Carol Newman Cronin's Blog, page 5

The Boat Beggars: My Gift to You

I wasn’t sure I would manage to write my annual holiday story this year, and I felt like I was letting you all down—until one of my favorite characters pounded on the door of my imagination, demanding a boat ride. So thanks to my friends, both real and imagined, for the inspiration—and here’s hoping you find just as much joy when New Year’s Eve-Eve comes around.

See you in 2025!

Read The Boat Beggars

Read Previous stories

The post The Boat Beggars: My Gift to You appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

Paul Callahan: Maximizing His Unique Potential

I’ve been lucky enough to chat with Paul Callahan at various regattas and gatherings over the past quarter century, as we both pursued our Olympic and Paralympic dreams. But it didn’t occur to me to write a Seahorse profile about him, until I got to know Justin Callahan, one of Paul’s twin boys, at the 2024 Snipe Nationals. Both father and son share an incredibly sunny attitude—and both frequently cite the family motto that became the article’s title: When One plus One Makes Three. As Justin put it in an interview (after winning the Snipe Junior Worlds with Mitchell, his twin), “When you put two of us in a boat together, we feel unstoppable.”

Interviewing Paul was a reminder of how much we can achieve with a great attitude. It was also a small glimpse into consciously raising free-range kids, directing and advising only when absolutely necessary. Based on an admittedly miniscule sample size of one, I’d call it a success. 

Seahorse has graciously allowed me to share a PDF with you, but to see their incredible photos and read the rest of the December issue (including another insightful Rod Davis piece, Now for Google) you’ll have to subscribe.  

Meanwhile, if you’ve got other suggestions for future Seahorse profiles, drop me an email. There are so many great sailors like Paul who are hiding in plain sight—just doing their own thing, not seeking out any press or visibility. And most of them will have quite a few salty stories to share, once someone asks. 

Thanks for reading! Here’s the latest profile.

Previous Seahorse Profiles

Giving Paul Bieker Some Seahorse Love

Betsy Alison: Using All the Tools

Jerry Kirby: All the Stories are True

Peter Harken: What an Amazing Guy

Buddy Melges: He Really Was a Wizard

Toppa Talks: One Job, One (Big) Dream

Circus Minimus: The Rich Life of Bill Mattison

Mark Reynolds: Hard Chines and Unasked Questions

Augie Diaz: Lucky AND Good

Dawn Riley: Setting the Standard

Clicks of Chance: Onne van der Wal

Just Say Yes: Stan and Sally Honey

Rod Davis: Why You Need His Wisdom in 2021

Rod Johnstone: An Amazing Legacy of Yacht Designs

A Final Conversation with Harry Anderson

Life Lessons from Dave Perry

Vince Brun Profile in Seahorse

Only One Jud (Smith)

The post Paul Callahan: Maximizing His Unique Potential appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

Holiday Book List 2024

Happy holiday season to all book lovers! I devoured far more books than I managed to review again this year, so before reminding you (and myself) of this year’s stand-outs, I want to call out two books that I haven’t (yet) reviewed but I’m still thinking about, months later. Together, they pretty much mark the two ends of my reading continuum.

Playground

The first is the latest novel by Richard Powers. It’s a doorstop of a book, frequently described as “Overstory for ocean lovers” (which refers to his earlier bestseller, about trees). Since I found Overstory’s 800 pages far too dense, that description wasn’t appealing. It wasn’t until my local bookstore offered it up for their very last book discussion (insert VERY SAD emoji) that I signed up and vowed to weed through it.

Since finishing it, I’ve recommended it to just about every reader I know. But I haven’t posted a review, because… I’m still digesting its many layers and implications. Have you read it? If so, let’s discuss.

Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow

The other book that made a lasting impression is subtitled “A DIY manual for the construction of stories.” In a casual but very precise way, author Steve Almond uses personal teaching experiences to dispense writing advice—along with a healthy dose of philosophy that could be useful to anyone eager to live a happy life.

Here’s a quote from the chapter entitled Run Howling Toward the Doubt, when he explains why AI poses no threat to writers:

Bots do not possess a mind or heart or soul. They do not dream up stories. They generate content—mindlessly, heartlessly, soullessly—by looking for patterns in huge troves of language and predicting the next word.

Practically speaking, this is the precise opposite of how writers work. We’re looking for language that is unexpected—unexpectedly precise, unexpectedly nuanced, unexpectedly musical—language that arises not from an algorithm combing a random universe of text but from our inimitable relationship to the language, formed by the particular vernaculars and sympathies we grew up absorbing.

(See what I mean?)

2024 Reviews

And now, without further ado, here are the books I reviewed in 2024. Though they are quite varied in setting and tone, all manage to teach without preaching—and have a hopeful resolution.

Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris

Four siblings wrestle with the fallout from their father’s death.

The Last Days of the Schooner America by Dave Gendell

The only non-fiction to make this list! An Annapolis sailor reviews the long and twisted life of the first winner of the America’s Cup.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Two interwoven time frames weave together as a mother tries to explain her own teenaged years to her three very different daughters.

The Astrology House by Carinn Jade

My accountability partner’s debut novel, a closed-room murder mystery, takes place on the North Fork of Long Island.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Selected for book group, I was hooked right from the prologue—while also very grateful that I don’t live in Renaissance Italy, even as a duchess.

And for those interested in past Holiday Book Lists (this is #13!), here’s the link.

P.S. Support your Favorite Indie

For the last three years (and it seems like longer), we’ve had a fantastic bookstore right here in Jamestown named Curiosity. It closes very soon (and until then, everything in the store is 50 percent off!), leaving me with a very tall stack of books to read and many, many great memories. Going forward, I’ll do my book buying at Charter Books in Newport or Island Books in Middletown. I like to imagine you all holiday shopping among those cozy stacks, but if that’s not possible you can still support a local independent bookstore through bookshop.org (they send a portion of each purchase to the store of your choice).

Got a favorite book from your 2024 reading, or do you maybe need to discuss Playground just like me? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude. Thanks for being here, and enjoy the festive season!

P.P.S The very sharp-eyed might have spotted a rather familiar title with a different cover “hidden” amongst the other reads for 2024. More about that very soon!

The post Holiday Book List 2024 appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

How to Keep Wingfoiling this Winter

It’s December. And yet, even as the temperature drops, I find myself still checking the evening weather forecast to see if wingfoiling can be worked into the next day’s schedule. 

Thanks to an amazingly warm and dry November, I got in 17 days last month. You’d think that would leave me satisfied and tired enough to pack up my gear and settle into far cozier inside pursuits… but this addiction just won’t quit. The combination of easy access, self-sufficiency, and the joy of silent skimming across an empty harbor leaves me hungry for more; I usually haven’t even pulled off my wetsuit before I start brainstorming about the next possible weather window. 

Short days, long shadows—and we’re still gathering to go wingfoiling

It’s not just me. Last weekend, when I ventured “off-island” to Point Judith, there were close to a dozen wingers buzzing around the Harbor of Refuge—despite air temps that peaked just above 40 degrees. I’m sure the fishing boat crews and ferry passengers thought we were crazy, but it was all smiles in the parking lot. One old sailing friend even talked about winging right through the looming Rhode Island winter—again.

So, for anyone who’s also eager to keep getting on the water, here are five thoughts about how to keep it safe and fun. And, even though cold tolerance is quite personal, I’ve listed what I’m wearing at the bottom of the post.

1. Always go with a buddy

Paul’s new right knee isn’t quite ready to get back on the water, so fortunately there are a couple of other hardy locals who happily coordinate on timing and launch location.

2. Be very choosy about the conditions

There are (many) days that would be fine in summer temps but are just too windy, too cold, or both. Cold air is denser, so this time of year we need less wind to get up on foil—and the top end is a lower number as well.

3. Dress carefully

I’m always so eager to get on the water that it’s hard to take the time to smoothly don each layer. What I’ve learned the hard way: any gaps or wrinkles will let in cold water (and air), shortening my sailing time.

4. Know your limits

I probably wouldn’t be so happy sailing in December if I was still crashing and falling a lot.

5. Make sure it’s still fun

That one should be obvious… but don’t let momentum, or peer pressure, or FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) overwhelm your own personal comfort zone. 

Despite flipping the calendar to December, I’m still hoping to fit in a few more sessions before it’s time to pack up for 2024: a holiday gift to myself. But along with the forecast, I am also going to keep constantly checking my fun-meter. As soon as that drops below the water temperature, I’ll retreat to more appropriate winter pursuits. 

Got a favorite December pastime? Share it in the comments below, or send me an email—even if it’s not water-related. I read every single one, with gratitude. And thanks for being here!

What I’m wearing4/3 full wetsuit, layered between a Zhik hydrophobic top and leggings and a favorite Kokotat dry top. (Others are wearing 5/4 wetsuits.) Impact jacket3mm booties and waterproof socksFleece hood and full helmet

The only real challenge has been keeping my fingers from going numb. Thick gloves don’t work; the tighter wing grip they require makes my forearms cramp up. I tested a bunch of options (sometimes wearing a different one on each hand) before I found Rooster Combi gloves: they are the only reason I can still enjoy wingfoiling once air temps drop below 50 degrees. 

The post How to Keep Wingfoiling this Winter appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

5 Reasons for Gr-Attitude (Today and Every Day)

What, it’s Thanksgiving already?? This year has rushed by, and the recent run of September-like warm days have made it easy to believe that fall is just getting started. Also, I’ve thought almost not at all about food preparations for today’s feast (thanks to the younger generation taking charge), so my favorite holiday has kind of snuck up on me.

And yet I’ve been feeling thankful, almost every day. So today I’m going to list five reasons for this daily drip of grateful-attitude (otherwise known as gr-attitude)—without taking up too much of your holiday. 

1. I have satisfying “work” that almost never seems like a chore.

2. I am able to (mostly) carve out my own life.

3. I get a lot of time on the water, year round.

4. I am healthy, and so are those around me.

5. My work makes me wiser every day as I listen to my elders (and some youngers, too).

Last but not least, the bonus reason for my daily gr-attitude: YOU. Thanks for reading what I put out each week. If you have a moment, please share what you are most appreciating on this special day—especially if it relates to books and/or boats. 

Cheers to all, thanks for being here, and “see” you next Thursday.

The post 5 Reasons for Gr-Attitude (Today and Every Day) appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

Two Writers, Two Unique Stories

Sometimes, friends inspire me to write about them. Last winter, as I followed Brad and Cara Read on their six-month sail around the Western Atlantic, I wanted to better understand both their whys and their hows. Thinking others might also be interested in what makes two hard-working empty-nesters take off on a sailing sabbatical… I proposed an article to the editor of Cruising World. 

I should’ve known I was not the only writer to find such inspiration.

My own result was “More Please,” a summary of clockwise adventure around the Western Atlantic on a comfy and well-equipped 47-foot cruising boat. Brad and Cara left Newport last fall, made it to the Caribbean in time for the holidays, and then explored the Bahamas and the Chesapeake before heading back to New England—just as the marine industry was waking up from its long winter’s nap. Brad’s frequent posts had kept their fans up to date, so when I met them on the boat shortly after their return we didn’t have to waste time on the itinerary.

Interviewing friends is always a treat, because trust gives context to what lies beneath their words. So I was happy with the story I submitted—but I’m really glad that it was finished before I found out journalist Herb McCormick had also written about the Read winter adventures. For the same magazine. Where he used to be an editor. 

My gut reaction was “Oh! Of course, Herb did a better job than I did.” The more rational conclusion is that the two stories just take different approaches. It’s a wonderful reminder that two writers, given the same material, will usually come up with such different stories that they can be published only months apart by the same editor. I like to think that each reinforces the other, rather than sparking the discomfort of “didn’t I already see this?”

You can read both stories on the Cruising World website, and I’d be very curious to hear your thoughts on how they compare:

More Please: Life After Six Months at Sea

The Read Rules

Writing is how I make sense of things, so I’ve already achieved my initial goal: to better understand the whys and hows of this six-month sabbatical. Now I want to know if you still find “living the dream” stories appealing, in an age when we can easily follow our lucky friends in real time. Please share your thoughts in the comments below, or send me an email—I read every single one, with a boatload of gratitude.

P.S. Happy 50th birthday (again) to a fine magazine. I thought I went back a ways, but Herb McCormick started working at Cruising World in 1979, as a receptionist! Read more in Lucky Boy.

The post Two Writers, Two Unique Stories appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

Book Review: Long After We Are Gone

I love books that teach me something without it feeling like a lesson, which is why I gave the novel Long After We Are Gone, by Terah Shelton Harris, a rare five stars shortly after devouring it. I read a lot of character-driven fiction, but I knew this one was different when it opened with an author’s note*. Turns out, Harris is a librarian—and she includes just the right amount of historical context to help me understand the story’s backbone; where the fiction began and ended. 

The author rightly assumed I would know nothing about heir properties, which is land that was passed down without wills or deeds by Black families in the South. “Heir property does not constitute a clear title,” Harris explains, “which means the land is vulnerable to developers, corporations, and governments to use laws to acquire the land.” 

The four siblings who narrate Long After We Are Gone obviously didn’t read the author’s note, because they don’t know much about heir property either when the book opens. But on the very first page their father King suffers a fatal heart attack, so they are forced into a crash course about how this surprisingly uncertain ownership will affect their future dreams—and why King’s last words were  “Don’t let the white man take the house.”

The battle for their inheritance forms the backbone of the story, but it was the very distinctive faults of the two brothers and two sisters that kept me turning pages. Would one learn sign language so he could communicate with his son? Would another accept himself and his sexual orientation? Would the sisters overcome their very, very different obsessions and be able to move on to more fulfilling lives? 

There was more violence than I would’ve preferred, and perhaps more description than was really needed; the trigger warnings (also in the author’s note) were definitely appropriate. But this sensory overload can be blamed in part on the quality and power of the writing, which dropped this reader right into each scene. I could almost smell the wood dust in the workshop when Mance, trying to accept that his baby son Henry might never hear, first tells us that “sound is everything:” 

“When he thinks about Henry navigating the world in silence, his heart quickens—first with anxiety, then with something else. Something he doesn’t have the words for yet. 

“So, he sands… because the truth won’t stop hurting. He sands until the sandpaper tears and the pads of his calloused fingers go numb, until wood dust floats in the air, until the sun creeps up on the entrance of the workshop.”

The way Harris braids together interior worry with exterior sensation enriches both. And, reading this short passage through once more, I’m also stunned by the power of one well-placed tiny word—that “yet.” It signals that Mance will change and grow, even though he doesn’t necessarily want to.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy learning through the fictional lens of flawed characters. It’s also a great reminder that “what is mine to do” is not just for writers; living our best lives is the only thing that can make us truly happy. 

What are you reading as the nights grow longer? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude. 

Read my previous book reviews

*I just started reading Harris’s debut novel, One Summer in Savannah—and it also opens with an equally useful author’s note, complete with trigger warnings. Also equally engrossing!

The post Book Review: Long After We Are Gone appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

3 America’s Cup Lessons: Make Your Words Count

I love to eavesdrop, so I was very excited that this year’s America’s Cup coverage included live audio from all the teams. And long before Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Team Britannia to win the Auld Mug (for the third time in a row), I’d concluded that their communication style was a very important part of that victory. 

Efficient communication is even more crucial when you can’t see your teammates, or anything else hiding behind the mainsail.

Communicating during a sailboat race has been a particular fascination of mine for more than thirty years; my very first article for Sailing World magazine was entitled “Saying the Right Thing.” As an Olympic hopeful, I always tried to listen in on what my competitors were talking about—or NOT bringing up—while rigging or unrigging their boats. Light gossip? Boathandling fumbles? Ideas for speed improvements? Even silence could quickly indicate how much time they had together, team happiness levels, and where they were on the learning curve. 

In a fully professional America’s Cup, of course, the differences were far more subtle. Both the Kiwis and the Brits had spent years practicing and refining their communication—because maneuvering a finicky foiling 75-foot boat around a short race course at 30-40 knots does not leave any time for idle chitchat. No surprise that the basics were extremely similar on both boats; no raised voices or talking over anyone else, consistent countdowns to maneuvers, efficient and precise word choices. 

But over seven races, one difference became obvious: even when races were very close, the Kiwi discussions projected farther into the future. Here are two specific examples of what was NOT said on the Kiwi boat. 

Both teams switched helming duties for every tack and jibe, but only the British actually mentioned the transition from “my wheel” to “your wheel.” After the countdown to each maneuver, the Brits almost always added on a boathandling detail (like “board up” or “board down”). 

Perhaps this was just personal, like two writers who choose different words to describe the same scene; even at such an elite level, one sailor’s necessary detail might be noisy distraction for another. From the outside, though, it sure looked like what they didn’t say was an integral part of the Kiwi win—because it freed up valuable seconds for a deeper conversation. 

So, to help my stories “succeed,”  I’m taking away the following lessons from this exciting series: 

1. Eliminate chatter about “routine” maneuvers; leave that “off the page”

2. Focus on longer-term decisions/big-picture ideas 

And, most importantly of all:

3. The less you say, the more polished the work appears.

Communication choices are often unconscious, and I have no insider knowledge about how each team’s playbooks developed. So it’s possible these subtle differences just… happened. But whether we’re talking about books or boats, professionals don’t rely on coincidence. Whether writing or sailing, it pays to make every word count. 

And one final piece of trivia: It was the first America’s Cup for the Brits since this guy was in charge.

Got a thought about communications, on boats or on the page? Add it to the comments below, or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude. And even if you don’t have anything to add, thanks for reading!

Read America’s Cup Racing: The Sailing is the Easy Part

The post 3 America’s Cup Lessons: Make Your Words Count appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

Happy Halloween, Or Not

I must admit, All Hallows Eve is my least favorite holiday. Even as a kid I gave up trick or treating as soon as Mom let me—and then was tasked with opening the door to my candy-seeking neighbors, feeling like a stay-at-home loser each time I handed out a mini chocolate bar to one of my classmates. It’s not that I don’t enjoy donning other personas… I just prefer to do so on the page. (For one thing, there’s no need to actually dress up.)

In my adult neighborhood, the kids all gather downtown for an organized event, so we are able to skip the frenzy of candy-buying and costume-making. Occasionally I’ll catch a glimpse out my office window of a tiny goblin or ghost or kitty cat wandering up the road, and it brings a smile—especially if the costume is homemade. But mostly I remain happily oblivious to the festivities.

This year, Halloween does mark the end of a rather spectacular October; the warm days are growing shorter, and the clocks will soon push sunset (and sunrise) back an hour. This year, I’m looking forward to winter’s hunkering down: reading, jigsaw puzzles, soup making—and, of course, writing myself into new personas. 

What about you, any great Halloween memories from childhood? (Or were you also just not that into it?) Share your thoughts in the comments below—especially if you think I’m being too curmudgeonly. And thanks for reading!

The post Happy Halloween, Or Not appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

Making Snipe Sailing New Again

Even if you’ve only been reading this blog for a short while, you probably know that Snipe sailing has been my primary racing for most of the past three decades. So it may surprise you to hear that I had an entirely new experience at the 2024 Snipe Masters’ Nationals in San Diego. 

Due to a unique alignment of the stars (and several scheduling conflicts), I teamed up with a local friend to race on Mission Bay, a notoriously difficult body of water that provides some of the best one design competition in the country. The short version? Eric Heim and I had a great time sailing together, but we also learned (or re-learned) quite a few lessons to take back to our more “regular” programs. Here are my top four.

1. Rigging Refresh

Eric has spent a lot of time updating an older boat, including many rigging improvements that might inspire me to dig out my line splicing tools. It’s all too easy to just keep setting up a boat the same way… so it was great to step into one that was in some ways more modern than my own.

2. Keep it simple

With two skippers in the boat, we soon realized that our boathandling was not going to gain us any places against far more practiced teams. Instead we got good starts, and then tried to stay in the best pressure—while minimizing tacking or jibing. 

3. Listen to the tiller

Eric is a local, but he’s used to driving—so he was missing one very valuable source of input about what we should do next. I learned to share what I was feeling and then balance that against his well-honed Mission Bay instincts, in time to make a decision—fun comms that generally led to a consensus. 

4. Fun is the best reward

We generally rounded the first mark in a better position than we finished five legs later, a sign that more time in the boat together would’ve helped our results… but we always came off the water smiling. Long after our ninth place finish has faded from memory, I’ll definitely remember all the laughter both on and off the boat.

Snipe sailing is a lifetime pursuit that has many different phases, but the bottom-line of friendship carries throughout. Thanks to Eric for providing a turn-key operation that re-taught me some old lessons—and provided an entirely new Snipe experience. Here’s hoping the stars align again to sail together someday!

The post Making Snipe Sailing New Again appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.