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Read more: Changed Plans And Superyachting 2006Our last news letter described our circumnavigation of Newfoundland in the summer of 2005 and our return to Maine for the winter of 2005/06, with a plan to complete the refit of Morgan’s Cloud over the winter and move back aboard in the spring of 2006 to resume our cruising life. It was not to […]
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Read more: QA&: Preparing For A Trans-Atlantic As Crew
Question: I have perhaps a total of 40 hours sailing the New England coast. I have been invited by an experienced sailor to sail from Newburyport to Ireland in 2008 on a 32’ boat. My question is, what could I do between now and then to better prepare myself as a useful crew member?
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Read more: Reefing Questions and AnswersReefing is one of those areas where the devil really is in the details. Over the years we have answered dozens of questions about reefing. In this chapter we highlight a few of those and provide our answers.
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Read more: Sail Area: How Much and How to Distribute It
So just how much sail area should a voyaging boat have and how should it be distributed? We examine those two issues in this question and answer chapter.
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Read more: GMT Carbon Mast, ProblemsOkay, this is a big one and to fully understand it will take you a lot of reading. But, if you are contemplating a major custom project, such as a new mast or even a new boat, the time expended here may save you a lot of money and aggravation.
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Read more: Navtec Hydraulics
Morgan’s Cloud was fitted with an hydraulic vang and with hydraulic backstays when we bought her. Initially we were skeptical, feeling that such complexity had no place on a cruising boat, especially one that sails to remote places.
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Read more: Q&A: France To Tortola In The Autumn
Question: I have an opportunity to sail from France to the Canaries to Tortola, leaving the end of September through October. What can I expect from a weather perspective based on your experience? My assumption is we will be in the area of hurricane formation (eastern Atlantic) for the first week then right in the […]
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Read more: Q&A: UK To Boston Via The North In June
Question: I wondered if I could seek your advice on a trip that has been suggested to me but that I have serious reservations about: Sailing from the UK to Boston, leaving around the end of May, taking the North Atlantic route. The skipper seems to be under the impression that we will have easterly […]
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Read more: Cummins Marine 6B5 Diesel Engine Manufacturing Problems
Oil pan bolts that were stripped during manufacturing at Cummins take three attempts to fix.
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Read more: Q&A: Forward Scan Sonar
Question: We are looking at sonar options for use in areas with poor charts and low visibility. Our interest is primarily for checking anchorages and narrow passages, looking for obstructions. We have a small plotter/sounder in the dinghy, but nobody wants to go out in the dink when it is cold and rainy (and warm […]
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Read more: Silva Marine, NEXUS Network Wind Instruments, Problems
The Problem In 2005, KVH abruptly stopped supporting the Quadra system, which had served us well for many years, albeit after its own set of teething problems. After considering most of the options and nearly settling on B&G, but finally being put off by a sudden and substantial increase to their already, in our opinion, […]
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Read more: ICS Navtex, Problems
The Problem In 1999 our trusty old Furuno combination weather fax/navtex machine died after many years of faithful service. We decided to use our PC for weather fax and buy a dedicated navtex. We selected a unit from ICS.
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Read more: The Joys And Tears Of TurboCADFor the last few years we have been using TurboCAD for visualizing and designing projects on Morgan’s Cloud. TurboCAD is a great value, with much of the functionality of systems costing many times more, at just US$150, and you can often get it discounted to as little as US$80.00 by shopping around on the Internet.
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Read more: Q&A: Can We Install A Bronze Transducer In Our Aluminum Boat?
Question: We want to replace the current inoperable depth sounder on our aluminum boat with a forward looking type (EchoPilot or Interphase), but we have run into the dilemma that the transducers suitable for our hull have bronze stems.We have been advised that bronze stems can be installed in aluminum hulls if the stem is […]
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Read more: Q&A: Can I Use Bronze Sea Cocks In An Aluminum Boat?
Question: Do you have bronze sea cocks in your aluminum hull and if so what level of corrosive activity have you seen?
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Read more: Q&A: Why Is Morgan’s Cloud’s Hull Painted?
Question: You call painting an aluminum hull a mug’s game yet you painted your hull?
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Q&A: What Should I Look For When Buying An Older Aluminum Boat?
14 CommentsReading Time: 2 minutesFreeRead more: Q&A: What Should I Look For When Buying An Older Aluminum Boat?Question: What advice and cautions would you have regarding buying older aluminum boats? I have been told to pay particular attention to the area under the heads and engine and around the through-hulls. Is there anything else you might be wary about in an older aluminum boat?
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Read more: Northeast Coast Of Newfoundland 2005A number of our friends have written that they have missed our news letters, which have been few and far between lately. Their reminders, plus the quickly approaching holiday season, have galvanized us into doing something about our long silence (due to a very busy schedule, not apathy!).
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Q&A: Would You Sail In The High Latitudes In A Fibreglass Boat?
36 CommentsReading Time: 2 minutesFreeRead more: Q&A: Would You Sail In The High Latitudes In A Fibreglass Boat?Question: Would you cruise the high latitudes in a fibreglass hull?
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Read more: Tank Tender, Hart SystemsOur Tank Tender from Hart Systems is 20 years old and one of the few pieces of original equipment left on Morgan’s Cloud.
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Read more: Recommended Cruising Guides to Atlantic CanadaThe best yacht cruising guides to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Read more: Q&A: Sailing The Strait Of Belle Isle In July
Question: We plan to go through the Strait of Belle Isle about July 1st. Is this practical given ice conditions? I have been told that a northeast wind can choke the Strait with ice at that time of year. I also have been told that ice is less likely on the Newfoundland side of the […]
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Read more: Q&A: Polar Bears, How Serious Is The Risk?
Question: How seriously do I need to take the threat of polar bears in the Arctic?
