Cruising gadgets, knowledge, and ideas for the cruising sailor
This idea was suggested by my friend Tom Rose who sails “Corsair”. This gadget saves on water by cutting the amount of dishes you have to wash, and it saves on trash because of less bulky paper products. Less water, less trash, it’s a winner on any boat. The idea is to use just a napkin or a very thin
» Read moreAbout half the outboard motors you see in the Bahamas or Caribbean are 15 HP two stroke Yamahas. This is a popular choice because it weighs less than a 4 stroke 9.9 HP, and you have the horsepower to plane a RIB with 4 adults. This tip won’t help you if you have a 4 stroke engine, but if you
» Read moreThis is the shower head we use on our boat. Yes, that’s right; it’s a kitchen sink dish sprayer! We’ve been using it for years now without a problem. What I like about it is that it forces the shower taker to take a “Navy” shower. You cannot leave the water running without depressing the handle. It is also an
» Read moreWhile in Horta recently I was rafted up next to Paul and Sheryl Shard from the TV show “Distant Shores”. You can enjoy their great show about sailing to “Distant Shores” on the AWE cable channel. www.distantshores.ca Sheryl had recently bought a Sailrite sewing machine and was setting up for the first time. I mentioned the “Recycling Bag” idea to
» Read moreAfter several years your canvas may lose some or all of its ability to repel water. There are several good products out there to refurbish the water repellency. Starbrite makes a good one, and the makers of Sunbrella lend their name to one called “303 Fabric Guard”. You can find these at your favorite marine supply store. They work. What
» Read moreI want my wife come back and sail with me time after time. Therefore I do things to make it nice for her. A nice head, a nice shower, shade for her Irish skin. As the saying goes, when she is happy, the skipper is happy. One of the things she has trouble with is getting back out of the
» Read moreI’m just back from sailing adventure for a few months in the eastern Caribbean and it was suggested that I post something about a “Fishing Gadget” of sorts. My inspiration for this is a young man named Cayden Wittrock. He is a very good fisherman and I learned things from this 13 year old. He is sailing with his parents,
» Read moreIf you plan to sail offshore please consider doing this one. I’ve been on several trips on my boat and others where the toilet seat hinges either break or the hinge screws pull out of the seat. The seat becomes unusable. If it’s a long trip, this will be a real pain in the ass, literally. The way that this
» Read moreIf I’m going on a delivery, chartering, or racing long distance offshore and I’m responsible for the cooking, here’s one of the tricks I use. Buying spices can be expensive, and if you are on the boat for just one week, it can be wasteful too. So what I do is use a “pill dispenser” to bring some spices along
» Read moreIf you are thinking about going cruising in the Bahamas or Caribbean you may want to have a Single Sideband radio aboard. This would allow you to listen to radio nets and broadcasts for weather. I would also allow you to talk to other boats further away than VHF range of about 25 miles. If you pair the radio up
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