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Read more: Large Sea Anchors, Not Recommended
For many years large sea anchors were thought by many, including us, to be the ultimate storm survival option. In this post we detail the disadvantages of large sea anchors that we believe substantially outweigh the advantages and why we got rid of ours.
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Read more: Stopping Wave Strikes While Heaved-ToSome of the options that we can use to solve the dangerous problem of wave strikes while heaved-to that I described in the last chapter.
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Read more: Jordan Series Drogue Retrieval SystemThe storm struck, you deployed your Jordan Series Drogue and rode it out without problems, but now the wind is dropping and it’s time to retrieve the drogue so you can get sailing again and head for port before the next blow hits. But you are shorthanded and tired and the task seems insurmountable. In this chapter we share our tested method for drogue retrieval.
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Read more: When Heaving-To Is DangerousAs wonderful as heaving-to is, done wrong it can be dangerous. In this post we tell you about when heaving-to went wrong for us, and what to watch out for.
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Read more: Heaving-ToAs we have shared in earlier chapters in this Online Book, we now believe that for extreme weather where large breaking waves may be present, a Series Drogue, as designed by Don Jordan, is the best survival strategy. That said, heaving-to is still a technique that not only can save your bacon in a gale, but is also surprisingly comfortable and useful for taking a break from the demands of shorthanded voyaging. In this chapter we tell…
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Read more: Goals For A Heavy Weather System
Before discussing the actual nuts and bolts of our gale and storm survival gear and strategy, I’m going to write a bit about the goals that Phyllis and I keep in mind when we are putting together gear and thinking about strategy for dealing with heavy weather at sea on our own boat, Morgan’s Cloud—you can’t set a course until you know what the destination is.
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Read more: Introduction—We Need A SystemMany of us buy storm survival gear, throw it in a corner of the lazarette, and head off to sea congratulating ourselves on our foresight and seamanship. But when we do that, we have not really prepared for a storm at sea. In this introductory chapter I explain why having a real storm survival system is so important.
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Read more: A Fundamental Danger Of NMEA 2000 NetworksNMEA 2000 Networks are fast becoming the standard on sail and motorboats but it’s important to guard against a fundamental weakness that can leave us with no position or radar and few good options.
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Read more: Why Not eBooks?Sometimes people ask us why we opted to write Online Books rather than downloadable eBooks in PDF or ePub (Kindle and iThings) format. Here’s the answer: It’s a Moving Target One of the most wonderful things about offshore sailing is that we never know it all. In fact, the more we learn and the more […]
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Read more: John’s Thoughts & Photos, May 2013A Race For Real Sailors I’m thinking that some of you might be interested in learning more about the series of races that the original Bluenose was built to win. A series that was inspired by the desire of working schooner fishermen to go out and show a bunch of effete yachtsmen racing expensive, silly […]
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Read more: 8 Tips For a Great Cruising Boat Interior ArrangementMost cruising boats, both power and sail, have interior arrangements that are designed to look good at a boat show, not work well offshore or when living aboard for extended periods while voyaging. Here’s how to fix that.
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Read more: The Stars May Be Out…Sometimes cruising in foreign lands in a foreign language can be exhausting and overwhelming. That’s when the kindness of strangers can make all the difference. Colin describes just such an experience during their approach to Rio de Janeiro.
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Read more: Cycle Loading—8 Tips for Boat and Gear PurchasesIn this chapter, John applies the theory of cycle loading that Matt explained in the last chapter to come up with solid rules you can apply to boat and gear purchases.
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Read more: The Cure for Gerbil BrainI sometimes suffer from an affliction I have come to call Gerbil Brain. I’m sure none of you are thinking that this refers to the size of my brain are you? No, I thought not.
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Read more: Electric or Diesel-Electric Drives for Voyaging BoatsElectric and diesel-electric (hybrid) drives have become all the rage in recent years. But are they really a more efficient option for offshore cruising sailboats? In this chapter we take a solid and arithmetically rigorous approach, based on advice from two professional engineers with substantial experience of electric drive use on land, to cut through the hype and answer that question.
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The Boat Galley Cookbook: 800 Everyday Recipes and Essential Tips for Cooking Aboard
21 CommentsReading Time: 2 minutesFree
Read more: The Boat Galley Cookbook: 800 Everyday Recipes and Essential Tips for Cooking AboardI have to admit that I was leery about writing this review of Carolyn Shearlock’s and Jan Irons’ fresh-off-the-press cookbook, since John and I do a lot of cooking, both on and off the boat, and are a long way down the gustatory road from making casseroles with condensed mushroom soup and dried onion soup […]
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Read more: Two Anchors Done RightColin discusses how to set two anchors when there is no other way to anchor safely.
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Cyclical Loading: Why Offshore Sailing Is So Hard On A Boat
22 CommentsReading Time: 5 minutesMembers
Read more: Cyclical Loading: Why Offshore Sailing Is So Hard On A BoatIt’s an all too common story: a boat that has been structurally fine for years while sailing inshore starts to come apart as soon as she is sailed offshore. This chapter explains why and will give you a good basis in the underlying engineering theory that will help you choose a boat that won’t let you down offshore.
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Read more: Voyaging and The Privilege of Being ThereQuestion: How do you make great travel photographs? Answer: F8 and be there.
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Read more: Harnesses and Lifejackets and How to Use ThemYour harness, its fit, and how you use it are among the most important parts of staying safe on a boat offshore. In this chapter I share what we have learned in 140,000 miles of offshore sailing, most of it short-handed, about harnesses and lifejackets, the features to look for, and their use.
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Read more: Spring Photography on a CaneSeveral readers have asked me about how my recovery from my accident is coming along. (For those of you who don’t know, I was descending the Hillary Step, after summiting without oxygen, carrying a Sherpa who had collapsed, poor fellow, when I slipped and broke my leg. Oh, you don’t believe that? How about this?)
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Read more: Keeping The Water FlowingColin has some great tips that will help you maintain your engine’s raw water system.
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Read more: Islands On The EdgePelerin’s shoal draft comes in very handy when Colin and Lou visit the National Park of the Arqipélago dos Abrolhos—a remote island archipelago and one of those places where you feel about as safe as the mouse that dwelt in the cat’s ear (Bill Tilman).
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Read more: Adventure 40—Engine and Drive TrainEngine and drive train specification for the Adventure 40.
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Read more: Broken Skipper—What We Did Wrong
Phyllis discusses what they would do differently in the future to handle a life-threatening situation like John’s hiking accident.
