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Matt examines lithium ion batteries in detail and answers the question, Should I use lithium ion batteries for the house bank on my boat?

Analysis of the loss of two very different yachts in the North Atlantic. One fully crewed and one single handed.

You can have the best anchors and associated gear available, but if you don’t use that gear properly you won’t get anchored and stay anchored. In this post we carry on from Part 1 with some tips for techniques to help make you a happy anchorer.

On a cruising sailboat the batteries will likely be charged most often by an alternator on the main engine, particularly if the boat does not have a generator. And if you live aboard, the alternator that came with the engine is simply not going to cut it. In this chapter we share how to buy and install a real cruiser’s alternator.

Are you struggling to get out there cruising? Do there seem to be a million obstacles between you and your dream? We have 10 sure-fire tips that will help you get out there sooner, and have more fun and be safer when you do.

We continue our series on desirable offshore motorboats, for those retiring from sailboats, with a design analysis by AAC Technical Correspondent, Matt Marsh, of the Artnautica LRC58 currently in-build in New Zealand. Even if you are not interested in this particular boat, you will want to read Matt’s insightful analysis of hull form and cost considerations.

In the last chapter we compared sailboats and trawlers. In this one we look at the design parameters that if exploited properly could result in a better motorboat.

In the last chapter on chain we looked at the three grades of chain normally used for anchor rodes on cruising sailboats. In this chapter we carry on from that base and examine the trade-offs between the grades and the things that you need to know when selecting the right anchor chain and gauge for your boat.

John believes that any boat over about 45 feet that will be sailed shorthanded needs lazyjacks. In this chapter he describes the lazyjack system that allows him to set, reef, and strike Morgan’s Cloud’s 600-square foot mainsail without resorting to complex gear like roller furling masts or booms.

I have written at some length on watertight bulkheads because I think the subject represents an interesting exercise in risk evaluation, a process all of us who wish to sail offshore must become adept at, because if we treat all risks as equal, and try to guard against each of them equally, we will quite simply never leave the wharf.

The sad fact is that many, perhaps most, production sailboats are not built to take the loads imposed by even a moderate collision or grounding. In this chapter AAC Technical Correspondent, explains the engineering and shares what to look for before buying a voyaging boat.

Matt carries on from the last chapter and examines how the various materials voyaging boat hulls are built out of will survive a collision with a hard object.

We have written a lot about gear in our ongoing Person Overboard Prevention Online Book, but all the gear in the world won’t keep you safe if you don’t heed this tip.

We start the book with the comparison of a cruising sailboat under power to a typical trawler. After all, we sailors don’t want to take a step backward in efficiency and speed as we transition to power. The surprise is that, in many cases, that’s exactly what will happen.