Hanging out in a lovely anchorage is a wonderful part of cruising, but what if we could also stay fit and/or play with a really cool fast sailing dinghy at the same time?
Looking at hull form and build quality is less fun than delving into cockpits and interior spaces. But the former are a lot more important, since these are boats, not condos, and a good hull form and build are vital when we actually go voyaging.
Sure, we all like a snug sheltered anchorage but when we are trying to make the miles in a hurry using a less sheltered passage anchorage can save a bunch of time and distance. Colin shares how to pick a good one and the precautions to take when we decide to anchor out there.
Sailboats are about…well sailing, so a good deck and cockpit layout is vital, and often neglected. How do these two boats stack up? John takes a look, and also shares what to look for on any offshore boat.
For over 10 years the Boréal 44/47 has been in a class of her own when we think about buying a new aluminum centreboard expedition boat, or any offshore cruising boat, for that matter. But now there is a new challenger in the neighbourhood: the Garcia Exploration 45. In this, the first of four articles, John compares the rigs of these two boats. And even if you are not interested in either boat, you will get some good ideas of what to look for in a boat to go to out-of-the-way hazardous places, particularly the high latitudes—or even just offshore.
John spent some time at the Ultra Anchor booth at the boat show. There were things he liked about the anchor, and one that he didn’t, and it’s a doozy.
Andy Schell sails offshore more than most, and is my goto guy for the positive view on all things. We had a great chat about buying second hand fibreglass boats.
How do we decide between the three options for electronic navigation? John provides a logical framework to make that easier.
John just returned from the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. Here’s a report on the boats that caught his eye, along with some thoughts on getting “out there” in an affordable way.
Hang around with cruisers, and sooner or later someone will say, “Never buy a boat with…”. Should we listen? John shares how to decide, and examines the choice between encapsulated and bolt on keels.
A new-old source for pre-made Dacron jacklines as well as the webbing to make them DIY.
For nearly 20 years billionaires have been promising that worldwide, fast, always on, and reasonably priced internet, that we could use anywhere on our boats, was just around the corner, but now Matt makes a convincing case that we really will see this soon, and why things are different and better this time. Most important of all, he explains what we need to do to get ready.
There is endless debate about the effectiveness of moisture meters. Here are the facts from Steve D’ Antonio, who has used one for decades, together with some thoughts from John.
There has been a lot of excitement in the offshore cruising world about Iridium Next, the long promised, and now completed, new constellation of satellites for the system that has, for the last 20 years, been the only viable world wide satellite communication system for yachts owned by anyone other than the super-rich. But does Next really change anything?
John will be at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis and appearing in a panel discussion. Here are the details.
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