Map: Steve Stankiewicz FEATURES » A Less-Saintly St. Paul Cruising up the Mississippi River to this Twin City, you can see stunning fall foliage and towering skyscrapers. But unless you know local history, you may not realize you’re about to dock in a former haven for the likes of Bugsy Siegel and Ma Barker. By Liz Pasch / Photography By Steve Woit Hudson River Melting Pot Ever find a cool historical chart of your favorite cruising grounds? Our writer downloaded several via the Internet and then enlisted his daughter to help him follow a route from Manhattan to Newburgh in search of their family’s history. By Ben Ellison / Photography By Matt Helminski, Craig Wallace Dale, and Ben Ellison Waiting for the Big One Belize is taking steps to attract powerboat cruisers. Our writer is among the first, drawn by blue waters and bonefishing. By Jen Haupt / Photography By Jim Raycroft Jim Leishman’s Home Run This Nordhavn principal has cruised around the world, but he still finds his home waters in California among the best for boating. By Matt Trulio / Photography By Tim Rue DEPARTMENTS» Cruising Calendar A witch gathering, cherry blossoms, Cinco de Mayo, and opening day for the Chicago White Sox in Comiskey Park. By Eileen Murphy Cool Cruising Boats Wilbur Duffy 38 and Uniesse 53; plus news from Cruisers Yachts, Mainship, and Vicem Yachts. By Elizabeth Ginns Britten Geared Up Not-so-cheap sunglasses from Vuarnet, Persol, and Prada prove eye protection can look sharp. By Dave Kelley Helm Shot This Eastbay owner loves being a guinea pig for ambitious new helm gizmos, and that includes Raymarine’s H6 “command center.” By Ben Ellison Coast Guard Debrief When first-time powerboaters without PFDs lose engine power on the Sacramento River, they end up drifting toward a potentially deadly wing dam. By Deputy Chief Ed Sweeney, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Living Aboard The stakes rise during poker night onboard Nonchalant after the Harbor Patrol suspects commercial gambling. By Katherine Bellows and Jim Mitchell My Story After a hit-and-run lobsterman T-boned our author’s family boat, she learned plenty about legal rights––and what she should have done differently. By Frances Cerra Whittelsey Grand Weekend Luscious lagoons and plenty of onshore activity line the Indian River from Vero Beach to Fort Pierce on Florida’s East Coast. By Greg Breining Rendezvous Roundup Seattle’s Seafair is an annual rendezvous for boaters of all stripes, including dinghy skippers with water balloons in hand. By Capt.Ron Parker This Old Boat If you’re looking for an Ocean Alexander that’s still got a lot of cruising miles left in her hull, this may be the boat for you. By Brad Dunn The Hot Sheet Clean diesel fuel is one important key to happy cruising. There are plenty of ways to ensure your boat’s diesel is free of contaminants, from hiring professional fuel polishers to installing additional access plates on your baffled fuel tank. By Paul Esterle Waypoint The dreaded whirlpool of Charybdis that Homer describes so clearly in The Odyssey may just be the modern-day Strait of Messina, with its distsinct tides rushing across the channel between Sicily and the Italian mainland. By Peter Nichols CONTRIBUTORS COMPASS ROSE POSTCARDS