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Orca Navigation System Review, Part 1—Architecture and Display
16 CommentsReading Time: 11 minutesMembers
Read more: Orca Navigation System Review, Part 1—Architecture and DisplayOrca takes a different approach to navigation electronics, resulting in a system with incredible capabilities for the price, but can it stand up to the incumbents in use?
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Read more: Osprey DeterrentThis is going to be expensive. Every summer several pairs of ospreys nest and rear their young in the trees surrounding our cove, which is wonderful. What is not so wonderful is that expensive sailing instrument wands seem to be their preferred place to perch while looking for fish to swoop down on, as can […]
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Read more: Victron AGM Super Cycle Battery ReviewI would not normally go into this much detail on a relatively obscure battery, but I think it is important for owners of these batteries, and those thinking about buying them, to know about some strange behaviour I have encountered.
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Read more: Mast & Rigging Storage HacksIt’s winter layup time again…bummer…but here are a few hacks to make undressing and storing the mast easier: Login to continue reading (scroll down) Learn About Membership Get to know us for FREE
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Read more: Choosing The Right Alternator, Part 2—Other CriteriaIn Part 1 we looked at efficiency, but there is a lot more to think about before buying a high-output alternator.
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New Features Coming On The Wakespeed WS500 Alternator Regulator
10 CommentsReading Time: 2 minutesMembers
Read more: New Features Coming On The Wakespeed WS500 Alternator RegulatorLogin to continue reading (scroll down) Learn About Membership Get to know us for FREE
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Read more: Lithium Battery With External BMS Better For Winter LayupFun you can have with ChatGPT5 Update 7th October: In light of things I learned in the comments, I made a few changes to this Tip including reducing the level of charge to 70% (from 80%) and sharing Emile’s experience with the Bluetooth in Victron Smart Lithium batteries. A couple of weeks ago I read […]
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Read more: Choosing The Right Alternator, Part 1—EfficiencyEven five years ago alternator selection for cruising boats was simple, but now we have more efficient and more powerful options, particularly as we increase voltage.
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Read more: Gone SailingWe have not published anything for ten days and probably won’t for another week or so. Our all-too-short sailing season is coming to a close and so Phyllis and I are taking some time off to go sailing. Not to worry though, as soon as we get the boat hauled in early October we will […]
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Read more: Forgiveness, The Forgotten Selection FactorWe all tend to select our boats and gear by how many cool features they have. But there’s a way more important factor to think about.
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Read more: Engine Warm-Up Best PracticesI have long known that the oft-accepted wisdom that an engine should be warmed up at idle before loading it was wrong. In fact, we should load it almost immediately by going into gear and then slowly increase revs as the engine warms up. Warm-Up A few engine manuals share a not-to-exceed power setting before […]
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Read more: Just Go CruisingLithium batteries, Starlink, big alternators, catamaran, trimaran, or monohull, serial hybrid, parallel hybrid, endless “review1” videos of multi-million dollar boats, which anchor is best… On and on it goes. How is anyone new to cruising going to sift through all this and actually get out there? Here’s the answer: Login to continue reading (scroll down) […]
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Making Large Alternators Safer With Whitespace Programming
15 CommentsReading Time: 12 minutesMembers
Read more: Making Large Alternators Safer With Whitespace ProgrammingSome alternator regulators have the ability to vary output in relation to engine RPM, a great feature that can mitigate the risk of damage to our engine and reduce the risks in close quarters boat handling, but how do we arrive at the right settings? Here’s a step by step guide.
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Read more: Engine Temperature Gauge HackThe little Yanmar engine in our J/109 is cursed with the basic panel with no gauges other than rpm. While I have taken a bunch of precautions against overheating, which I have written about before, I really wanted to be able to read engine temperature.
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Read more: Never Trust a HurricaneAs you can imagine, I’m watching Hurricane Erin very carefully, and this morning, as is my habit, I was reading the forecast discussion when this jumped out at me: After 36 hours, there has been a notable increase in forward speed among the models when Erin becomes embedded in the mid-latitude westerlies, and the NHC […]
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Read more: Lithium Battery Reliability and BackupStill Required? Ever since we published my thought that lithium batteries had come of age, I have been pondering whether or not they have reached a point of reliability that would make me comfortable installing them on an offshore boat without the lead-acid serial backup we have recommended for years. After all, we now have […]
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Read more: Radar Reflector Mounting HackOut of the way, and no chafe issues.
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Read more: Wakespeed WS500 Pro Programming HackPowering the Wakespeed WS500 Pro while configuring.
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Read more: 18 Tips To Install A Cruiser’s AlternatorHow to buy and install a real live-aboard cruiser’s alternator that will be reliable over the long term.
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Read more: Wakespeed WS500 Alternator Regulator Deck DisplayDisplaying Wakespeed WS500 alternator regulator information on a plotter.
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Read more: Lithium Batteries Come Of AgeA full system example from Victron. It looks intimidating at first, but if we take our time and understand the basic concepts, it’s actually quite approachable—kudos to Victron. That said, it’s our responsibility to make sure that our installation is safe and conforms to the standards for the country our boat is flagged in. And […]
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Read more: Efficient Generator-Based Electrical Systems For YachtsAn analysis for any live-aboard cruiser who is considering a lifestyle that will require more than about 250 amp-hours at 12 volts (3 kWh) of electricity daily.
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Read more: Victron NG Smart Lithium BatteriesBen Stein, over at Panbo, has just published a good review of the new Victron NG LiFePO4 batteries and related BMSs, well worth the time to read for most any cruiser who is even faintly interested in lithium batteries. I won’t try to duplicate the excellent job Ben has done describing what makes this new […]
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Read more: Norseman 447Some thoughts on one of Bob Perry’s best designs and buying older cruising boats in general.
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Read more: Getting Tether Length Just RightDon’t assume from this photo that I make all my tethers this way. I only use dynamic climbing rope (DCR) in low-traffic areas because of the roll-under-foot danger. More on this and much more about tether construction in the chapters linked to below. Also don’t get confused by the tools and fittings in the photo, […]
