Nimble 24 Sailboat Grit
Welcome to the page about all things Grit, our Nimble 24 sailboat, from building a pine shelf that holds our coffee mugs out of the way under the bridge deck, to the anchor gear that’s kept her from dragging in 40-plus knot gales, to sailing her to Ocracoke on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Grit draws just 16 inches of water, which makes her the perfect boat for sounds and barrier islands where deeper-keeled boats cannot go. When we’re not out sailing, she lives in our hay barn, close enough for evening gin rummy games at the drop-leaf table that covers the centerboard.
-
Small Craft Warning: How I Repaired the Tiller I Broke Sailing in 25 Knots
The morning my tiller broke, I woke to a small craft warning on board my Nimble 24 sailboat Grit and decided to go sailing anyway. I hoisted her tanbark sails,…
-
No Fridge, One Burner, Two Weeks: Cooking Aboard a Small Sailboat at Shackleford Banks
My wrist caught the bowl of oatmeal on Grit‘s galley table. It did a steamy Charlie Brown loop and landed next to the centerboard case with a plop, spraying oatmeal…
-
25-Foot Sailboat: Are We Closer at Sea or on Land?
My wife Julia and I have spent the last two weeks anchored off Shackleford Banks on our 25-foot sailboat Grit. We came here to learn more about how wild horses…
-
Life in 8 Feet: A Couple Lives Aboard a Small Sailboat
The last thing I do at night on our sailboat Grit before I drop off to sleep is say, “Goodnight Chickadee,” reach over the table that sits on top of…
-
Wild Horses, Rough Seas and Lessons from Shackleford Banks
This week Julia and I joined Lynne Carnes on her Creative Spirits Unleashed podcast to talk about our time aboard Grit with the wild ponies of Shackleford Banks. Lynne interviewed…
-
How to Provision a Sailboat for Two Weeks: Why the Sausages Worked but the Wine Didn’t
The homemade cured sausages that survived Lucky and Diggity were a hit. The bottle of red wine that had a cork instead of a cap was a bust. Here is…
-
Sketching Grit: How We Fit a Life Aboard a Nimble 24
How do 2 people live in 8 feet? I’m writing a post about that right now. The working title is Life in 8 Feet — it’s about the two weeks…
-
The Rock, the Vine, and a 40-Knot Gale: Anchoring at Shackleford Banks
“The single commandment of anchoring is, ‘Thou shall create scope.’” Reese Palley / flamboyant art dealer, author, sailor, environmentalist and businessman The best time to write a post about anchoring…
-
The Day Grit Went Adrift, Ge Fouled and Sideswiped off Shackleford Banks
Yesterday I wrote about how Grit fouled her anchor, went adrift and got sideswiped off Shackleford Banks. That night, after the day’s adventure settled down, Julia and I sat across…
-
Adrift, Fouled and Sideswiped off Shackleford Banks
Six days after dropping the anchor off Shackleford Banks, and two days after the 40-knot gale beat us up, it was time to move Grit to the Bight on the…
-
Shackleford Banks: Six Nights at Anchor
Good morning from Grit off Shackleford Banks. We’re anchored two miles from the western end of Shackleford Banks where the island meets Beaufort Inlet. Calm weather today, so we’re making…
-
A Calm Night at Anchor: Shackleford Banks After the Storm
Goodnight from Julia and me, anchored off Shackleford Banks aboard our sailboat Grit. Dead calm tonight. Low tide. Two nights ago, right here, a little wind crawled into our open…
-
Fairy Lights in a 40-Knot Gale: Anchored Out at Shackleford Banks
That morning, watching the breakers crash on the ocean side of Shackleford Banks, I had dictated this into my phone. I’m standing on the ocean side of Shackleford Banks and…
-
Sunrise at Anchor: Shackleford Banks From Aboard Grit
Good Sunday morning from aboard Grit anchored off Shackleford Banks. I was lying in my berth this morning, wrapped in my cozy green wool blanket when Julia said, “Wow, look…
-
Small Boat, Wild Island: Life Aboard a Sailboat off Shackleford Banks
My wife Julia and I are settling into life aboard our yawl Grit off Shackleford Banks, North Carolina. While Julia just posted about our second day on the island, I…
-
Sailing to Shackleford: The Adventure Begins With a Sinking
The last thing my wife Julia said as I pushed our two kayaks into the water instead of loading them onto the deck of our Nimble 24 sailboat Grit was,…
-
Launching Grit: Storms Delay the Start of Our Shackleford Banks Voyage
Thunder storms, downpours and a tornado. Whew. Today was the day Julia and I were going to launch our sailboat Grit in the Neuse River and head toward Shackleford Banks.…
-
Shackleford Banks: Sailing to the Island of the Wild Horses
As promised last week in my get-the-boat-ready-to-float list, here’s a hand-drawn (as opposed to AI-drawn) map of where Julia and I are heading for our mid-March trip. We’re sailing to…
-
The Grit List: A Broken Axle Before Shackleford Banks Voyage
My wife Julia and I plan to sail our Nimble 24 sailboat Grit to Shackleford Banks, North Carolina, this March to study the wild horses that live there. But before…
-
The Grit List: Things to Do Before Setting Sail for Shackleford Banks
My wife Julia and I are sailing our yawl Grit to Shackleford Banks, North Carolina, to observe the wild horses that live there. We plan to head out March 15…
-
Why I Prefer an Outboard Well Over Transom Mount on My Nimble 24
Vince recently wrote me the following: Good morning. I was wondering how you feel about having the outboard in the cockpit well. It seems like it would be noisy and…
-
Back Under Sail After 22 Years: Why the Nimble 24 Sailboat Is the Perfect Shallow-Draft Cruiser
Grit‘s tanbark sails glowed in the setting sun as we sailed up Broad Creek. We ghosted into a cove under full sail and I lowered the anchor into the tea-colored…
← Back to Travel by Sail — more trips aboard Sea Bird, Windora, and other boats.
Let's Keep in Touch
Sign up for The River, the RiverEarth newsletter, for occasional doses of rambling and homestead life. Plus you'll get a free copy of my 155-page illustrated ebook 19 Million Mule Steps.
Explore More of RiverEarth
