The Information-Packed Resource for Part Time Commuter Cruisers!
Worried about your anchor holding? The most important consideration is adequate scope, but we also use an anchor kellet to absorb most of the force and insure that the pull from the boat rarely reaches the anchor, so there’s little possibility of it getting pulled out. Here’s how.
Looking for something different and absolutely delicious for the fresh fish you just caught? Try my “Catch-Of-The-Day” Cioppino recipe … from Cruising World Magazine’s People & Food April 2013.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that NOTHING is ever easy on a boat. The simplest project usually turns out to have some wrinkle that requires hours & numerous trips to the marine stores or Home Depot. Replacing rusty thimbles in our snubber line was no exception.
As cruisers routinely discover, cell phones and water don’t mix! As we use our smart phones for navigation, AIS & weather, there’s more opportunity for them to get knocked overboard, fall in the bilge or even just get wet in a backpack in the dinghy. Don’t let it happen!
There’s a better way to tie to a mooring ball if you’re expecting a serious storm. Recommended by City Marina/Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, Florida. Good to know, but hope we never need this information!
Looking for something different for dinner? Try the Bahamian Mac n Cheese recipe from The Boat Galley Cookbook. This dense cake-like mac n cheese with peppers, onions and hot sauce jazzes up a routine meal. Bon Appetiti!
Ever stepped outside your boat’s cockpit to the side decks and wished you had something substantial to grab onto? Adding grab bars to the outside of your dodger is the answer … and our most used handholds!
Another cruiser recently told me of a dish draining mat that she far preferred to a chamois (which is what we use aboard Winterlude). She claimed the big advantages were that it absorbed 4 times it’s weight in water, her counter never got wet; it dried quicker than a chamois and it could be thrown in the washer and dryer, eliminating any mold issues. I had to have one! And love it!
Just like their name, sail telltales are there to “tell tales” and will provide useful sailing information to improve your boat’s sailing performance provided you know the basics. Even if you consider yourself “just a cruiser” and don’t care about premium sailing performance, paying attention to your telltales will be worthwhile.
Late yesterday I had a request for some additional photos showing the details of how the isenglass roll-down curtains attach to the boat. So here are a few photos. Note, our previous roll down isenglass used most of the same snaps, so most of the snaps were already in place and the canvas maker simply [...]
In years past, we’ve never had wifi aboard. Most places we were cruising didn’t have wifi available anyway … somehow it just wouldn’t have been…
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If you’re using an all chain rode, think of a nylon snubber as insurance for your windlass! A wind…
In the Northwest Caribbean and South Florida, late December to mid-March, is “Norther” season. …
So we all know anchoring in for a norther or squall line requires more attention than everyday ancho…
Tieing up to a mooring ball involves a lot more than merely being able to grab the mooring pennant w…
Ironically, we wanted to put bars across our hatches while outfitting the boat in Florida before w…
Unfortunately dinghy theft is on the rise everywhere! Most cruising boats don’t have the option to…
The late November afternoon was gorgeous, the village beckoning. After dropping anchor in the az…
Cruising is usually a safe adventure, probably less dangerous than driving down an interstate highwa…
One of the hardest things for whatever reason, even for relatively experienced cruisers, is to LEAVE…
By the time we’ve decided it’s time to leave, of course the weather decides it’s not time to leave a…
Life in salt water, especially in the tropics, is hard on a boat. But overall, the better we are a…
Everyone has their own checklist to leave a boat in a marina in the water while you’re gone, but in…
