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...
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”...
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...
Why the Catalina 42 Took Over the Caribbean
You see them everywhere — the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, all across the Caribbean. The Catalina 42, especially the Mark II, has quietly become...
Latest Sailboat Review
Dragonfly 25-2 Boat Review
If you’ve ever dreamed of blasting across the water at 25 knots with the wind in your hair and the spray in your face...