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A magazine cover for Passagemaker featuring the bold headline "EXPEDITION GREENLAND." The cover photo showcases a striking, bright orange long-range expedition trawler navigating vibrant turquoise water dotted with small chunks of floating ice. In the background, a steep, dark rocky mountain rises into low-hanging fog and dense grey clouds. Subtext below the headline reads, "A FAR NORTH CRUISE REVEALS ICEBERGS, SEVERE WEATHER AND NATURE'S STARK BEAUTY." A golden 30th-anniversary logo is displayed in the bottom right corner, just above the issue date "JULY/AUGUST 2026".
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Patos Island

Patos Island

June 13, 2011

A Small, Secluded Cruising Destination In The Pacific Northwest In the far northwest section of the San Juan Island chain, three remote islands stand a world away from civilization. There are no towns, resorts, or homes of any kind on these islands. Sucia, the largest island, was bought by a group of yacht and cruising clubs in 1960 and donated to the state for use as a park. Sucia offers five different anchorages with space for 100 boats and is located 5 miles closer to the usual departure points of Bellingham, Anacortes, and Friday Harbor, Washington. The other islands in this group are Matia and Patos; all three belong to Washington State Marine Parks.

Diagram showing how AIS signals travel from ships via satellites and shore stations to a central database server.

Power and Perils

AIS networks are a mighty addition to any onboard suite of electronics. They have significant value, but also limitations.

Close-up of a white marine diesel engine heat exchanger with a metal cap during routine preventive maintenance.

System Crashers

If you give your engine and generators regular love and attention, they won’t let you down.

A white Jeanneau Sea Loft 480 monomoran yacht cruising across blue open water, showing its solar-panel roof, open deck salon, and sunbed on the bow.

Jeanneau Sea Loft 480

A loft-like open layout and a choice of power-train options let buyers choose their own adventure.

Absolute 70 Fly

Absolute 70 Fly Reviewed

Twin 1,000-hp Volvo Penta D13s and 285 nautical miles of range give the new Absolute 70 Fly the room and speed to roam.

Twin delivery captains Assen and Nikolay Alexandrov standing on the bow deck of a motor yacht docked alongside a pier.

The Twins

After more than 500,000 nautical miles as yacht delivery captains, Assen and Nikolay Alexandrov are still bringing boats home.

Alt Text: A close-up view of two polished stainless-steel windlasses and anchor gypsies mounted on the white foredeck of a yacht under a partly cloudy sky.

Anchors Aweigh

Windlass and ground tackle maintenance can make all the difference in an emergency.

A Garmin marine chartplotter display screen showing a digital nautical map with AIS vessel tracking, route waypoints, and navigation data overlay.

Understanding AIS

Good seamanship means using every available tool, but never relying on any one alone.

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