Above: Rolf helms the Assos off the Greek island of Sikinos.

The current, Spring/Summer issue of Outside Traveler features a new story of mine, entitled “Cycladian Rhythm,” which documents my sailing trip through the Greek Cyclades last fall. “To glimpse these islands from the seat of a plane or the deck of a commercial ferry is no doubt a thrill,” I write, “but I’ve resolved to explore them in the purest sense. Just as the Sahara is best seen by camel and Machu Picchu ideally approached by the Inca Trail, I’m wagering the Cyclades are best experienced from the deck of a sailboat.”

Since sailing is not exactly my forte I get a crash course in the sailing arts aboard a 55-foot sloop called the Assos (a name which created much mirth for the crew), with a lot of help from Berkeley-based OCSC Sailing, which organized a flotilla in the islands.

To my knowledge, the article is not available online, but it should be on newsstands for the next several months (and OCSC has posted a 1.9mb pdf of the article here).