MEMBERS

One of the biggest snow jobs in boat gear sales is the myth of the smart three-stage alternator regulator. In fact, the alternator regulators that have been available to us cruisers for about the last 15 years are not that bright…OK, they’re downright stupid. But, finally, we now have a truly smart regulator. John takes a look and comes away impressed.

One of the most important decisions we need to make when buying an offshore voyaging sailboat is how much sail area, in relation to displacement, boat type, and draft, is right for our style of cruising.

If we want to verify the integrity of our boat’s keel bolts, one option is to torque them and see what happens. Sounds great, but there are risks, complications, and lots of research that needs to be done first.

If you own and sail boats offshore for long enough, the likelihood is that sooner or later you will be faced with a difficult repair or refit decision. John explores a solution that all others being considered should always be measured against.

The vast majority of used boats out there, which might be bought for a low enough price to make the cost after refit attainable for many of us, have one of two keel types that can cause big-time trouble. So the big question becomes, can we check those bolts without removing the keel? John investigates two options.

Which of the three common cruising rigs is best? Like so many things around voyaging, all three have advantages and drawbacks. John takes a deep dive that will help you pick the one that’s right for your needs and then shares his two favourites, one for offshore and one for inshore.

John applies risk management thinking to the highly ambiguous subject of keel safety and longevity on older fibreglass boats, starting off with keel types to seek out and those to avoid.

In Part 1, we analyzed the Outbound 46 hull design and compared her to recent designs. Now let’s look at other hull-related stuff, including the keel, rudder, bow thruster or not, and some thoughts on construction, all relevant no matter what boat you are thinking of buying.

There are few things more depressing in cruising than having to live with an unreliable engine. Colin takes a look at the options for rebuild or repower and what all this is going to cost.

Because we know that Attainable Adventure Cruising readers are way too smart to be so wowed by a slick interior that they forget the important stuff, John starts our review with a deep dive into the hull form of the Outbound 46. This chapter will also be useful in your search, no matter what offshore sailboat you end up with.

John digs into upfront costs of buying and refitting a boat that will have to be paid before the real work gets started.

In Parts 1 and 2 I covered when to use shorefasts, the risks of doing so, and shorefast setups, as well as sharing some tips and tricks to make putting them in easier. Now let’s take a look at the gear Phyllis and I carry on Morgan’s Cloud, as well as what you need if you aspire to being a competent shorefast user.

In Part 1 I covered the physics that govern the loads shorefast are subjected to. Now let’s move on to some example configurations and then some fun stuff: tips, tricks and hacks that make putting in shorefasts safer and easier.

Many people assume that tying to the solid land with shorefasts is safer and more secure than anchoring. But is it really? John takes a deep dive into the facts and in the process shares some interesting things about shorefasts and how to use them.