The Importance Of The Big Picture
Reading Time: 3 minutes
In this chapter I’m going to discuss a real world example of how we used the tools we have discussed in this book to manage a weather risk while transiting Hudson Strait and the northern coast of Labrador—no place to get caught by bad weather.
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A Windlass That Makes The Grade
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Most windlasses fitted to production cruising boats are simply inadequate and can leave you in very deep yogurt when things go wrong. In this chapter we show you what to look for in a good windlass and tell you about a feature, the lack of which contributes to about half of the dragging incidences we see.
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Things to Know About Anchor Chain
Reading Time: 4 minutes
There are probably more misconceptions and just plain wrong information circulating about anchor chain than most any other piece of cruising gear. For this chapter I went to the experts at Peerless Chain to get the real facts.
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Serve Your Apprenticeship
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Phyllis tells an all too common sad story and then moves on to tips to prevent it happening to you.
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Priorities In Preparation
Reading Time: 4 minutes
You will never get everything done on your boat. This we guarantee. So one of the most important skills you can have as a boat maintenance technician is prioritization. In this chapter John tells a story of when he got his priorities wrong, and what he learned from that.
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Making Life Easier—Roller Reefing/Furling
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Colin shares the details on the Harken roller reefing system they installed on their OVNI 435.
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Clear The Decks For Action
Reading Time: 5 minutes
There are few things more unseamanlike than a lot of clutter on deck. But, on the other hand, we all like our toys. Here are some thoughts (with photographs) on the things you really don’t want to festoon your boat with.
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Making Life Easier—Storm Jib
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Colin and Louise carry a dedicated hanked on storm jib ready to go when necessary. Colin tells us why and how.
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How To Use An Anchor Trip Line
Reading Time: 3 minutes
John writes about how we rig an anchor trip line on Morgan’s Cloud.
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The Beauty Of Simplicity
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Today our boats are more complex than ever before. And yes, there are benefits that go along with some of this complexity. But, as a general rule, simple is almost always more seamanlike than complicated.
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Chart Plotters And Autopilots, Never The Twain Should Meet
Reading Time: 3 minutes
The dangers of interfacing a boat’s autopilot and navigation plotter.
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Light Weather Sails—Choosing What Is Right For You
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Code 0 or lightweight genoa? Colin discusses the choice they made on Pèlerin, their OVNI 435.
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Perkins M92B, Initial Report Card
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Installing the new engine was a huge and expensive job, so how did it work out?
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Equalizing Batteries, The Reality
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Fully charging your batteries after each discharge on a live-aboard cruising sailboat is simply not practical. Instead, most of us will cycle our batteries between 50 and 80% of their capacity. The bad news is that this will ruin your lead-acid batteries (regardless of type) in a distressingly short time due to sulphation. However, there is a solution: equalization. In this chapter we cover what it is and how to do it.
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Storm Preparation, All Chain On Deck
Reading Time: 4 minutes
What with spending a lot of time in the high latitudes and keeping boats on moorings year round in Bermuda, John has a lot of experience dealing with heavy weather while anchored or on a mooring. In this chapter he gives some tips for preparing your boat to safely ride out a storm.
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