trip took about 91 hours. We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at...

In this episode, Bela and Mike thank our first podcast supporter, Andrew.  If you are also interested in supporting the show, there is a link at the bottom of these show notes to support the podcast. Bela and Mike also discuss chartering a sailboat.  What you need to know to charter, the credentials you may need, and how it all works.  They also highlight charter locations around th...

In today’s episode, Bela and Mike discuss the destination of Shelburne, Nova Scotia.  Bela spent several days there during a passage from Halifax, NS to Baltimore, Maryland.  Shelburne is a beautiful small town in the Southwest part of NS.  It has a population of less than 2,000 with a rich history.  After the American Revolution, over 17,000 Loyalists to the UK left the Coloni...

In today’s episode, Bela and Mike discuss buying a sailboat and how Bela ended up buying a 2009 Hunter 45 DS in the Summer of 2020.  Discussing sailboat brands and models is one topic that will get sailors all riled up, as everyone has an opinion.  The sailing forums are full of statements on why a specific sailboat model is the best. Bela goes through his process for determining his req...

In today’s episode, Mike and Bela reply to an email from a listener. Mike and Bela, Thank you so much for the podcast.  I am new to boating and I have found it to be very informative.  I have been thinking about buying a small sailboat for several years and I am happy to say I am the proud new owner of a 1979 Catalina 22.  As a matter of fact, the day after I purchased the boat, I l...

In today’s episode, we have a special guest, Sam Holmes.  Sam is an accomplished sailor, having sailed from Los Angeles to Hawaii, solo, in a 23 ft boat.  This past Summer, Same sailed from the Gulf Coast of Florida to Maine and then back South to North Carolina.  Most of this adventure was solo as well.  Sam also has a great YouTube channel where you can follow his adventures....

In today’s episode, Mike and I discuss a recent stopover I made in Cape May NJ.  It’s a great little sea-side town that has easy access, good marinas, excellent restaurants, places to provision, and a nice beach.  I also talk about an important lesson I learned about anchoring. You can check out Cape May here: https://www.capemay.com/ Here is a link to the South Jersey Marina where we st...

In today’s episode, Mike continues his curiosity about buying a sailboat.  He asks a bunch of questions about boats that can be trailered.  We discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of a trailerable sailboat. Bela talks about his first sailboat, a Catalina 22 that is one of the best know trailerable sailboats.  Stand by for future episodes about buying a sailboat. We...

Today’s episode is a bit different than our usual as we have a guest and Mike will not be joining us for this podcast.  Our guest today is Joe Hagan.  Joe is a long-time sailor and after retiring from corporate life several years ago, he started Offshore Adventure Sailing.  At Offshore Adventure Sailing, Joe takes folks out on multiple day ocean passages.  As Joe and I discuss,...

In today’s episode, Mike gets curious about buying a sailboat.  He asks a bunch of questions covering type, size, various uses, and the process for narrowing down your criteria. Bela does his best to respond to Mike’s question.  This is part one of a multi-part series about buying a boat.  Stand by for future episodes on this topic. We love to hear from our listeners, send us your q...

In today’s episode, we explore the sailing from Sandy Hook NJ to Cape May NJ. Sandy Hook is just south of NY harbor and as the name suggests, it’s a hooked-shaped spit of land that projects out into Raritan Harbor.  Cape May is at the Southernmost tip of NJ which makes this an approximately 120 NM trip.  This is one section of the East Coast, from Maine to Key West, where there are not a...

In today’s episode, we explore the sailing destination of Sandy Hook NJ. Sandy Hook is just south of NY harbor and as the name suggests, it’s a hooked shaped spit of land that projects out into Raritan Harbor.  The spit stretches about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the northern end of the New Jersey shore toward New York Harbor. It’s covered with coastal woodlands, sand dunes, beaches, and sal...