Tillerpilot Tips and Safety Cautions
Autopilot is not autodrive. The International Rules of the Road (COLREGS) makes your responsibility clear: You must keep watch. There are no exemptions for...
Best Crimpers and Strippers for Fixing Marine Electrical Connectors
If you own a cruising boat, you will have to learn to be an electrician (in addition to a painter, a detailer, a mechanic,...
Thinking Through a Solar Power Installation
The practical aspects of your solar panel system will be governed by the design and size of your sailboat, your overall project budget (%...
How Does the Gulf Stream Influence our Weather?
“Big High, Blue Sky, Goodbye…” All you need to get started, right?
...Not so fast. Heed another quote from Captain Ron, hero of the 1992...
Can You Run a Marine Air-Conditioner on Battery Power?
Our 16,000 BTU MarinAire A/C is sufficient to maintain our Privilege 435 catamaran at under 26.5°C (80°F) on days up to around 35°C (95°F)....
Preparing Yourself for Solo Sailing
Last week, I covered some of the things I suggest you need to think through on the boat before heading out solo. Now, what...
Your New Feature-Packed VHF Radio
In the ever-evolving realm of maritime communication, Digital Selective Calling (DSC) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) have emerged as game-changers within the latest models...
Preparing A Boat to Sail Solo
You have probably heard people say sailing solo is dangerous or irresponsible. How can you keep a proper watch? What happens if you have...
Solar Panels: Go Rigid If You have the Space…
Movies can be corny, but Jack Sparrow nicely summarized the romance of sailing: "That's what a ship is, you know. Is not just a...
Leaping Into Lithium
Your dock neighbor just switched out her old 12-volt lead-acid batteries for lithium-ion batteries. Should you? The lithium solution will be more expensive, but...