Marine Electronics

Although the cause of this delaminated rudder is unknown, In most cases the delamination comes with age. Also, a small nick from hitting a rock or coral will let water in and, if not attended too, the delamination will worsen in time. (Photo/ Ray Ville)

Pre-Purchase or Insurance Survey: Which One Do I Need?

You’ve been bitten by the sailing bug and every spare minute is spent searching online for that perfect vessel. You’ve narrowed it down to...
Luckily, Precious Metal, a 48-ft. monohull, has a steel hull, which was able to withstand a lightning strike 200 nm off the coast of Central America. (Photo/ Pamela Bendall)

When Electronics Fail: How to Navigate After Lightning Strikes

Lightning is an anomaly: It strikes wherever and whenever it wants. In my case, it struck me and by boat 200 miles south of...

Simple Lithium for Outboard-Powered Tenders, Daysailers, and Sport Boats

Lithium is cool. Your cell phone uses it. Cameras, laptops, flashlights … everything. But “cool” is not a reason. Fire is not a big...

Special Report: How to Prevent AIS and VHF Antenna Malfunction

Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) ships-including tankers, passenger vessels and cargo ships over 300 gross tonnage-must be equipped with Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). In the U.S., carriage requirements also includes vessels over 65-feet. AIS can allow you to see a distant ship, but is not a substitute for radar.
Vesper Marine WatchMate 850 is an class "B" AIS transponder system that lets boats know your location and, at the same time, lets you know which boats are around you. Photo courtesy of Vesper Marine.

Vesper Marine WatchMate 850 and Icom M91D: Where Credit is Due

AIS (automatic identification system) transponders put out a signal that describes your boat and what it is doing to other ships. It also receives...

How to Create a Bullet-Proof VHF/SSB Backup

In this short article I want to chat about ideas for making the radio bombproof in an emergency. I haven’t “invented” any of these...
AquaMaps with Bob’s blue tracks and my green tracks at the start of the ICW with bridge arrival times. (Image/ Alex Jasper)

Tips From A First “Sail” on the ICW

My dream to sail from New England to the Bahamas involved a trip down the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), also known as “the ditch”...
Make sure someone is always keeping a lookout on the horizon while the tillerpilot is engaged. If there are a few crew onboard, it helps to rotate who is on watch so everyone else can relax.

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...
Irwin Vise-Grip Wire Stripper. (Photo/ Adam Morris)

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,...
600-watt solar panel system on Summer Twins 28 sailing catamaran Caribbean Soul 2. (Photo/ Clifford Burgess)

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 (%...

Guided Tour – Caribbean, Erie Canal, Great Lakes! The Beneteau Oceanis...

This week we get a tour or a Yacht Club in Toronto and have a guided tour of a Beneteau Oceanis 45 that sailed...

Latest Sailboat Review

O’Day 30 Used Boat Review

Over 350 O'Day 30s were built between 1977 and 1984. During 1984, the 30 was modified by changing the keel and rudder, and the stern was lengthened to accommodate a European-style boarding platform. This "new boat" was called the O'Day 31, and it stayed in production until 1986.