Is it possible to convert a sailor to power, or vice versa? We find out on a pair of Key West charters.

October 2003

More of this Feature • Part 1: Trading Places • Part 2: As the Screw Turns • Part 3: Sailboat, Snailboat • Trading Places Photo Gallery
Related Resources • Cruising/Chartering Index
Elsewhere on the Web • Florida Yacht Charters

They say you’re either a powerboater or a sailor, you can’t be both. Maybe that’s why there’s so often animosity between the two groups.

But we wondered if that’s really true. What would happen if we put a die-hard powerboater on a sailboat and a die-hard sailor on a powerboat? Would it be a classic case of trying to jam square pegs into round holes? Or could it be possible that we could convince one—or maybe even both—of our test subjects to come over to the Dark Side? To find out, we put an editor from our sister publication, Sail, on a 43-foot Mainship and an editor from PMY on a 41-foot Hunter for about three days and then sat back and waited for the fireworks.

And here’s what happened. —Elizabeth A. Ginns

Next page > As the Screw Turns > Page 1, 2, 3, 4