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Articles in this topic:
- Five Tips To Get Ready For Happy Cruising
- Yet More Maintenance Tips
- Can We Make a $30,000 Cruiser Offshore Ready?
- Orca Navigation System Review, Part 3—Core Capabilities and Uses
- Orca Navigation System Review, Part 2—Core Installation and Setup
- Orca Navigation System Review, Part 1—Architecture and Display
- Victron AGM Super Cycle Battery Review
- Choosing The Right Alternator, Part 2—Other Criteria
- Choosing The Right Alternator, Part 1—Efficiency
- Forgiveness, The Forgotten Selection Factor
- Making Large Alternators Safer With Whitespace Programming
- 18 Tips To Install A Cruiser’s Alternator
- Efficient Generator-Based Electrical Systems For Yachts
- Right Sizing an Alternator
- Multihull and Monohull Storm Tactics Compared
- Catamaran, Trimaran, or Monohull—Capsize Risk
- Jackline Usage Thoughts
- Catamaran, Trimaran, or Monohull—Motion Comfort
- Limiting COB Drag Risk On A Smaller Boat
- Sail Buying Tips
- Radar Collision Avoidance, Part 2—Turning Plotting Into Action
- Flawed Jackline Systems Revisited
- Radar Collision Avoidance, Part 1—Plotting
- TeamO Backtow Lifejacket/Harness Review
- 20 Practical Tips For Better Watchkeeping
- Reefing Tips
- 6 Tips For Mindful Watchkeeping
- How Many Reefs and How Deep?
- The Risks Of Sidedeck Jacklines Quantified
- 11 Tips For A Good Watch System
- Building a Robust and Practical Hard Dodger
- Tether Tension On A Dragging Crew Overboard
- 8 Offshore Cruising Boat & Gear Evaluation Tips
- Rigging Tips Part 2
- Spinlock Deckvest 6D Review
- Safe and Easy Offshore Sailing—When to Reef, Part 2
- Electrical Tips
- Why We Don’t Recommend Boom Brakes
- Safe and Easy Offshore Sailing—When to Reef, Part 1
- Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 3—The Details
- A Small-Boat Anchoring System
- When Is A Cruising Sailboat Too Big?
- Is Your Engine Properly Fused?
- Better Jacklines
- Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 2—Line and Gear Strength Calculator
- Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 1—Forces and Angles
- Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—21 Preparation Tips
- Rebuilding a Cobra Yacht Steering System—Reassembly
- Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—9 Tips for Anchorage and Harbour Selection
- Rebuilding a Cobra Yacht Steering System—Disassembly and Inspection
- Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—12 Strategy Tips
- 10 Reasons Why Hybrid Lithium Lead-Acid Systems are a Bad Idea
- Converting a Racing Sailboat to a Fast Cruiser—Performance and Rig
- Hurricane Mooring Weight Recommendation
- Lithium Buyer’s Guide—Budget: Economy Options
- Applying Power and Torque
- Hurricane Mooring Pennant Photo Article
- Understanding Power and Torque
- Lithium Buyer’s Guide—Budget: High End System
- Close to Home, Yet Far Away
- Wakespeed WS500 Compared To ARCO Zeus—What Matters
- 63 Cruising Boat Maintenance Tips
- Adventure 40 Electrical System—Part 1, Voltage and Batteries
- Deck Hardware Mounting Photo Essay
- Lithium Battery Buyer’s Guide—Fusing
- The Rolling Refit Continues
- Lithium Batteries Buyer’s Guide—Current (Amps) Requirements and Optimal Voltage
- The Zen of Sail Covers
- Lithium Batteries Buyer’s Guide—Balancing and Monitoring
- Selecting The Right Hull Form
- Lithium Batteries Buyer’s Guide—BMS Requirements
- Why We Have an eWincher on a Small Boat
- Electronic Chart Dangers
- Review of Ocean Signal PLB3 Against MOB1
- Weather Analysis—Part 2, Strategic
- Weather Analysis—Part 1, Tactical
- Yes, You Can Have an Offshore Sailboat For Less Than $US100,000
- Spade Anchor Failure, Update and Summary
- Weather Analysis—Hardware and Software
- Bilge Alarms And Monitoring
- Bent Spade Anchor Analysis
- 9 Tips to Assess Weather Forecast Accuracy
- Easily Driven Boats Are Better
- Sailing a New-To-Us Boat Home—What Could Go Wrong?
- Replacing Diesel-Generated Electricity With Renewables, Part 2—Case Studies
- Replacing Diesel-Generated Electricity With Renewables, Part 1—Loads and Options
- How Weight Affects Boat Performance and Motion Comfort
- Adventure 40 Cockpit 2.0
- Falmouth For Orders
- Watt & Sea Hydrogenerator Buyer’s Guide—Cost Performance
- To Sea At Last
- 11 Tips To Save Your Engine From Overheating
- Safety Inspection and Gear For a New-To-Us Boat
- Fire Extinguishers We Have Bought and Stuff We Learned
- Liferafts For Cruisers—Positioning and Mounting
- Starting With The Basics On A New-To-Us Cruising Boat
- Going Up The Mast—More Improvements
- Liferafts For Cruisers—40 Years of Real-World Experience
- Nine Autopilot Usage Tips and Hacks
- Liferafts For Cruisers—Purchase Criteria
- How To Tune An Autopilot To Steer Better—Part 2
- Finding and Buying a Dream
- Adventure 40 Deck-2.0
- How To Tune an Autopilot to Steer Better—Part 1
- Autopilot Buyer’s Guide
- Storm Strategy—Fore-Reaching
- Colin and Louise Have a New Boat
- Eight Steps to Get Ready For Lithium Batteries
- Q and A—Trucking a Boat
- A Real World Tested Tool Kit For Cruisers
- Five Boat Lift Usage Tips
- Adventure 40 Reveal—Salon and Forward Cabin
- Balancing Battery Bank and Solar Array Size
- Going Up The Mast at Sea
- Adventure 40 Reveal—Galley, Head, and Aft Storage
- Gear Leveling and Mounting Hack
- Going Up The Mast—Four Dangerous But Common Mistakes
- How To Do Amateur Engineering¹
- Going Up The Mast—Our System
- Going Up The Mast—Fundamentals
- Adventure 40 Reveal—On Deck
- Going Up the Mast—An Industrial Fall Prevention Approach
- Adventure 40 Reveal—Hull, Cockpit, and Rig
- In-Mast, In-Boom, or Slab Reefing —Performance, Cost and Safety
- In-Mast, In-Boom, or Slab Reefing—Convenience and Reliability
- Cross-Bank Battery Charging—DC/DC Chargers
- Cross-Bank Battery Charging—Splitters and Relays
- Battery Bank Separation and Cross-Charging Best Practices
- How Hard Can We Charge Our Lead-Acid Batteries?
- Choosing & Installing Battery Switches
- Battery Containment—Part 1
- 5 Safety Tips For Working on Boat DC Electrical Systems
- Building a Seamanlike Lithium Battery System
- Two More Shore Power Safety Upgrades
- 9 Tips To Select Seamanlike Gear
- Download Cruising Sailboat Rig Checklist
- When Stuff Goes Wrong At Sea
- 8 Tips To Prevent Lithium Battery Black Outs
- Why Lithium Battery Load Dumps Matter
- Cruising Sailboat Roller Furler and Track Inspection
- Positioning of Wood Plugs For Seacocks
- The True Price of Autopilots & Vane Gears
- Cruising Sailboat Rig Wiring and Lighting Inspection
- 7 Checks To Stop Our DC Electrical System From Burning Our Boat
- 11 Self-Steering Vane Gear Installation and Usage Tips
- Why Most New-To-Us Boat Electrical Systems Must Be Rebuilt
- Cruising Sailboat Running Rigging Inspection
- 12 Cruising Boat Maintenance Tips
- Wakespeed WS500—Best Alternator Regulator for Lead Acid and Lithium Batteries
- Cruising Sailboat Standing Rigging Inspection
- Cruising Sailboat Spar Inspection
- Test Sail and Review of The Boréal 47.2
- Going Alongside (Docking)—12 More Tips and Tricks
- John Goes Sailboat Racing and Learns Stuff
- Protecting Our Boat’s Underwater Metals From Corrosion
- Going Alongside (Docking) in Current—Backing In
- Details Matter—Engine Failure at Sea
- Going Alongside (Docking) in Current—Turning in Confined Spaces
- Going Alongside (Docking) in Current—Fundamentals
- Helping a Member Choose an Anchor
- A Good First Aid Kit
- Why I Won’t Power Our Boat With a Portable Generator
- Setting and Striking a Spinnaker Made Easy and Safe
- Check Your Boat Shore Power System
- Our New Boat Selection Process—Fitness For Mission
- Cruiser’s Tool Kit—Wrenches
- 29 Tips To Get Insurance For Offshore Voyaging—Negotiating Cover
- 29 Tips To Get Insurance For Offshore Voyaging—Us and Our Boat
- Cruiser’s Power Tool Kit
- Leaving a Dock Against an Onshore Wind—Part 2
- Leaving a Dock Against an Onshore Wind—Part 1
- Getting Insurance For Offshore Voyaging—Understanding The Problem
- 14 Tips To Come Alongside Single-Handed—Part 2
- 14 Tips for Coming Alongside Single-handed—Part 1
- Integrating and Documenting NMEA 0183 and 2000 Networks
- Two More Anchor Selection Criteria
- Making Anchor Tests More Meaningful
- Choosing A Cruising Boat—Shade and Ventilation
- When Electric Drive Works For a Cruising Sailboat
- Roller Furling Headsail Risks and Rewards
- Choosing a Cruising Boat—Shelter
- Q&A—Sailboat Performance, When The Numbers Fail
- Offshore Sailboat Winches, Selection and Positioning
- Best Offshore Boat Cockpit Cushions
- Buying a Boat—A Different Way To Think About Price
- Safety: We Can’t Do Or Even Learn About It All
- Cockpits—Part 2, Visibility and Ergonomics
- Cooking Options For Live-aboard Voyagers—Part 2, Liquid Fuel
- Cooking Options For Live-aboard Voyagers—Part 1, Electric
- Cockpits—Part 1, Safe and Seamanlike
- Should Your Boat’s DC Electrical System Be 12 or 24 Volt?—Part 2
- Should Your Boat’s DC Electrical System Be 12 or 24 Volt?—Part 1
- Topping Lift Tips and a Hack
- The Danger of Voltage Drops From High Current (Amp) Loads
- Rigid Vangs
- Maretron—Better NMEA 2000 Cabling
- Is Induction Cooking For Boats Practical?
- eWincher Electric Winch Handle Review—Part 3, Reliability and Summary
- eWincher Electric Winch Handle Review—Part 2, The Competition
- eWincher Electric Winch Handle Review—Part 1, Our Testing
- Second Level Thinking About Offshore Voyaging Boats
- Sailboat Deck Layouts
- US$30,000 Starter Cruiser—Part 2, The Boat We Bought
- US$30,000 Starter Cruiser—Part 1, How We Shopped For Our First Cruising Sailboat
- Washing Machines: Complexity and Space Considerations
- Planning a Refit— Keel Removal and Inspection
- Q&A Backing Out of a Bow-In Med Moor
- Two New Designs From Boréal
- Stupid Alternator Regulators Get Smarter…Finally
- Sail Area: Overlap, Multihulls, And Racing Rules
- Torquing Keel Bolts
- Refits—The Radical Option
- Non-Destructive Testing of Keel Bolts
- Cruising Rigs—Sloop, Cutter, or Solent?
- Offshore Sailboat Keel Types
- Outbound 46 Review—Part 2, Keel, Rudder, Bow Thruster, and Construction
- Planning and Budgeting an Engine Rebuild or Replacement
- Outbound 46 Review—Part 1, Hull Form
- Planning a Refit—Upfront Costs
- ShoreFasts—Part 3, The Gear
- ShoreFasts—Part 2, Example Setups Plus Tips and Tricks
- ShoreFasts—Part 1, When to Use Them
- Planning a Refit—Rudders, Repair or Replacement
- Planning a Refit—The Problem With Rudders
- Yawing at Anchor, The Theory and The Solution
- Planning a Refit—Boat Parameters
- Retrieval of Dyneema (Spectra) Series Drogues Solved
- Planning a Refit—It’s a Lot About You
- Anchoring—Chain: Stoppers, Termination and Marking
- A Sail Away Offshore Cruising Boat For Less Than US$100,000—Best Hull Material
- Anchoring—Kellets
- A Sail Away Offshore Cruising Boat For Less Than US$100,000—Rudders and Keels
- A Sail Away Offshore Cruising Boat For Less Than US$100,000—Decks, Hulls and SS Fittings
- Anchoring—Snubbers
- A Sail Away Offshore Cruising Boat For Less Than US$100,000—Introduction
- Four Hand Tools I Should Have Bought Years Ago
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to The Boréal 47—Part 5, Interior, Summary and Price
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to The Boréal 47—Part 4, Inside Watch Stations
- Insanely Cool Anchorage Toys
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 3, Hull and Build
- Passage Anchorages
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 2, Deck and Cockpit
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 1, Introduction and Rig
- Ultra Anchor Review
- Which is Best For Navigation: Plotter, Computer or Tablet?
- Buying a Boat—Never Say Never
- New Satellite Communications Systems
- What We Need to Know About Moisture Meters and Wet Fibreglass Laminate
- Buying a Fibreglass Boat—Hiring a Surveyor and Managing the Survey
- A Useful, But Potentially Deadly, Feature of Navigation Apps and Plotters
- Buying a Cruising Boat—Five Tips for The Half-Assed Option
- 12 Electronic Navigation Tips From a Cruise on Someone Else’s Boat
- Coastal Passages, Part 5—On To The Finish
- You May Need a Bigger Boat Than You Think
- Costal Passages, Part 4—Keep On Plugging
- Six Things We Need to Check Before Survey
- Series Drogues: Learning From Randall Reeves
- Coastal Passages, Part 3—Off We Go
- Why Are Saildrives Even A Thing?
- Coastal Passages, Part 2—Rounding Headlands
- Six Things We Can Learn From A Night Approach That Ended on a Lee Shore
- Coastal Passages, Part 1—Making a Plan, 10 Tips
- Six Warnings About Buying Fibreglass Boats
- Rocna Resetting Failures and Evaluation of Vulcan and Mantus
- Learn From The Designers
- Refitting an Old Boat Can Work…For Some
- Specifying Primary Anchor Size
- SPADE, SARCA Excel, or Some Other Anchor?
- UV Protection For Roller Furling Sails
- Nigel Calder’s Integrel, Part 2—Is It Really Better Than a Generator?
- Nigel Calder’s Integrel, Part 1—What You Need To Know
- SARCA Excel Anchor—A Real World Test
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 3—Specifying Optimal Battery Bank Size
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 2—Thinking About Systems
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 1—Loads and Conservation
- Alternatives to Chainplates For Drogue Attachment…Or Not
- Prioritizing The Right Things
- Ocean Passaging—Turning Back Is Hard To Do
- Anchor Chain Catenary, When it Matters and When it Doesn’t
- Which Old Salts Should We Listen To? 10 Ways To Decide—Part 2
- Colin on Anchoring
- Which Old Salts Should We Listen To? 10 Ways To Decide—Part 1
- Storm Survival FAQ
- AIS Crew Overboard Beacons—Setting Up The Boat Alarms Right
- Just Get a Series Drogue Designed By Don Jordan…Dammit!
- Amidships “Preventers”—A Bad Idea That Can Kill
- Rogue Waves Are Not Bad Luck
- 5 Ways We Are Updating Our Thinking On Fire Fighting
- Battery Monitors, Part 3—Calibration and Use
- Battery Monitors, Part 2—Recommended Unit
- Battery Monitors, Part 1—Which Type Is Right For You?
- Battle Testing a Jordan-Designed Series Drogue—Round 2
- Rigging Tips Part 1
- 10 Things That Are Common On Offshore Cruising Boats…But Shouldn’t Be
- Rig Tuning, Part 5—Sailing Tune
- Battery Bank Size and Generator Run Time, A Case Study
- Rig Tuning, Part 4—Mast Blocking, Stay Tension, and Spreaders
- Rig Tuning, Part 3—6 Steps to a Great Tune
- Rig Tuning, Part 2—Understanding Rake and Bend
- Rig Tuning, Part 1—Preparation
- Battery Options, Part 2—Lead Acid
- Two Dangerous Rigging Mistakes
- Boréal Yachts—Looking To The Future
- Boréal Yachts—Eight Years On
- 8 Things I Learned From a Lazy Man’s Galley Makeover
- Time to Stop Using And Selling Tethers with Gibb-style Hooks
- Crew Overboard Recovery—Our Replacement For Quick Stop
- Crew Overboard Recovery, Is The Quick Stop Bogus?
- Which Lifejacket Auto-Inflator Should We Select?
- Should We Wear Lifejackets or Harnesses, Both, Neither?
- Apps to Manage Boat Maintenance and Cruises
- Managing Boatyard Costs—Part 2
- Managing Boatyard Costs—Part 1
- Smartphone (CrewWatcher) or AIS-Based Crew Overboard Beacons?
- Severe Weather Probability Forecast Product
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—Backing In, Part 2
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—Backing In, Part 1
- Surviving The Boatyard—Part 2
- Surviving The Boatyard—Part 1
- Running Rigging Recommendations—Part 2
- Weather Routing In Action
- Running Rigging Recommendations—Part 1
- 29 Aluminum Boat Care Tips—Part 3
- Automated Weather Routing—Part 1, The Tools
- 29 Aluminum Boat Care Tips—Part 2
- Q&A, Coming Alongside (Docking) With Twin Rudders
- 29 Aluminum Boat Care Tips—Part 1
- Seven Skills We DON’T Need to Go Cruising
- The Golden Globe Race—The Boats and the Refits
- We Love The Way Our Anchor Drags
- Iridium GO! and UUPlus, Real World Use Review
- Watt & Sea Hydro Generator Review
- Can We Really Be Seen By Ships at Night?
- Crew Overboard Prevention—Use of Climbing Harnesses
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—Taming the Wind
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—The Final Approach
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—Manoeuvring in Close Quarters
- Battle Testing a Jordan-Designed Series Drogue—Round 1
- Get-Home Backup For Offshore Motorboats—Part 3, The Winner
- Get-Home Backup For Offshore Motorboats—Part 2, The Options
- Get-Home Backup for Offshore Motorboats—Part 1, Is It Even a Thing?
- Boat Heating—Part II
- Determining When Heaving-To Is Dangerous
- 10 Ways to Make Your Boat Easier to Bring Alongside a Dock
- Boat Heating—Part I
- Rigging The Spring That Makes Docking Easy, Or an Alternative
- Coming Alongside (Docking) in 4 Easy Steps
- Transitioning From Heaved-to To a Series Drogue
- Series Drogue Durability Problems
- The Right Tethers To Keep Us Aboard—Part 2, Construction and Hardware
- The Right Tethers To Keep Us Aboard—Part 1, A Mix
- 8 Radar Use Tips
- Three Tips to Make Your Cruising Boat Fault Tolerant
- 11 Tips for Safe Navigation With Phones and Tablets
- Navigation in Fog—Underway
- Navigation in Fog—Preparation
- Navigating in Fog—The Tools
- The Artnautica LRC 58 Adventure Edition Offshore Motorboat
- Thinking About Better Offshore Motorboats
- Jacklines: Materials, Fabrication and Installation
- The Unknown Unknowns
- An Easy Way to Avoid Engine Failures
- Designing For Dux Rope Rigging—A Paradigm Shift—Part 2
- Dynice Dux, Part 1: Practical Low-Stretch Rope Rigging For Offshore Sailboats
- What Marine Engine Duty Ratings Mean To You
- A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 2
- A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 1
- Keeping Things Tasty—Tips For Food Storage (With No Refrigeration) & Meal Preparation
- Keeping Things Tasty—A 36,000-Mile Lesson In Provisioning
- The Perfect Anchor Roller
- The Three Keys To Cruising Happiness
- Q&A—Are Battery Desulphators a Good Idea?
- Hoisting the Mainsail Made Easy—Simplicity in Action
- Ten Tips To Fix Weather Helm
- How Batteries Charge (Multiple Charging Sources Too)
- Maiden Voyage of The Boreal 55—What Worked and What Didn’t
- One Simple Law That Makes Electrical Systems Easy to Understand
- Things I’ve Learned From Three Refits That Will Help You
- Giving a Tough Old Ocean Greyhound a New Purpose
- Refitting a Wauquiez Hood 38
- A Trans-Atlantic Boat For Less Than US$100,000
- How To Select The Best Power and Propeller Settings For Your Engine
- How To Stop Killing Your Engine With Kindness
- Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs)
- The Ultimate Guide to Using Iridium Handsets and GO!
- Going Cruising—Being Realistic About You, 4 Tips
- Iridium GO! Review—6 Myths Busted and a Purchase Recommendation
- 4 Great Tips From a Professional Meteorologist
- Mooring Your Dinghy While Ashore, Made Easy
- “Eala Bhan” Sails Home, Part III
- Keeping Safe From Chart Inaccuracies
- “Eala Bhan” Sails Home, Part II
- Five Tips For Choosing Weather Information to Believe…And Pay For
- “Eala Bhan” Sails Home—The Maiden Voyage of The Boréal 55
- Marine Electronics Recommendations—Communications
- Marine Electronics System Recommendations
- Two Tips to Make Your First Ocean Passage as Skipper Safe and Fun
- Anchor Tests—The Good, The Bad, and The Downright Silly
- Cutter Rig—Optimizing and/or Converting
- Cutter Rig—Should You Buy or Convert?
- 12 Reasons The Cutter Is A Great Offshore Voyaging Rig
- Propeller Efficiency
- Ten Ways to Make Propane Safer
- Boat Maintenance—Don’t Go Broke Saving Money
- Boréal 47—An Owner’s Experience
- Third Anchors, Storm Anchors and Spare Anchors
- Understanding An Engine Fuel Map
- Downwind Sailing—Poling Out The Jib
- Downwind Sailing, Tips and Tricks
- Kedge (Secondary Anchor)—Recommended Type and Size
- Boat Maintenance—What’s Your Screwup Tolerance?
- Tools and Techniques For Managing Dissimilar Metals on Cruising Boats
- The Crazy Fools…Who Don’t Drown
- The Only Five Knots You Need to Know
- Attainably Adventurous Children
- Marine Electronics Recommendations—Radar
- Yawing at The Anchor, an Alternative Cure
- Spare Parts—Which To Buy and How To Keep Track Of Them
- Reefing From The Cockpit 2.0—Thinking Things Through
- The Secret Life Of Your GPS
- Getting Your Mojo Back
- A Real Sailor’s Motorboat Launched
- The Two Biggest Lies Yacht Brokers Tell
- Q&A: Safety of Large Pilothouse Windows
- Download Your Gift eBook
- Rustler Yachts: Maybe There’s Hope Yet?
- The Loss of “Team Vestas Wind”
- 9 Tips To Make Unstepping a Sailboat Mast Easier
- Our Mainsail Is Our Friend
- 6 Tips To Stop Marine Electronics From Ruining Your Cruise
- Perfect or Good Enough?
- Staying Attached To The Boat
- Install A Wash-down Pump—And Save Money!
- Motorboating and Sailing Compared—Part 2
- Motorboating and Sailing Compared—Part 1
- Crash Pump
- The Right Way to Buy a Boat…And The Wrong Way
- Estimating The Cost of Maintaining a Cruising Boat
- You Need More Than Money
- The World’s Best Bilge Pump Switch
- Loss of Yacht “Tao”
- Do We Need A Generator?
- Real Numbers For Electric And Diesel-Electric Drives
- Five Ways That Bad Boats Happen
- Backup Systems
- Do You Still Need Paper Charts?
- Protecting Against Lightning Strikes
- John & Phyllis’ 36 Immutable Rules of Seamanship
- Lithium Ion Batteries Explained
- Two Yacht Losses, Many Lessons Learned
- 20 Tips To Get Anchored and Stay Anchored
- 10 Tips to Help You Get Out There Cruising
- Artnautica 58—Design Analysis
- Design Parameters For an Ideal Sailor’s Motorboat
- Selecting a Chain Grade
- Mainsail Handling Made Easy with Lazyjacks
- Do We Need Watertight Bulkheads?
- Impact Resistance—Two Collision Scenarios
- Impact Resistance—How Hull Materials Respond to Impacts
- The Real Reason to Use a Harness and Tether
- A Sailor’s Motorboat
- Characteristics of Boat Building Materials
- Summary And Conclusions For Heavy Weather Offshore Section
- Companionway Integrity In A Storm
- Real Life Storm Survival Story
- Storm Survival Secret Weapon: Your Engine
- Why We Need a Storm Sails
- Series Drogues: Learning From Tony Gooch
- Jordan Series Drogue Retrieval—An Alternative From Hal Roth
- Jordan Series Drogue Attachments And Launch System
- Jordan Series Drogue Retrieval System
- When Heaving-To Is Dangerous
- Heaving-To
- 8 Tips For a Great Cruising Boat Interior Arrangement
- Cycle Loading—8 Tips for Boat and Gear Purchases
- Electric or Diesel-Electric Drives for Voyaging Boats
- Two Anchors Done Right
- Cyclical Loading: Why Offshore Sailing Is So Hard On A Boat
- Harnesses and Lifejackets and How to Use Them
- Keeping The Water Flowing
- The Risks of Falling Overboard at Sea
- Is It a Need or a Want?
- One Anchor or Two?
- Hydro Power
- Solar Power
- Wind Generators
- Renewable Power
- A Dangerous Myth about Reefing
- Choosing a Spot
- Laziness Never Goes Unpunished
- Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying a New Voyaging Boat
- The Case For Roller-Furling Headsails
- Are Refits Worth It?
- The Case For Hank On Headsails
- Thinking About a Steel Boat?
- A Reluctant Voyager?
- Tips For Receiving Weather Forecasts
- New Engine, The Proof is in The Voyage
- Tips For Receiving GRIBs
- Choosing an Anchorage
- Tips For Receiving Weather Fax
- It’s A Forecast, Not A Prophecy
- The Importance Of The Big Picture
- A Windlass That Makes The Grade
- Things to Know About Anchor Chain
- Serve Your Apprenticeship
- Priorities In Preparation
- Making Life Easier—Roller Reefing/Furling
- Clear The Decks For Action
- Making Life Easier—Storm Jib
- How To Use An Anchor Trip Line
- The Beauty Of Simplicity
- Chart Plotters And Autopilots, Never The Twain Should Meet
- Perkins M92B, Initial Report Card
- Equalizing Batteries, The Reality
- Storm Preparation, All Chain On Deck
- Anchor Swivels, Just Say No
- Q&A: Hybrid Rope And Chain Anchor Rodes
- AC Chargers For Lead Acid Batteries
- How Lead Acid Batteries Get Wrecked and What To Do About It
- Engine Installation—The Devil Is In The Details
- Test Sail On A Boréal 44
- Rudder Options
- Boréal 44 Design
- A Boat Designed For The High Latitudes
- New Engine For “Morgan’s Cloud”—What We Chose
- Selection Criteria For The New Engine For “Morgan’s Cloud”
- Three Navigation Mistakes That Can Wreck You
- Knowing Where It’s At
- Boréal Sailboats–An Introduction
- Don’t Forget About The Sails
- Managing Ocean Currents
- Gale And Storm At Anchor Or On A Mooring Check List
- Swept-Back Spreaders—We Just Don’t Get It!
- Carbon Fiber Masts and Lightning: Myths, Assurances And Risks
- Carbon Fiber Mast, Costs and Benefits
- The Benefits Of Carbon Fibre Masts
- How To Home Build a Hard Dodger For an Offshore Sailboat
- Cockpit Dodger For an Offshore Sailboat
- Q&A: Staysail Stay: Roller Furling And Fixed Vs Hanks And Removable
- Anchor Rode Questions and Answers
- There’s No Excuse For Pounding
- A Motorsailer For Offshore Voyaging?
- At What Age should You Stop Sailing And Buy a Motorboat?
- It’s Often Better to Anchor Than Pick Up a Mooring
- Reefing Questions and Answers
- A Prairie Woman Goes To Sea
- 7 Tips To Tame Fear Offshore
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Five Tips To Get Ready For Happy Cruising
36 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Five Tips To Get Ready For Happy CruisingBefore we get out there, most of us think that cruising will be the best days of our lives. But the sad reality is that a lot of cruisers are really not having as much fun as they could. The good news is that these tips will help.
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Yet More Maintenance Tips
0 CommentsReading Time: < 1 minuteMembers
Read more: Yet More Maintenance TipsThe best of our maintenance Tips.
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Can We Make a $30,000 Cruiser Offshore Ready?
52 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Can We Make a $30,000 Cruiser Offshore Ready?Matt’s C&C 35 could be made ready for offshore sailing, but what will that really cost and is it a smart project to take on?
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Orca Navigation System Review, Part 3—Core Capabilities and Uses
37 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: Orca Navigation System Review, Part 3—Core Capabilities and UsesNow we have Orca Core installed, let’s look at what it can do for us.
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Orca Navigation System Review, Part 2—Core Installation and Setup
21 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Orca Navigation System Review, Part 2—Core Installation and SetupA lot of marine electronics are a real pain in the neck to install. Orca Core is an installation breath of fresh air.
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Orca Navigation System Review, Part 1—Architecture and Display
39 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Orca Navigation System Review, Part 1—Architecture and DisplayOrca takes a different approach to navigation electronics, resulting in a system with incredible capabilities for the price, but can it stand up to the incumbents in use?
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Victron AGM Super Cycle Battery Review
40 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: Victron AGM Super Cycle Battery ReviewI would not normally go into this much detail on a relatively obscure battery, but I think it is important for owners of these batteries, and those thinking about buying them, to know about some strange behaviour I have encountered.
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Choosing The Right Alternator, Part 2—Other Criteria
29 CommentsReading Time: 7 minutesMembers
Read more: Choosing The Right Alternator, Part 2—Other CriteriaIn Part 1 we looked at efficiency, but there is a lot more to think about before buying a high-output alternator.
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Choosing The Right Alternator, Part 1—Efficiency
23 CommentsReading Time: 6 minutesMembers
Read more: Choosing The Right Alternator, Part 1—EfficiencyEven five years ago alternator selection for cruising boats was simple, but now we have more efficient and more powerful options, particularly as we increase voltage.
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Forgiveness, The Forgotten Selection Factor
58 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Forgiveness, The Forgotten Selection FactorWe all tend to select our boats and gear by how many cool features they have. But there’s a way more important factor to think about.
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Making Large Alternators Safer With Whitespace Programming
15 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Making Large Alternators Safer With Whitespace ProgrammingSome alternator regulators have the ability to vary output in relation to engine RPM, a great feature that can mitigate the risk of damage to our engine and reduce the risks in close quarters boat handling, but how do we arrive at the right settings? Here’s a step by step guide.
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18 Tips To Install A Cruiser’s Alternator
71 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: 18 Tips To Install A Cruiser’s AlternatorHow to buy and install a real live-aboard cruiser’s alternator that will be reliable over the long term.
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Efficient Generator-Based Electrical Systems For Yachts
33 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Efficient Generator-Based Electrical Systems For YachtsAn analysis for any live-aboard cruiser who is considering a lifestyle that will require more than about 250 amp-hours at 12 volts (3 kWh) of electricity daily.
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Right Sizing an Alternator
50 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Right Sizing an AlternatorReplacing the stock alternator on our engine is one of the most useful upgrades to a cruising boat but how can we make sure bigger is not too big?
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Multihull and Monohull Storm Tactics Compared
55 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Multihull and Monohull Storm Tactics ComparedStorm tactics differ between monohulls and multihulls, so here’s a look at each of the ways to survive a storm at sea, with the benefits and drawbacks of each depending on the number of hulls.
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Catamaran, Trimaran, or Monohull—Capsize Risk
49 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: Catamaran, Trimaran, or Monohull—Capsize RiskWhenever multihulls are discussed, capsize risk is sure to come up, but monohulls have that problem too, just for different reasons.
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Jackline Usage Thoughts
13 CommentsReading Time: 6 minutesMembers
Read more: Jackline Usage ThoughtsI have written a huge amount about hardware and techniques to reduce the risk of falling overboard, but just as important is coming up with our own usage rules.
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Catamaran, Trimaran, or Monohull—Motion Comfort
68 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Catamaran, Trimaran, or Monohull—Motion ComfortAre catamarans really more comfortable than monohulls? What about trimarans? Like with most things, it depends.
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Limiting COB Drag Risk On A Smaller Boat
25 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: Limiting COB Drag Risk On A Smaller BoatAs boats get smaller, building a system gets more difficult and more compromises must be made, but it is doable.
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Sail Buying Tips
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Read more: Sail Buying TipsNew sails are expensive, here’s how to get the most for your money.
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Radar Collision Avoidance, Part 2—Turning Plotting Into Action
10 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Radar Collision Avoidance, Part 2—Turning Plotting Into ActionIn the last chapter Eric covered plotting, now he explains what course changes to make to avoid collisions, as well as to reduce the stress of getting too close to another boat.
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Flawed Jackline Systems Revisited
13 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: Flawed Jackline Systems RevisitedIn the last chapter we examined the risks of being dragged and particularly tether tension. Now let’s relate that to the jackline systems we see out there in use.
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Radar Collision Avoidance, Part 1—Plotting
34 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Radar Collision Avoidance, Part 1—PlottingIt’s great to have radar, but if we don’t know how to plot other vessels it won’t keep us safe from collision. Here’s how to use radar right.
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TeamO Backtow Lifejacket/Harness Review
14 CommentsReading Time: 6 minutesMembers
Read more: TeamO Backtow Lifejacket/Harness ReviewTeamO are selling the BackTow lifejacket and harness as the answer to the risk of drowning while being dragged after falling overboard attached to a tether. Is that true? Let’s take a look. We also compare the TeamO against the Spinlock Deckvest.
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20 Practical Tips For Better Watchkeeping
29 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: 20 Practical Tips For Better WatchkeepingHard won practical tips from 50 years of standing watches at sea.
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Reefing Tips
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Read more: Reefing TipsRelevant reefing tips, which we will add to over time.
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6 Tips For Mindful Watchkeeping
19 CommentsReading Time: 6 minutesMembers
Read more: 6 Tips For Mindful WatchkeepingIt’s all too easy to regard watchkeeping as a hated chore, but these tips will both help to avoid that and make offshore sailors safer and offshore boats less likely to break.
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How Many Reefs and How Deep?
54 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: How Many Reefs and How Deep?How many reefs are optimal? Two, three or four? If we think about this the right way, for most of us the answer is simple. We also tackle the relationship between reefs and whether or not we have a storm trysail, also much misunderstood.
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The Risks Of Sidedeck Jacklines Quantified
42 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: The Risks Of Sidedeck Jacklines QuantifiedDespite the well-documented risks of being dragged after falling overboard, many (probably most) offshore sailboats are still using sidedeck jacklines, raising the key question: Is that solution worse than nothing? At last we have numbers to help each of us make that critical decision.
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11 Tips For A Good Watch System
37 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: 11 Tips For A Good Watch SystemIt’s vital that before we head offshore we really think about the watch system we will use. A poor system can be the start of big problems.
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Building a Robust and Practical Hard Dodger
30 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Building a Robust and Practical Hard DodgerAdding a hard dodger to an offshore cruising boat. While this dodger was built in aluminum, the techniques and details will be useful for a similar project in any material.
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Tether Tension On A Dragging Crew Overboard
62 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Tether Tension On A Dragging Crew OverboardWhat really happens when a crew member falls overboard while tethered to the boat? We know this often results in a fatality but there were no in-depth studies to help us reduce the risk. Here’s the first step in fixing that.
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8 Offshore Cruising Boat & Gear Evaluation Tips
31 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: 8 Offshore Cruising Boat & Gear Evaluation TipsWhen we think of going cruising it’s often about exotic locations, warm waters, and palm trees, but the process of getting there requires hundreds of good decisions, or at least minimizing the bad ones.
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Rigging Tips Part 2
0 CommentsReading Time: < 1 minuteMembers
Read more: Rigging Tips Part 2Carrying on from the last chapter in our Rigging and Sails Online Book, here are a bunch more curated and relevant rigging tips.
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Spinlock Deckvest 6D Review
29 CommentsReading Time: 7 minutesMembers
Read more: Spinlock Deckvest 6D ReviewJohn and Phyllis have used lifejackets with built in harnesses from Spinlock for over 20 years. Here’s our review of the latest version.
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Safe and Easy Offshore Sailing—When to Reef, Part 2
24 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Safe and Easy Offshore Sailing—When to Reef, Part 2More about how to decide when to reef, including a mental hack and specific true wind speed examples, as well as more tips, including which sail first.
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Electrical Tips
0 CommentsReading Time: 2 minutesMembers
Read more: Electrical TipsTips relevant to the Electrical Systems for Cruising Boats Online Book
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Why We Don’t Recommend Boom Brakes
27 CommentsReading Time: 7 minutesMembers
Read more: Why We Don’t Recommend Boom BrakesBoom brakes have never looked right to me, but now I have solid numbers, together with other reasons, to strongly recommend against them. But if you still insist on a boom brake, I have some recommendations.
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Safe and Easy Offshore Sailing—When to Reef, Part 1
56 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Safe and Easy Offshore Sailing—When to Reef, Part 1Consistently reefing at the right time, particularly when sailing offshore, makes passages easier, safer, and, above all, more fun.
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Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 3—The Details
93 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 3—The DetailsNow we understand the forces at work, John looks at the details of rigging a strong and easy-to-use preventer system.
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A Small-Boat Anchoring System
36 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: A Small-Boat Anchoring SystemMost of the chapters in this Online Book are about anchoring systems for larger boats. But what about smaller boats? What compromises can we make and still end up with a safe and workable system?
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When Is A Cruising Sailboat Too Big?
59 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: When Is A Cruising Sailboat Too Big?In recent years, cruising boats have got ever bigger, but what’s the safe upper limit, particularly for a shorthanded amateur crew? John used his 30 years of experience voyaging in a 56-foot boat to answer that vital question.
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Is Your Engine Properly Fused?
21 CommentsReading Time: 5 minutesMembers
Read more: Is Your Engine Properly Fused?I think most of us know that our engine start battery should be fused, but what about the rest of the engine harness. John was shocked to find the answer to that question.
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Better Jacklines
19 CommentsReading Time: 6 minutesMembers
Read more: Better JacklinesIn the last two chapters we discovered that the jackline systems most of us use for COB prevention are pretty much useless. Now we are moving on to what to do about that—the good stuff.
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Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 2—Line and Gear Strength Calculator
74 CommentsReading Time: 5 minutesMembers
Read more: Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 2—Line and Gear Strength CalculatorNow that we understand the forces and angles at work, Kurt shares a method and spreadsheet to calculate the actual forces on our own boats so that we can build a safe preventer system.
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Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 1—Forces and Angles
85 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Building A Safer Boom Preventer, Part 1—Forces and AnglesTo build a safe preventer system, we must first understand how the forces combine and multiply to turn the boom into a potential killer.
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Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—21 Preparation Tips
30 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—21 Preparation TipsWe have selected a good harbour to ride out a storm, now how do we prepare?
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Rebuilding a Cobra Yacht Steering System—Reassembly
5 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Rebuilding a Cobra Yacht Steering System—ReassemblyIn Part 1 Colin pulled his steering apart and found some frightening defects, now he gets into fixing it right.
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Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—9 Tips for Anchorage and Harbour Selection
42 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—9 Tips for Anchorage and Harbour SelectionWe are coastal cruising and a storm is forecast. So how do we choose the right harbour or anchorage to ride it out in? These 9 tips will help.
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Rebuilding a Cobra Yacht Steering System—Disassembly and Inspection
11 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Rebuilding a Cobra Yacht Steering System—Disassembly and InspectionThe idea of buying an old boat and going cruising is attractive, but there are also harsh realities to be aware of, like that the steering system is often a ticking time bomb. Not a lot of romance here, but lots of good experience-based advice.
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Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—12 Strategy Tips
18 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Surviving Storms While Coastal Cruising—12 Strategy TipsMillions of words are written about managing storms offshore, but what about when coastal cruising? Here are some real-world proven strategies.
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10 Reasons Why Hybrid Lithium Lead-Acid Systems are a Bad Idea
47 CommentsReading Time: 5 minutesMembers
Read more: 10 Reasons Why Hybrid Lithium Lead-Acid Systems are a Bad IdeaI have been frequently asked for my thoughts on systems where lithium and lead-acid batteries are connected in parallel. Here you go.
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Converting a Racing Sailboat to a Fast Cruiser—Performance and Rig
49 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Converting a Racing Sailboat to a Fast Cruiser—Performance and RigA racing boat, as long as she is not too extreme, can make a great cruising boat, but there are many things to learn before buying, and to change after.
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Hurricane Mooring Weight Recommendation
38 CommentsReading Time: 13 minutesMembers
Read more: Hurricane Mooring Weight RecommendationThis hurricane season is forecast to be one of the most active in history, and that means we should think about upgrading our moorings.
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Lithium Buyer’s Guide—Budget: Economy Options
43 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Lithium Buyer’s Guide—Budget: Economy OptionsIn the last chapter we examined an ideal fully integrated lithium system at a big price, now let’s see if we can save some money without sacrificing too much.
