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Read more: Wind GeneratorsShould you install a wind generator on your boat? Find out from someone who has cruised with one for 5 years—invaluable real-world experience.
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Read more: Hermitage, Newfoundland—A Warm WelcomeA visit to Hermitage to do the laundry became a visit filled with great experiences in an unexpected treasure of a place.
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Read more: Arctic Voyage eBookSee more pictures and learn more about our 2011 voyage in the eBook, “A Voyage North on Morgan’s Cloud” (free for members).
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Read more: Renewable PowerThrough a combination of planning, frugality, solar and wind power, Colin and Lou have never had to run the engine of their OVNI 435 to charge their batteries when at anchor. How did they manage that? Read on to find out how.
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Read more: John’s Thoughts & Photos, September 2012A great piece by Charley Doane over at Wavetrain on the folly of carrying jerry jugs of fuel on deck and how to make it unnecessary with smart motor-sailing.
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Read more: Gaultois, Newfoundland—A Flying VisitGaultois doesn’t see very many visiting sailboats and so the townsfolk come to the wharf to visit. Unfortunately, on this visit the weather didn’t allow Morgan’s Cloud to stay long.
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Read more: You Pays Your Money…Just made for the job One refreshing thing about Spain is that it is still a country where people carry out many of their own repairs. Evidence of this can be seen in the number of ironmongers (ferreterias) that still exist in even relatively minor towns, Aladdin’s caves filled with every conceivable item for some […]
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Read more: Francois, Newfoundland—”The Epic”The outport of Francois has a lot to offer, including a floating dock and hiking—everything from short strolls on the boardwalk to an epic.
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Read more: Long Thin Boats Are CoolA fundamental fact of yacht design is that if you want to move a given displacement—which is the only sensible way to compare boat sizes—through the water without planing, the most efficient hull form is long and thin, as demonstrated by Steve and Linda Dashew’s 83-foot motorboat, Wind Horse. A boat that can move her […]
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Read more: A Dangerous Myth about ReefingThere are probably more myths and downright wrong recommendations published about reefing than any other subject. In this chapter John exposes one of them and then goes on to explain how to do it right.
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Read more: The Best Days Of Our Lives?Will we get there on time? Those of us with a few years under our belt have seen extraordinary changes in the world of sailing during our lifetimes, not just in terms of the sailing performance of the boats we sail, but also in their comfort and safety, which in turn generates the confidence for […]
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Read more: What Is It With Yachties?John and I were working below, tied up to the dock in Hermitage—a place that doesn’t get a lot of visiting boats—when we heard a thump on the deck. Poking his head out the companionway, John was met with a bag of perch fillets, from fish caught in the bay that day, landed from a […]
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Read more: Staying On Your Feet—The Right FootwearOne thing we have a ban on aboard Pèlerin is going around the decks with no shoes. Stubbed toes can easily be badly damaged, as I found out one night in a pitch-dark harbour when another yacht announced that they were coming alongside by the simple expedient of slamming straight into the side of us. Leaping […]
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Read more: Ramea, Newfoundland—Road-Served But Still Out ThereRamea, though on an island off the south coast of Newfoundland, is served by a car ferry from the road-connected town of Burgeo.
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Read more: Staying On Your Feet—Deck CoveringsStaying safe on deck needn’t be an eyesore. Question: What’s one of the easiest ways to sustain a serious injury on a yacht? Answer. A fall. Question: What’s one of the easiest ways to prevent that happening? Answer: Decent non-slip everywhere! So why is such a simple way of staying safe so often ignored? When […]
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Read more: Doctor and White Bear, Newfoundland—Two South Coast Fjords
The south coast of Newfoundland offers two beautiful fjord anchorages at Doctor Harbour and White Bear Bay.
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If They’re Good Enough For Seals, They’re Good Enough For Us
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Read more: If They’re Good Enough For Seals, They’re Good Enough For UsA while ago I wrote about how we keep our hands warm when sailing and a number of commentors mentioned they really like Sealskinz gloves. Well, when something gets that much good press, who are we to argue? So we went ahead and bought ourselves a pair of Chillblocker Sealskinz gloves. And yes, you all […]
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Read more: Setting The Anchor
Colin shares his technique for making sure the anchor is well set.
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Read more: Grand Bruit, Newfoundland—After The End
The outport of Grand Bruit, Newfoundland—closed in 2010, it’s a beautiful and eerie waystop.
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Read more: It’s So Nice When I Stop
Over twenty years ago I received an offer from Britain’s leading whale and dolphin researcher to become a reserve skipper on his annual survey in the western isles of Scotland. Wow, I thought, what an opportunity, and promptly seized it with both hands. Which only goes to show that you should always look before you […]
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Read more: LaPoile, Newfoundland—Beautiful And IsolatedThe outport of La Poile, Newfoundland—beautiful and isolated and aging.
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Read more: Choosing a SpotIn this chapter John outlines the steps he takes to get Morgan’s Cloud anchored in the right spot the first time.
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Read more: Saving The Day
It’s a fact of life that even in our throw away world of ‘service by replacement’ equipment there are times when good old fashioned improvisation can save the day, especially when you’re thousands of miles from the nearest service centre. As a result, part of any spares kit should comprise of a mix of wire, […]
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Read more: Outports Of Newfoundland—The Heart of a VillageOutports (isolated non-road served Newfoundland communities) are slowly dying as the youth move to more urban environments for work. So don’t wait too long to visit the ones that remain.
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Read more: You Still Need an Accurate CompassWhat if your plotter dies, or the datum is way out on the chart against the GPS, or you are navigating an intricate passage? These are just a few situations when an accurate compass is vital.
