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Articles in this topic:
- Tips For A Reliable Cruising Boat
- Adventure 40 Electrical System—Part 1, Voltage and Batteries
- Deck Hardware Mounting Photo Essay
- Lithium Battery Buyer’s Guide—Part 4, Fusing
- The Rolling Refit Continues
- Lithium Batteries Buyer’s Guide—Part 3, Current (Amps) Requirements and Optimal Voltage
- The Zen of Sail Covers
- Lithium Batteries Buyer’s Guide—Part 2, Balancing and Monitoring
- Selecting The Right Hull Form
- Lithium Batteries Buyer’s Guide—Part 1, BMS Requirements
- Why We Have an eWincher on a Small Boat
- Electronic Chart Dangers
- Review of Ocean Signal PLB3 Against MOB1
- Weather Analysis—Part 2, Strategic
- Weather Analysis—Part 1, Tactical
- Yes, You Can Have an Offshore Sailboat For Less Than $US100,000
- Spade Anchor Failure, Update and Summary
- Weather Analysis—Hardware and Software
- Bilge Alarms And Monitoring
- Bent Spade Anchor Analysis
- 9 Tips to Assess Weather Forecast Accuracy
- Easily Driven Boats Are Better
- Sailing a New-To-Us Boat Home—What Could Go Wrong?
- Replacing Diesel-Generated Electricity With Renewables, Part 2—Case Studies
- Replacing Diesel-Generated Electricity With Renewables, Part 1—Loads and Options
- How Weight Affects Boat Performance and Motion Comfort
- Adventure 40 Cockpit 2.0
- Falmouth For Orders
- Watt & Sea Hydrogenerator Buyer’s Guide—Cost Performance
- To Sea At Last
- 10 Tips To Save Your Engine From Overheating
- Safety Inspection and Gear For a New-To-Us Boat
- Fire Extinguishers We Have Bought and Stuff We Learned
- Liferafts For Cruisers—Positioning and Mounting
- Starting With The Basics On A New-To-Us Cruising Boat
- Going Up The Mast—More Improvements
- Liferafts For Cruisers—40 Years of Real-World Experience
- Nine Autopilot Usage Tips and Hacks
- Liferafts For Cruisers—Purchase Criteria
- How To Tune An Autopilot To Steer Better—Part 2
- Finding and Buying a Dream
- Adventure 40 Deck-2.0
- How To Tune an Autopilot to Steer Better—Part 1
- Autopilot Buyer’s Guide
- Storm Strategy—Fore-Reaching
- Colin and Louise Have a New Boat
- Eight Steps to Get Ready For Lithium Batteries
- Q and A—Trucking a Boat
- A Real World Tested Tool Kit For Cruisers
- Five Boat Lift Usage Tips
- Adventure 40 Reveal—Salon and Forward Cabin
- Balancing Battery Bank and Solar Array Size
- Going Up The Mast at Sea
- Adventure 40 Reveal—Galley, Head, and Aft Storage
- Gear Leveling and Mounting Hack
- Going Up The Mast—Four Dangerous But Common Mistakes
- How To Do Amateur Engineering¹
- Going Up The Mast—Our System
- Going Up The Mast—Fundamentals
- Adventure 40 Reveal—On Deck
- Going Up the Mast—An Industrial Fall Prevention Approach
- Adventure 40 Reveal—Hull, Cockpit, and Rig
- In-Mast, In-Boom, or Slab Reefing —Performance, Cost and Safety
- In-Mast, In-Boom, or Slab Reefing—Convenience and Reliability
- Cross-Bank Battery Charging—DC/DC Chargers
- Cross-Bank Battery Charging—Splitters and Relays
- Battery Bank Separation and Cross-Charging Best Practices
- How Hard Can We Charge Our Lead-Acid Batteries?
- Choosing & Installing Battery Switches
- Battery Containment—Part 1
- 5 Safety Tips For Working on Boat DC Electrical Systems
- Building a Seamanlike Lithium Battery System
- Two More Shore Power Safety Upgrades
- 9 Tips To Select Seamanlike Gear
- Download Cruising Sailboat Rig Checklist
- When Stuff Goes Wrong At Sea
- 8 Tips To Prevent Lithium Battery Black Outs
- Why Lithium Battery Load Dumps Matter
- Cruising Sailboat Roller Furler and Track Inspection
- Positioning of Wood Plugs For Seacocks
- The True Price of Autopilots & Vane Gears
- Cruising Sailboat Rig Wiring and Lighting Inspection
- 7 Checks To Stop Our DC Electrical System From Burning Our Boat
- 11 Self-Steering Vane Gear Installation and Usage Tips
- Why Most New-To-Us Boat Electrical Systems Must Be Rebuilt
- Cruising Sailboat Running Rigging Inspection
- 12 Cruising Boat Maintenance Tips
- WakeSpeed WS500—Best Alternator Regulator for Lead Acid¹ and Lithium Batteries
- Cruising Sailboat Standing Rigging Inspection
- Cruising Sailboat Spar Inspection
- Test Sail and Review of The Boréal 47.2
- Going Alongside (Docking)—12 More Tips and Tricks
- John Goes Sailboat Racing and Learns Stuff
- Protecting Our Boat’s Underwater Metals From Corrosion
- Going Alongside (Docking) in Current—Backing In
- Details Matter—Engine Failure at Sea
- Going Alongside (Docking) in Current—Turning in Confined Spaces
- Going Alongside (Docking) in Current—Fundamentals
- Helping a Member Choose an Anchor
- A Good First Aid Kit
- Why I Won’t Power Our Boat With a Portable Generator
- Setting and Striking a Spinnaker Made Easy and Safe
- Check Your Boat Shore Power System
- Our New Boat Selection Process—Part 1, Fitness For Mission
- Cruiser’s Tool Kit—Wrenches
- 29 Tips To Get Insurance For Offshore Voyaging—Negotiating Cover
- 29 Tips To Get Insurance For Offshore Voyaging—Us and Our Boat
- Cruiser’s Power Tool Kit
- Leaving a Dock Against an Onshore Wind—Part 2
- Leaving a Dock Against an Onshore Wind—Part 1
- Getting Insurance For Offshore Voyaging—Understanding The Problem
- 14 Tips To Come Alongside Single-Handed—Part 2
- 14 Tips for Coming Alongside Single-handed—Part 1
- Integrating and Documenting NMEA 0183 and 2000 Networks
- Two More Anchor Selection Criteria
- Making Anchor Tests More Meaningful
- Choosing A Cruising Boat—Shade and Ventilation
- When Electric Drive Works For a Cruising Sailboat
- Roller Furling Headsail Risks and Rewards
- Choosing a Cruising Boat—Shelter
- Q&A—Sailboat Performance, When The Numbers Fail
- Offshore Sailboat Winches, Selection and Positioning
- Best Offshore Boat Cockpit Cushions
- Buying a Boat—A Different Way To Think About Price
- Safety: We Can’t Do Or Even Learn About It All
- Cockpits—Part 2, Visibility and Ergonomics
- Cooking Options For Live-aboard Voyagers—Part 2, Liquid Fuel
- Cooking Options For Live-aboard Voyagers—Part 1, Electric
- Cockpits—Part 1, Safe and Seamanlike
- Should Your Boat’s DC Electrical System Be 12 or 24 Volt?—Part 2
- Should Your Boat’s DC Electrical System Be 12 or 24 Volt?—Part 1
- Topping Lift Tips and a Hack
- The Danger of Voltage Drops From High Current (Amp) Loads
- Rigid Vangs
- Maretron—Better NMEA 2000 Cabling
- Efficient Generator-Based Electrical Systems For Yachts
- Is Induction Cooking For Boats Practical?
- eWincher Electric Winch Handle Review—Part 3, Reliability and Summary
- eWincher Electric Winch Handle Review—Part 2, The Competition
- eWincher Electric Winch Handle Review—Part 1, Our Testing
- Second Level Thinking About Offshore Voyaging Boats
- SeaAngel SA15 AIS Crew Overboard Beacon Compared to The Ocean Signal MOB1
- Sailboat Deck Layouts
- US$30,000 Starter Cruiser—Part 2, The Boat We Bought
- US$30,000 Starter Cruiser—Part 1, How We Shopped For Our First Cruising Sailboat
- Washing Machines: Complexity and Space Considerations
- Planning a Refit— Keel Removal and Inspection
- Q&A Backing Out of a Bow-In Med Moor
- Two New Designs From Boréal
- Stupid Alternator Regulators Get Smarter…Finally
- Sail Area: Overlap, Multihulls, And Racing Rules
- Planning a Refit—Torquing Keel Bolts
- Refits—The Radical Option
- Non-Destructive Testing of Keel Bolts
- Cruising Rigs—Sloop, Cutter, or Solent?
- Offshore Sailboat Keel Types
- Outbound 46 Review—Part 2, Keel, Rudder, Bow Thruster, and Construction
- Planning and Budgeting an Engine Rebuild or Replacement
- Outbound 46 Review—Part 1, Hull Form
- Planning a Refit—Upfront Costs
- ShoreFasts—Part 3, The Gear
- ShoreFasts—Part 2, Example Setups Plus Tips and Tricks
- ShoreFasts—Part 1, When to Use Them
- Planning a Refit—Rudders, Repair or Replacement
- Planning a Refit—The Problem With Rudders
- Yawing at Anchor, The Theory and The Solution
- Planning a Refit—Boat Parameters
- Retrieval of Dyneema (Spectra) Series Drogues Solved
- Planning a Refit—It’s a Lot About You
- Anchoring—Chain: Stoppers, Termination and Marking
- A Sail Away Offshore Cruising Boat For Less Than US$100,000—Best Hull Material
- Anchoring—Kellets
- A Sail Away Offshore Cruising Boat For Less Than US$100,000—Rudders and Keels
- A Sail Away Offshore Cruising Boat For Less Than US$100,000—Decks, Hulls and SS Fittings
- Anchoring—Snubbers
- A Sail Away Offshore Cruising Boat For Less Than US$100,000—Introduction
- Four Hand Tools I Should Have Bought Years Ago
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to The Boréal 47—Part 5, Interior, Summary and Price
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to The Boréal 47—Part 4, Inside Watch Stations
- Insanely Cool Anchorage Toys
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 3, Hull and Build
- Passage Anchorages
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 2, Deck and Cockpit
- The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 1, Introduction and Rig
- Some Thoughts On The Ultra Anchor, Roll Bars and Swivels
- Which is Best For Navigation: Plotter, Computer or Tablet?
- Buying a Boat—Never Say Never
- New Satellite Communications Systems
- What We Need to Know About Moisture Meters and Wet Fibreglass Laminate
- Buying a Fibreglass Boat—Hiring a Surveyor and Managing the Survey
- A Useful, But Potentially Deadly, Feature of Navigation Apps and Plotters
- Buying a Cruising Boat—Five Tips for The Half-Assed Option
- 12 Electronic Navigation Tips From a Cruise on Someone Else’s Boat
- Coastal Passages, Part 5—On To The Finish
- You May Need a Bigger Boat Than You Think
- Costal Passages, Part 4—Keep On Plugging
- The Five Things We Need to Check When Buying a Boat
- Series Drogues: Learning From Randall Reeves
- Coastal Passages, Part 3—Off We Go
- Why Are Saildrives Even A Thing?
- Coastal Passages, Part 2—Rounding Headlands
- Six Things We Can Learn From A Night Approach That Ended on a Lee Shore
- Coastal Passages, Part 1—Making a Plan, 10 Tips
- Six Warnings About Buying Fibreglass Boats
- Rocna Resetting Failures and Evaluation of Vulcan and Mantus
- Learn From The Designers
- Refitting an Old Boat Can Work…For Some
- Specifying Primary Anchor Size
- SPADE, SARCA Excel, or Some Other Anchor?
- UV Protection For Roller Furling Sails
- Nigel Calder’s Integrel, Part 2—Is It Really Better Than a Generator?
- Nigel Calder’s Integrel, Part 1—What You Need To Know
- SARCA Excel Anchor—A Real World Test
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 3—Specifying Optimal Battery Bank Size
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 2—Thinking About Systems
- A Conversation With Ocean Signal About AIS Crew Overboard Beacons
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 1—Loads and Conservation
- Alternatives to Chainplates For Drogue Attachment…Or Not
- Stuff We Gotta Do—The Anchor Roller Version
- Ocean Passaging—Turning Back Is Hard To Do
- Anchor Chain Catenary, When it Matters and When it Doesn’t
- Which Old Salts Should We Listen To? 10 Ways To Decide—Part 2
- Colin on Anchoring
- Which Old Salts Should We Listen To? 10 Ways To Decide—Part 1
- Storm Survival FAQ
- Possible Auto-Activation Failure of The MOB1 AIS Crew Overboard Beacon
- AIS Crew Overboard Beacons—Setting Up The Boat Alarms Right
- Just Get a Series Drogue Designed By Don Jordan…Dammit!
- Amidships “Preventers”—A Bad Idea That Can Kill
- Rogue Waves Are Not Bad Luck
- 5 Ways We Are Updating Our Thinking On Fire Fighting
- Battery Monitors, Part 3—Calibration and Use
- Battery Monitors, Part 2—Recommended Unit
- Battery Monitors, Part 1—Which Type Is Right For You?
- Battle Testing a Jordan-Designed Series Drogue—Round 2
- 12 Great Rigging Hacks
- 10 Things That Are Common On Offshore Cruising Boats…But Shouldn’t Be
- Rig Tuning, Part 5—Sailing Tune
- Battery Bank Size and Generator Run Time, A Case Study
- Rig Tuning, Part 4—Mast Blocking, Stay Tension, and Spreaders
- Rig Tuning, Part 3—6 Steps to a Great Tune
- Rig Tuning, Part 2—Understanding Rake and Bend
- Rig Tuning, Part 1—Preparation
- Battery Options, Part 2—Lead Acid
- Battery Options, Part 1—Lithium
- Two Dangerous Rigging Mistakes
- Boréal Yachts—Looking To The Future
- Boréal Yachts—Eight Years On
- 8 Things I Learned From a Lazy Man’s Galley Makeover
- Time to Stop Using And Selling Tethers with Gibb-style Hooks
- Crew Overboard Recovery, Is The Quick Stop Bogus?
- Which Lifejacket Auto-Inflator Should We Select?
- Should We Wear Lifejackets or Harnesses, Both, Neither?
- Apps to Manage Boat Maintenance and Cruises
- Managing Boatyard Costs—Part 2
- Managing Boatyard Costs—Part 1
- Smartphone (CrewWatcher) or AIS-Based Crew Overboard Beacons?
- Severe Weather Probability Forecast Product
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—Backing In, Part 2
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—Backing In, Part 1
- Surviving The Boatyard—Part 2
- Surviving The Boatyard—Part 1
- Running Rigging Recommendations—Part 2
- Weather Routing In Action
- Running Rigging Recommendations—Part 1
- 29 Aluminum Boat Care Tips—Part 3
- Automated Weather Routing—Part 1, The Tools
- 29 Aluminum Boat Care Tips—Part 2
- Q&A, Coming Alongside (Docking) With Twin Rudders
- 29 Aluminum Boat Care Tips—Part 1
- Seven Skills We DON’T Need to Go Cruising
- The Golden Globe Race—The Boats and the Refits
- We Love The Way Our Anchor Drags
- Iridium GO! and UUPlus, Real World Use Review
- Watt & Sea Hydro Generator Review
- Can We Really Be Seen By Ships at Night?
- Crew Overboard Prevention—Use of Climbing Harnesses
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—Taming the Wind
- Crew Overboard Prevention—TeamO Backtow Lifejacket/Harness
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—The Final Approach
- Coming Alongside (Docking)—Manoeuvring in Close Quarters
- Battle Testing a Jordan-Designed Series Drogue—Round 1
- Get-Home Backup For Offshore Motorboats—Part 3, The Winner
- Get-Home Backup For Offshore Motorboats—Part 2, The Options
- Get-Home Backup for Offshore Motorboats—Part 1, Is It Even a Thing?
- Boat Heating—Part II
- Determining When Heaving-To Is Dangerous
- 10 Ways to Make Your Boat Easier to Bring Alongside a Dock
- Boat Heating—Part I
- Rigging The Spring That Makes Docking Easy, Or an Alternative
- Coming Alongside (Docking) in 4 Easy Steps
- Transitioning From Heaved-to To a Series Drogue
- Series Drogue Durability Problems
- The Right Tethers To Keep Us Aboard—Part 2, Construction and Hardware
- The Right Tethers To Keep Us Aboard—Part 1, A Mix
- 8 Radar Use Tips
- Three Tips to Make Your Cruising Boat Fault Tolerant
- 11 Tips for Safe Navigation With Phones and Tablets
- Navigation in Fog, Part 3—Underway
- Navigation in Fog, Part 2—Preparation
- Navigating in Fog, Part 1, The Tools
- The Artnautica LRC 58 Adventure Edition Offshore Motorboat
- Thinking About Better Offshore Motorboats
- Jacklines: Materials, Fabrication and Installation
- The Unknown Unknowns
- An Efficient Foredeck Centreline Jackline
- An Easy Way to Avoid Engine Failures
- Designing For Dux Rope Rigging—A Paradigm Shift—Part 2
- Dynice Dux, Part 1: Practical Low-Stretch Rope Rigging For Offshore Sailboats
- What Marine Engine Duty Ratings Mean To You
- A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 2
- A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 1
- Keeping Things Tasty—Tips For Food Storage (With No Refrigeration) & Meal Preparation
- Keeping Things Tasty—A 36,000-Mile Lesson In Provisioning
- The Perfect Anchor Roller
- The Three Keys To Cruising Happiness
- What Really Matters—The Big Five, Revisited
- Q&A—Are Battery Desulphators a Good Idea?
- Q&A, What’s the Maximum Sailboat Size For a Couple?
- Hoisting the Mainsail Made Easy—Simplicity in Action
- Ten Tips To Fix Weather Helm
- How Batteries Charge (Multiple Charging Sources Too)
- Maiden Voyage of The Boreal 55—What Worked and What Didn’t
- One Simple Law That Makes Electrical Systems Easy to Understand
- Things I’ve Learned From Three Refits That Will Help You
- Giving a Tough Old Ocean Greyhound a New Purpose
- Refitting a Wauquiez Hood 38
- A Trans-Atlantic Boat For Less Than US$100,000
- How To Select The Best Power and Propeller Settings For Your Engine
- How To Stop Killing Your Engine With Kindness
- Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs)
- The Ultimate Guide to Using Iridium Handsets and GO!
- Going Cruising—Being Realistic About You, 4 Tips
- Iridium GO! Review—6 Myths Busted and a Purchase Recommendation
- 4 Great Tips From a Professional Meteorologist
- Mooring Your Dinghy While Ashore, Made Easy
- “Eala Bhan” Sails Home, Part III
- Keeping Safe From Chart Inaccuracies
- “Eala Bhan” Sails Home, Part II
- Five Tips For Choosing Weather Information to Believe…And Pay For
- “Eala Bhan” Sails Home—The Maiden Voyage of The Boréal 55
- Marine Electronics Recommendations—Communications
- Marine Electronics System Recommendations
- Two Tips to Make Your First Ocean Passage as Skipper Safe and Fun
- Better Jackline Systems
- Flawed Jackline Systems, Part 2
- Flawed Jackline Systems, Part 1
- Anchor Tests—The Good, The Bad, and The Downright Silly
- Cutter Rig—Optimizing and/or Converting
- Cutter Rig—Should You Buy or Convert?
- 12 Reasons The Cutter Is A Great Offshore Voyaging Rig
- Propeller Efficiency
- Six Reasons To Leave The Cockpit Often
- Ten Ways to Make Propane Safer
- Boat Maintenance—Don’t Go Broke Saving Money
- Boréal 47—An Owner’s Experience
- Third Anchors, Storm Anchors and Spare Anchors
- Understanding An Engine Fuel Map
- Better Powertrains For Auxiliary Sailboats and Motorboats
- Downwind Sailing—Poling Out The Jib
- Downwind Sailing, Tips and Tricks
- Kedge (Secondary Anchor)—Recommended Type and Size
- Boat Maintenance—What’s Your Screwup Tolerance?
- Tools and Techniques For Managing Dissimilar Metals on Cruising Boats
- The Crazy Fools…Who Don’t Drown
- Introduction
- The Only Five Knots You Need to Know
- Attainably Adventurous Children
- Marine Electronics Recommendations—Radar
- Yawing at The Anchor, an Alternative Cure
- Spare Parts—Which To Buy and How To Keep Track Of Them
- Reefing From The Cockpit 2.0—Thinking Things Through
- Thoughts on Spinlock Lifejacket “Failure” and Crotch Straps in General
- The Secret Life Of Your GPS
- Getting Your Mojo Back
- A Real Sailor’s Motorboat Launched
- The Two Biggest Lies Yacht Brokers Tell
- Q&A: Safety of Large Pilothouse Windows
- Download Your Gift eBook
- Rustler Yachts: Maybe There’s Hope Yet?
- The Loss of “Team Vestas Wind”
- 9 Tips To Make Unstepping a Sailboat Mast Easier
- Reefs: How Many and How Deep
- Your Mainsail Is Your Friend
- 6 Tips To Stop Marine Electronics From Ruining Your Cruise
- Perfect or Good Enough?
- Staying Attached To The Boat
- Install A Wash-down Pump—And Save Money!
- Motorboating and Sailing Compared—Part 2
- Motorboating and Sailing Compared—Part 1
- Crash Pump
- The Right Way to Buy a Boat…And The Wrong Way
- Estimating The Cost of Maintaining a Cruising Boat
- You Need More Than Money
- The World’s Best Bilge Pump Switch
- Loss of Yacht “Tao”
- Do You Need A Generator?
- Real Numbers For Electric And Diesel-Electric Drives
- Five Ways That Bad Boats Happen
- Backup Systems
- Do You Still Need Paper Charts?
- Rigging a Proper Preventer—Part 2
- Rigging a Proper Preventer, Part 1
- Protecting Against Lightning Strikes
- John & Phyllis’ 36 Immutable Rules of Seamanship
- Lithium Ion Batteries Explained
- Two Yacht Losses, Many Lessons Learned
- 20 Tips To Get Anchored and Stay Anchored
- 10 Tips To Install An Alternator
- 10 Tips to Help You Get Out There Cruising
- Artnautica 58—Design Analysis
- Design Parameters For an Ideal Sailor’s Motorboat
- Selecting a Chain Grade
- Mainsail Handling Made Easy with Lazyjacks
- Do We Need Watertight Bulkheads?
- Impact Resistance—Two Collision Scenarios
- Impact Resistance—How Hull Materials Respond to Impacts
- The Real Reason to Use a Harness and Tether
- A Sailor’s Motorboat
- Characteristics of Boat Building Materials
- Summary And Conclusions For Heavy Weather Book
- Companionway Integrity In A Storm
- Real Life Storm Survival Story
- Storm Survival Secret Weapon: Your Engine
- Surviving A Lee Shore
- Series Drogues: Learning From Tony Gooch
- Jordan Series Drogue Retrieval—An Alternative From Hal Roth
- Jordan Series Drogue Attachments And Launch System
- Jordan Series Drogue Retrieval System
- When Heaving-To Is Dangerous
- Heaving-To
- Goals For A Heavy Weather System
- Introduction—We Need A System
- 8 Tips For a Great Cruising Boat Interior Arrangement
- Cycle Loading—8 Tips for Boat and Gear Purchases
- Electric or Diesel-Electric Drives for Voyaging Boats
- Two Anchors Done Right
- Cyclical Loading: Why Offshore Sailing Is So Hard On A Boat
- Harnesses and Lifejackets and How to Use Them
- Keeping The Water Flowing
- The Risks of Falling Overboard at Sea
- We Should Focus On Staying Aboard, Not Recovery
- Is It a Need or a Want?
- One Anchor or Two?
- Hydro Power
- Solar Power
- Wind Generators
- Renewable Power
- A Dangerous Myth about Reefing
- Choosing a Spot
- Laziness Never Goes Unpunished
- Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying a New Voyaging Boat
- The Case For Roller-Furling Headsails
- Are Refits Worth It?
- The Case For Hank On Headsails
- Thinking About a Steel Boat?
- A Reluctant Voyager?
- Tips For Receiving Weather Forecasts
- New Engine, The Proof is in The Voyage
- Tips For Receiving GRIBs
- Choosing an Anchorage
- Tips For Receiving Weather Fax
- It’s A Forecast, Not A Prophecy
- The Importance Of The Big Picture
- A Windlass That Makes The Grade
- Things to Know About Anchor Chain
- Serve Your Apprenticeship
- Priorities In Preparation
- Making Life Easier—Roller Reefing/Furling
- Clear The Decks For Action
- Making Life Easier—Storm Jib
- How To Use An Anchor Trip Line
- The Beauty Of Simplicity
- Chart Plotters And Autopilots, Never The Twain Should Meet
- Light Weather Sails—Choosing What Is Right For You
- Perkins M92B, Initial Report Card
- Equalizing Batteries, The Reality
- Storm Preparation, All Chain On Deck
- Anchor Swivels, Just Say No
- Q&A: Hybrid Rope And Chain Anchor Rodes
- Smart Chargers Are Not That Smart
- How Lead Acid Batteries Get Wrecked and What To Do About It
- Engine Installation—The Devil Is In The Details
- Test Sail On A Boréal 44
- Rudder Options
- Boréal 44 Design
- A Boat Designed For The High Latitudes
- New Engine For “Morgan’s Cloud”—What We Chose
- Selection Criteria For The New Engine For “Morgan’s Cloud”
- Gennaker Furlers Come Of Age
- Three Navigation Mistakes That Can Wreck You
- Knowing Where It’s At
- Boréal Sailboats–An Introduction
- Of Cockpits, Wheelhouses And Engine Rooms
- Don’t Forget About The Sails
- Managing Ocean Currents
- Gale And Storm Preparation, At Anchor Or On A Mooring
- Swept-Back Spreaders—We Just Don’t Get It!
- Keeping The Boom Under Control—Boom Brakes
- Carbon Fiber Masts and Lightning: Myths, Assurances And Risks
- Carbon Fiber Mast, Costs and Benefits
- The Benefits Of Carbon Fibre Masts
- Q&A: Staysail Stay: Roller Furling And Fixed Vs Hanks And Removable
- Anchor Rode Questions and Answers
- There’s No Excuse For Pounding
- A Motorsailer For Offshore Voyaging?
- At What Age should You Stop Sailing And Buy a Motorboat?
- It’s Often Better to Anchor Than Pick Up a Mooring
- Reefing Questions and Answers
- A Prairie Woman Goes To Sea
- Taming The Wimp Within
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Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs)
37 CommentsReading Time: 7 minutesMembers
Read more: Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs)So far in this Online Book we have learned about the fundamentals of engine and propeller efficiency and, in the last chapter, we looked at a way to make our existing engines a bit more efficient. In this chapter Matt explains a much better way to get the very most out of every drop of diesel fuel.
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The Ultimate Guide to Using Iridium Handsets and GO!
114 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Using Iridium Handsets and GO!The whole process of buying, installing and working with a satellite phone can be downright intimidating and very frustrating. John explains how to make the whole process easy. The results of 15 years of experience with Iridium devices.
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Going Cruising—Being Realistic About You, 4 Tips
41 CommentsReading Time: 7 minutesMembers
Read more: Going Cruising—Being Realistic About You, 4 TipsSo much of writing on getting out cruising focuses on boats and gear. But, in fact, there is something even more important to think about…you.
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Iridium GO! Review—6 Myths Busted and a Purchase Recommendation
73 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Iridium GO! Review—6 Myths Busted and a Purchase RecommendationFew pieces of new gear have created more buzz in the offshore cruising community than the Iridium GO!. And there have also been few pieces of gear that have been surrounded with as many myths and as much confusion as the GO!. John busts the myths and analyzes the benefits of buying an Iridium GO!.
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4 Great Tips From a Professional Meteorologist
53 CommentsReading Time: 4 minutesMembers
Read more: 4 Great Tips From a Professional MeteorologistWe got our hands on a real live professional meteorologist, who is also an offshore sailor, and wrung 4 great tips out of him that will make your voyages both safer and more comfortable.
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Mooring Your Dinghy While Ashore, Made Easy
42 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: Mooring Your Dinghy While Ashore, Made EasySome of the most fun we can have while cruising is while exploring ashore, but what if there is no dinghy dock? How do you make sure your dinghy is safe while you’re gone? Here’s an easy-to-deploy mooring you can build that solves the problem…and it will save your back too.
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“Eala Bhan” Sails Home, Part III
12 CommentsReading Time: 10 minutesMembers
Read more: “Eala Bhan” Sails Home, Part IIIColin continues his tale of a fall voyage to Scotland, complete with snug loch anchorages, a gale in confined tidal waters, and a fast canal transit, wrapping up with a summary of the Boréal 55 based on a good real-world test—lots more to learn and enjoy.
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Keeping Safe From Chart Inaccuracies
30 CommentsReading Time: 3 minutesMembers
Read more: Keeping Safe From Chart InaccuraciesHere’s one simple tip that can save you a huge amount of grief…and possibly your boat:
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“Eala Bhan” Sails Home, Part II
21 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: “Eala Bhan” Sails Home, Part IIThere are few trickier places to sail than the waters surrounding the British Isles and when you throw in fall weather that goes double. Colin puts his decades of experience in the area to work to make it look easy—we can all learn a lot about coastal passagemaking from this article on the maiden voyage of the first Boréal 55.
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Five Tips For Choosing Weather Information to Believe…And Pay For
58 CommentsReading Time: 6 minutesMembers
Read more: Five Tips For Choosing Weather Information to Believe…And Pay ForThere’s a lot of great weather information out there these days…and a lot of hype too. Here are some tips that will help you tell the difference and decide what’s worth spending your money on.
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“Eala Bhan” Sails Home—The Maiden Voyage of The Boréal 55
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Read more: “Eala Bhan” Sails Home—The Maiden Voyage of The Boréal 55After seven years of building great expedition sailboats, Boréal have put everything they have learned into the new 55. And no one is better qualified to tell you about this new boat, that we can all learn from, than Colin, who supervised her build.
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Marine Electronics Recommendations—Communications
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Read more: Marine Electronics Recommendations—CommunicationsRecommended, VHF radios, satellite phones, AIS, Navtex and Weather Fax equipment for cruising boats
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Marine Electronics System Recommendations
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Read more: Marine Electronics System RecommendationsUp to this point in this Online Book we have been writing about good navigation practices. Now let’s turn our eyes to the cool electronic toys we all love. And since I’m an electronics technician by trade and have spent most of my working life in high tech fields this is going to be leading edge stuff and way cool!
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Two Tips to Make Your First Ocean Passage as Skipper Safe and Fun
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Read more: Two Tips to Make Your First Ocean Passage as Skipper Safe and FunThe skills required to become a competent skipper of an ocean crossing yacht are not that difficult to learn, but there are a couple of things we must do to attain that goal.
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Better Jackline Systems
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Read more: Better Jackline SystemsIn the last two chapters we discovered that the jackline systems most of us use for COB prevention are pretty much useless. Now we are moving on to what to do about that—the good stuff.
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Flawed Jackline Systems, Part 2
57 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Flawed Jackline Systems, Part 2There is so much wrong with commonly-used crew overboard prevention systems that I couldn’t fit it all in one chapter…here’s Part 2.
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Flawed Jackline Systems, Part 1
71 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Flawed Jackline Systems, Part 1Most of us offshore sailors rely on clipping our harness tether to a jackline to stay safe. But, in many cases, we are totally deluding ourselves, because if we do go over the side, something may break and cast us adrift, or we will drown by dragging.
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Anchor Tests—The Good, The Bad, and The Downright Silly
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Read more: Anchor Tests—The Good, The Bad, and The Downright SillyWe sailors love to talk about anchor tests, and yes, they are useful, but never forget that they are all fundamentally flawed.
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Cutter Rig—Optimizing and/or Converting
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Read more: Cutter Rig—Optimizing and/or ConvertingNow we get to the nitty gritty: How to convert your boat to a cutter rig and how to make existing cutters better.
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Cutter Rig—Should You Buy or Convert?
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Read more: Cutter Rig—Should You Buy or Convert?When does the cutter rig make sense, both when buying a new boat and considering a conversion? We have a simple decision-tree to make things simple.
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12 Reasons The Cutter Is A Great Offshore Voyaging Rig
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Read more: 12 Reasons The Cutter Is A Great Offshore Voyaging Rig12 reasons that the true cutter is simply the best rig for short-handed offshore voyaging. And even if you don’t have a cutter, this chapter can help you make your boat easier to sail and faster too.
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Propeller Efficiency
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Read more: Propeller EfficiencyMatt brings his customary clarity to a complicated subject: propellers. Reading this post will cause you a bit of brain sweat, but doing so can help you get big gains in engine efficiency.
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Six Reasons To Leave The Cockpit Often
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Read more: Six Reasons To Leave The Cockpit OftenStaying in the cockpit of a sailboat most of the time at sea and not getting out on deck often is not a good idea or safe.
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Ten Ways to Make Propane Safer
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Read more: Ten Ways to Make Propane SaferPropane is an intrinsically dangerous fuel to have on a boat. Here are 10 tips to ameliorate the risk of an explosion.
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Boat Maintenance—Don’t Go Broke Saving Money
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Read more: Boat Maintenance—Don’t Go Broke Saving MoneyA chapter that will give you a whole new way to think about boat maintenance, including an easy-to-use gear selection method that will save you a bundle as well as untold grief.
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Boréal 47—An Owner’s Experience
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Read more: Boréal 47—An Owner’s ExperienceAfter 20,000 miles of voyaging, including some of the world’s toughest cruising destinations, Christopher and Molly tell the real story about how their Boréal 47 has performed.
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Third Anchors, Storm Anchors and Spare Anchors
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Read more: Third Anchors, Storm Anchors and Spare AnchorsAfter we have bought our best bower (primary anchor) and kedge, what should our third anchor be? The logical answer will surprise you…as it did me.
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Understanding An Engine Fuel Map
44 CommentsReading Time: 7 minutesMembers
Read more: Understanding An Engine Fuel MapMatt explains those graphs that adorn engine brochures and manuals. Understanding these diagrams is the key to better fuel economy and less problems with your diesel engine.
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Better Powertrains For Auxiliary Sailboats and Motorboats
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Read more: Better Powertrains For Auxiliary Sailboats and MotorboatsMost yacht engines are horribly inefficient, but that can be fixed. Matt, AAC Engineering Correspondent, introduces the book with this chapter.
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Downwind Sailing—Poling Out The Jib
113 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Downwind Sailing—Poling Out The JibPoling out the headsail to sail downwind can be intimidating, particularly offshore in big breeze, but Colin has a way to make it easy and safe.
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Downwind Sailing, Tips and Tricks
42 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Downwind Sailing, Tips and TricksColin draws on his decades of experience racing and cruising to share some tips and tricks that will make reaching and downwind sailing faster and more comfortable. Chapter FREE to view for three days.
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Kedge (Secondary Anchor)—Recommended Type and Size
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Read more: Kedge (Secondary Anchor)—Recommended Type and SizeThe second most important anchor on our boats after the best bower is the kedge. What type should it be and how big? We make it simple.
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Boat Maintenance—What’s Your Screwup Tolerance?
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Read more: Boat Maintenance—What’s Your Screwup Tolerance?We in the offshore cruising community talk a lot about the right way and the wrong way to equip and maintain our boats, but that’s all meaningless until we have answered one basic question…
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Tools and Techniques For Managing Dissimilar Metals on Cruising Boats
79 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Tools and Techniques For Managing Dissimilar Metals on Cruising BoatsWhen you have decades of experience running commercial research yachts where downtime is not an option, you learn how to make repairs while out there. Colin shares information that could save your cruise, and maybe even your boat.
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The Crazy Fools…Who Don’t Drown
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Read more: The Crazy Fools…Who Don’t DrownJohn tells a story about an exceptional seaman, and what we can all learn from it about the seamanlike way to make decisions.
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Introduction
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Read more: IntroductionLearn why this Online Book is worth your time and will change your cruising life for the better.
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The Only Five Knots You Need to Know
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Read more: The Only Five Knots You Need to KnowLearning to tie knots quickly is a vital seamanship skill. But the good news is that you only need to learn five simple knots.
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Attainably Adventurous Children
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Read more: Attainably Adventurous ChildrenThinking of voyaging with children? Aspiring to voyage offshore? Reading this account by experienced wilderness educators about their ten years tackling the same challenges will smooth your way.
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Marine Electronics Recommendations—Radar
106 CommentsReading Time: 5 minutesMembers
Read more: Marine Electronics Recommendations—RadarWhen radar really matters, what unit should you buy? John has the answer based on 30 years of radar experience, much of it in places where reliable radar is vital.
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Yawing at The Anchor, an Alternative Cure
90 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Yawing at The Anchor, an Alternative CureDoes your boat swing violently back and forth at anchor when the wind is up? Colin has a solution that is simple, inexpensive, and easy to rig.
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Spare Parts—Which To Buy and How To Keep Track Of Them
53 CommentsReading Time: 5 minutesMembers
Read more: Spare Parts—Which To Buy and How To Keep Track Of ThemHaving the right spare parts aboard is one of the biggest contributors to a fun and stress free voyage. But how do you decide what to buy and then keep track of what you have? John answers those questions and provides downloads of our parts list and the program we use to keep track of them on Morgan’s Cloud.
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Reefing From The Cockpit 2.0—Thinking Things Through
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Read more: Reefing From The Cockpit 2.0—Thinking Things ThroughIf you want to reef from the cockpit, you have to do it right. Colin shares how.
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Thoughts on Spinlock Lifejacket “Failure” and Crotch Straps in General
38 CommentsReading Time: 8 minutesMembers
Read more: Thoughts on Spinlock Lifejacket “Failure” and Crotch Straps in GeneralTo be safe we need to be open to reviewing our assumptions in the light of new information. John takes a fresh look at the Spinlock Deckvest that he and Phyllis have used for years, and also revisits the whole issue of wearing crotch straps, or not.
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The Secret Life Of Your GPS
53 CommentsReading Time: 9 minutesMembers
Read more: The Secret Life Of Your GPSPretty much all of us rely on GPS, but have you every wondered how the thing actually works? Matt has the answers, and they are fascinating.
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Getting Your Mojo Back
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Read more: Getting Your Mojo BackEven the most experienced mariners get rusty after a period ashore. Colin shares the process of getting into the voyaging groove.
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A Real Sailor’s Motorboat Launched
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Read more: A Real Sailor’s Motorboat LaunchedThe Artnautica 58 is launched and it looks promising.
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The Two Biggest Lies Yacht Brokers Tell
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Read more: The Two Biggest Lies Yacht Brokers TellA look at the claims that are made about secondhand boats…and the probable reality.
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Q&A: Safety of Large Pilothouse Windows
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Read more: Q&A: Safety of Large Pilothouse WindowsEver wondered about the safety of those big pilot-house windows that we increasingly see on modern designs? John has too.
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Download Your Gift eBook
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Read more: Download Your Gift eBookA huge thank you to all of our members for joining. Scroll down to download your gift eBook. Login to continue reading (scroll down) Learn About Membership Get to know us for FREE Username Password Remember Me Forgot Password
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Rustler Yachts: Maybe There’s Hope Yet?
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Read more: Rustler Yachts: Maybe There’s Hope Yet?The first in Colin’s two part report on his visit to English boatbuilder Rustler Yachts.
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The Loss of “Team Vestas Wind”
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Read more: The Loss of “Team Vestas Wind”The loss of a yacht is both sobering and sad, but what we can do to gain something positive from the news is try to learn from what happened.
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9 Tips To Make Unstepping a Sailboat Mast Easier
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Read more: 9 Tips To Make Unstepping a Sailboat Mast EasierUnstepping the mast is one of the most stressful tasks we sailboat owner’s face, but here are some tips to make it a lot easier.
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Reefs: How Many and How Deep
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Read more: Reefs: How Many and How DeepSeveral members have asked for a post on how many reefs are optimal. But the answer is deeper (ouch) than that.
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Your Mainsail Is Your Friend
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Read more: Your Mainsail Is Your FriendMany sailors have de-emphasized their mainsails, in some cases to the point where the main is the first sail to come down when the going gets tough and often does not even get set in the first place. This is a mistake and potentially dangerous.
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6 Tips To Stop Marine Electronics From Ruining Your Cruise
65 CommentsReading Time: 7 minutesMembers
Read more: 6 Tips To Stop Marine Electronics From Ruining Your CruiseMarine electronics are great but they can also make you crazy. Here are some tips to keep you sane.
