The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site
After over 50 years of going up masts John shares the system he and Phyllis are now using as well as highlighting the many dangerous mistakes he has made over the years.
Thoughts on backup systems, fall arrest as against fall prevention, and gear recommendations for going up the mast.
In the last Adventure 40 article, I examined hull, cockpit and rig. Now let’s move out of the cockpit and go forward.
Matt brings his professional engineer’s understanding of forces and his construction site fall-arrest training to bear on one of the most potentially dangerous tasks we sailors are called upon to do.
Ten years after starting a project to create a safe, reliable and fast offshore cruising sailboat ready to go around the world, we have a design.
Part 2 of a buyer’s guide examining the trade-offs between the three ways to set, strike and furl a mainsail on an offshore cruising boat.
Part 1 of buyer’s guide examining the trade-offs between the three ways to set, strike and furl a mainsail on an offshore cruising boat.
Cross-bank battery charging with DC/DC chargers or alternator-to-battery chargers.
A well set up cruising boat electrical system separates the house and engine start batteries. Here’s how to make sure both are properly charged.
We all know that any cruising boat should have the engine and house banks separated, but that’s just the start of what we need to know.
Charging batteries fast has all kinds of benefits: less engine wear, fuel savings, less carbon. But how far can we go?
Selecting battery master switches and deciding how to wire them is a fundamental part of a good cruising live-aboard electrical system.
Most production boats have battery boxes that are nowhere near strong enough for use on an offshore boat. Let’s fix that.
Just because the battery-supplied systems on cruising boats are low voltage, that does not make them safe. Here are some tips to reduce the chances of a nasty injury.
Lithium batteries have many benefits, but are too complicated and fragile, and not fault tolerant enough, to be relied upon exclusively on an offshore boat. Here’s how to fix that.
Two fixes many production and new-to-us boats will need to make the high-voltage shore power system safe.
When we plan to head offshore in a cruising boat we need to think carefully and differently about how we equip the boat.
The rig checklist is ready for download and links to five articles of in depth inspection tips and advice on fixing the problems you find.
It’s easy to feel competent when things go well at sea in a yacht, but the real learning begins when stuff goes wrong.
Load dumps on a cruising boat are dangerous. Here’s how to prevent them, including some special tips for “drop in” owners.
Load dumps are an intrinsic danger with lithium batteries installed on cruising boats. Here’s why, and why we need to fix it.
Offshore sailboat safety regulations call for a soft wood plug to be adjacent to every seacock, but does that make sense?
At first glance, autopilots and vane gears cost about the same, but the reality is more complicated, and important to get right.
Inspection, repair, and replacement tips for mast navigation lights, wind indicators, and lightning protection systems.
It’s a common misconception that battery-supplied electrical systems are safe because they are low voltage. That’s wrong. In fact, there are high fire risks. Here’s why, and what to do about it.
Self steering windvanes have a reputation of being hard to use. Reading these tips can fix that and make us love our windvane.
Most production cruising boats are fitted with inadequate DC electrical systems. Let’s fix that.
Inspection, repair tips and replacement cycles for offshore cruising boat running rigging.
Tips and hacks that will be useful no matter what part of an offshore cruising boat we are maintaining.
The WS500 alternator regulator was a great option for cruisers a year ago. It’s even better now. Here’s why.
Inspection tips and recommended replacement cycles for offshore cruising boat standing rigging, hydraulics, and vangs.
Dismastings are dangerous voyage enders for cruising boats. Doing this inspection of spars, steps and chainplates will reduce the risk substantially.
Colin sails the newest model from Boréal, builders of ocean-going cruising sailing yachts.
Simple tips and hacks that will make getting alongside easier, even in current.
John went racing on a big Swan and learned a lot about asymmetrical spinnakers, accompanied by a big piece of humble pie.
A relatively inexpensive testing rig that every boat owner should have and use regularly.
Backing our boats into a confined space is difficult enough normally, but what if we need to do this with current and wind? John explores how to, and when not to.
It’s easy to spend big money on our boats but still miss little details that will have big consequences once we go to sea.
Bringing a boat alongside with current flowing can be demanding, but what if we have to turn around, too? Here’s how.
There are few greater challenges in cruising than coming alongside in current, particularly if it’s blowing. Here is a step-by-step way to dock in current.
A real world example demonstrating how each of us must think carefully about our own needs when selecting an anchor, not just blindly follow tests or anecdotal reports.
Some thoughts on selecting a good first aid kit for cruising and then deciding what to add to it.
We often see cruisers using a portable gas generator to feed their boat’s shore power, but is that safe?
Some of the most fun and satisfying sailing we can do is under asymmetric spinnaker. Here’s how to set and strike one safely with a sock, even offshore and in big breeze.
Shore power safety is something most of us don’t think about much, but here’s why we should, based on a scary real world experience, and some checks we should all make.
The first, and most vital, step in buying a boat is to define the mission. Here’s how well our new boat fits our plans for her.
It’s impossible to maintain an offshore voyaging boat without a good set of wrenches (spanners) and sockets. Here are the tools we chose and why.
I Part 1 we looked at eleven ways to make ourselves and our boats more attractive insurance risks. Now let’s look at the tough job of negotiating the best deal
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get insurance for ocean passage making, but these tips will help.
John uses some 30 years of offshore voyaging experience to come up with a recommended kit of hand-held power tools.
The biggest contributor to getting off a dock against a strong wind or current in good order is how we rig up the lines and fenders.
The first decision we need to make when leaving a dock is whether to go out in reverse or forward. Here’s how to choose.
Getting Insurance for offshore passages is one of the biggest challenges facing many cruisers. The first step to success is understanding the problem.
In Part 1, I covered seven tips to get set up for coming alongside single-handed. Now let’s look at the tricky part: actually getting alongside alone.
Bringing a sail or motorboat alongside (docking) by ourselves can be difficult, but good preparation will make it much easier.