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John’s Thoughts & Photos—January 2017
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Read more: John’s Thoughts & Photos—January 2017John’s thinking about seasickness (yet again), climate change, RIBs, oil analysis, good books for long winter evenings…and the beach.
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Seasickness Revisited
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Read more: Seasickness RevisitedIt’s been a while since we looked at the ultimate cruise spoiler, seasickness. Here are a couple of new-to-us remedies and an appeal for more.
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Marine Electronics—Ease of Use Trumps Features
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Read more: Marine Electronics—Ease of Use Trumps FeaturesJohn is back on one of his favourite hobby horses: tips for buying the right marine electronics for going offshore…rather than the right marine electronics to enrich the companies that make this stuff. And he wants your help on this in the comments.
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The Artnautica LRC 58 Adventure Edition Offshore Motorboat
51 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: The Artnautica LRC 58 Adventure Edition Offshore MotorboatFour Artnautica LRC 58s are already launched or in build. Here are some new storm survival and layout options based on John and Phyllis’ decades of living on and sailing an expedition sailboat.
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Thinking About Better Offshore Motorboats
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Read more: Thinking About Better Offshore MotorboatsOffshore motorboats could be safer, faster, and much, much, more fuel efficient. John looks at how, and some innovative boats that are making that happen.
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John’s Thoughts & Photos—December
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Read more: John’s Thoughts & Photos—DecemberJohn’s thinking about Whitbread 60s, paying to sail, boatyards, watermakers, and climate change…something for everyone.
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Jacklines: Materials, Fabrication and Installation
105 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Jacklines: Materials, Fabrication and InstallationAre you making or ordering jacklines to keep your crew safely on the boat? John takes a deep dive into the right material, stitching, and attachment techniques. This is truly a project where the details matter.
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The Unknown Unknowns
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Read more: The Unknown UnknownsWe sometimes write about cool new gear here at AAC, but now it’s time to take a step back and remind ourselves of the vital stuff that will actually get us out there voyaging.
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John’s Thoughts & Photos—November
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Read more: John’s Thoughts & Photos—NovemberJohn’s thinking about a little bit of everything: single handed racing, cutless bearings, and prime lenses.
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Banishing Sidedeck Jacklines Forever
38 CommentsReading Time: 5 minutesFree
Read more: Banishing Sidedeck Jacklines ForeverWe have shown that sidedeck jacklines are deeply flawed and may even be more dangerous than no jacklines at all, due to drag risk and the false sense of security they confer. But can we get rid of them and still work our boats efficiently? Yes, we can! Here’s how, with video proof.
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An Easy Way to Avoid Engine Failures
44 CommentsReading Time: 3 minutesMembers
Read more: An Easy Way to Avoid Engine FailuresA quick read that can make a huge difference to the reliability of your engine.
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John’s Thoughts & Photos—October #3
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Read more: John’s Thoughts & Photos—October #3Lots of laying-up tips in this one. Stuff that can save you a bunch of time and aggravation.
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A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 2
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Read more: A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 2Considering a cockpit enclosure? Building one that a real sailor can love takes a deep fixation on getting the details right.
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“Cheeki Rafiki” Loss Update
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Read more: “Cheeki Rafiki” Loss UpdateMore developments on the tragedy, but John still thinks that the most important point is being missed.
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A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 1
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Read more: A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 1Benafits and drawbacks of a cockpit enclosure for an offshore sailboat.
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John’s Thoughts & Photos—October #2
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Read more: John’s Thoughts & Photos—October #2This week, John’s thinking about laying up.
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John’s Thoughts & Photos—October #1
73 CommentsReading Time: 6 minutesFreeRead more: John’s Thoughts & Photos—October #1John’s got a creative itch to scratch. Here is the first of a new type of post.
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20 Things I Have Learned About Crew Overboard Prevention
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Read more: 20 Things I Have Learned About Crew Overboard PreventionJust three years ago I thought I really understood Crew Overboard (COB) Prevention. And then I found out how many of my cherished ideas about what would keep me and my crew safe were just plain wrong. Here are 20 things I have since learned that could save your life.
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The Perfect Anchor Roller
96 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: The Perfect Anchor RollerThere are few pieces of gear on many voyaging boats that are as poorly designed as the anchor roller. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
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Q&A—Are Battery Desulphators a Good Idea?
17 CommentsReading Time: 4 minutesMembers
Read more: Q&A—Are Battery Desulphators a Good Idea?The claims made for battery pulse desulphators seem to make them ideal for voyaging boats. A cheap, easy to install gadget that will dramatically extend your expensive batteries’ lives. What’s not to like? But do they really work? John takes a look.
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A Podcast With John and Andy Schell
11 CommentsReading Time: 2 minutesFree
Read more: A Podcast With John and Andy SchellJohn has finally learned about podcasts and specifically offshore voyaging podcasts. He has now been interviewed not just once, but twice.
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Goop and Goo, and Why I Hate 5200
87 CommentsReading Time: 4 minutesFree
Read more: Goop and Goo, and Why I Hate 5200If you want to watch John have a complete melt down, just mention 5200 bedding compound…but stand well back, it ain’t pretty. Not just a rant, John suggests better alternatives.
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Battery Replacement—Resisting The Seduction of Perfection
37 CommentsReading Time: 5 minutesFree
Read more: Battery Replacement—Resisting The Seduction of PerfectionThe story of how John nearly wasted a bunch of time and money, but finally got a grip of himself. Lots of electrical system recommendations and a caution to make sure that the complexity we choose is right for us.
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Hoisting the Mainsail Made Easy—Simplicity in Action
85 CommentsReading Time: 4 minutesMembers
Read more: Hoisting the Mainsail Made Easy—Simplicity in ActionWhen we have a problem on our boats, it’s always tempting to try to fix it by adding gear, but often a better approach is simplification. We look at mainsail hoisting as an example and provide several tips to make the job easier.
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Ten Tips To Fix Weather Helm
62 CommentsReading Time: 6 minutesMembers
Read more: Ten Tips To Fix Weather HelmThere are few problems that detract more from the pleasure of sailing than a bad case of weather helm, a surprisingly common affliction. The good news is that this problem can be fixed.
