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.

Whenever the subject of buying a boat comes up, the horror stories about surveys that failed to find serious, or even catastrophic, structural problems are sure to follow. John interviews industry expert Steve D’Antonio to learn how to avoid having our very own survey horror story.

Sure, electronic navigation is great, but blindly relying on it, and on those who develop plotter software, could put us on the rocks.

When researching buying a cruising boat, we are deluged with information on all the gear she must have and how perfect she must be before we can go cruising. But is that really true? How about buying an old and tired boat and just getting out there? John tells his story of going cruising in a half-assed boat…and having one of the best times in his life. Will this work for you? He shares tips on how to decide.

Phyllis and I will be going on part two of our summer holidays (vacation) for ten days starting Monday, September 9th.

Andy, of 59˚North, shares his hard-won drone-flying secrets so that you can get the same cool video and stills while sailing offshore that he does.

So is it possible to get a real offshore cruising boat for around US$100,000, ready to go? John suggests a possibility for those willing to go smaller and older.

John has decades of navigation experience, much of it in fog, but there is always more to learn, particularly when single-handing an unfamiliar boat.