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It’s amazing how few cruising boats actually have a good deck layout that makes them easy and fun to sail. John uses the Outbound 46 as an example of sail handling features he likes, and a few he doesn’t.

In Part 1 Matt shared how he arrived at an all-in budget of US$30,000 for a starter cruiser. Now he shares his search process and reveals the boat they bought.

Colin looked at the practicality of getting a real offshore boat for US$100,000. Now Matt goes hunting for a starter cruiser at US$30,000, all in and ready to go (US15,000 buy price). Is this possible? He thinks so and is willing to throw his own money into the project to prove it.

Cruisers are adding the comforts of home to their boats more than ever before, but what are the consequences? John takes a look.

One of the most important things we need to think about when planning and budgeting a refit is what it will cost us if the keel must be removed for keel bolt inspection and repair, as is likely with many older boats.

John tackles a vexing, and often stressful, close-quarters boat handling situation that is all too common, particularly in southern Europe.

Fifteen years after launching the first 44, Boréal have revealed their Mk2 version of this award winning design together with a 47 foot extended cockpit version. Colin tells us all about the changes and improvements.

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.