Darrell Nicholson

Whether it is simply the curse of age or my diminished capacity for self-delusion, my efforts at creating a small boat fit for single-handed...

• Li-Ion Battery Safety
• Tools for Topping-off
• Fighting Fires
• Freeing Stuck Anchors
• Anchor Tripping Tips
• Tools on the Move

 

Most mariners, especially those on the West Coast, have heard about the horrific fire aboard the dive boat Concepcion near Santa Cruz Island, California,...

DREMEL POLISHING BOBS Regarding your recent blog post on corrosion (see “Fighting Off Marine Electrical System Corrosion,” PS Online), when cleaning up corroded terminals and...

Many of the most interesting cruising areas in Florida are inaccessible to the average cruising boat. The Florida Bay between the southern tip of...

After the challenges of the past couple of years, it's no surprise that many new sailors are regarding the cruising life away as an antidote to the madness ashore. We seem to have reached an interesting period in history when a retirement boom, a surplus of fixer-upper sailboats, the normalization of remote work, and a generation that celebrates the unconventional life is making cruising sailing—an endeavor once reserved to adventurers stricken by South Seas fantasies—seem like a perfectly logical path. While there is no shortage of books that tell you what you need to do to go cruising, but very few seem to caution about what not to do or what to avoid. Here are a few things that I found get in the way of a long-term sailing escape.