Deciding when to head offshore can be tricky, and subject to the opinions of those around you (published February 2014) It had been a rough passage […]
Herd Instinct
Tune In
Tips for replacing tang assemblies and tuning your rig (published January 2014) As I hoisted myself up the mast I could see rust stains on the […]
Navigation System Backups
Know where you are when your most important systems fail (published January 2014) It’s a question of if, not when your main navigation equipment fails. Of […]
True Reliability
Where to look when building redundancy into your boat’s systems (published January 2014) Cruising boats are simple but contradictory things: a heap of essential, often complex, […]
New Developments in Nautical Chart Distribution
(published December 2013) NOAA recently announced that the U.S. government is discontinuing printing of the traditional lithographic paper charts in April, 2014. The reasons given include […]
Choosing and Understanding Self-Steering Gear
A guide to equipping your boat with an electronic autopilot or windvane: Part II (published November 2013) A common piece of equipment found on the modern […]
Piloting Practice with Geocaching
How to use this popular GPS game to become a better navigator (published November 2013) The hobby of geocaching has been popular for many years […]
Safety At Sea
recommendations and consideratioins for outfitting your sailboat to go offshore (published October 2013) With the amount of gear and opinions available on what you should or […]
The Snubber
A simple piece of cruising equipment with a big job (published September 2013) It was around 3 a.m. and I awoke to a building breeze pushing […]
True Wind from Apparent Wind
How to calculate the true wind and why it matters to sailors (published September 2013) There are several ways to define the wind. For weather work […]