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Before we consider the safety issues of lithium-ion batteries, we should remember that lead acid batteries are not without risk. Apart from the obvious risk of a sulfuric acid spill or exposure, there are other concerns. Under heavy charge or discharge they can give off heat and gases which can be corrosive, explosive, and poisonous in high enough quantities.

A viewer of a recent Practical Sailor video commented that a hydrogen sulfide discharge from his lead acid battery nearly killed him (his words), while under charge overnight. It was a quality charger, on shore power, but it seemingly delivered an excessive charge (possibly because of a battery fault). Thankfully, the smell woke him and alerted him to the issue.

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Anchoring in clean sand and mud is easy. But cruising takes you places where anchoring isn't easy.

The golden rule with coral, grass beds, jumbled rocks, and snags is to go somewhere else. Chains dragging to and fro do lasting damage to coral and grass beds. The rode can wrap around coral heads or catch under rocks and logs, making anchor recovery nearly impossible. Often, there are sizable patches of good sand or mud between the coral, grass beds, and snags, but not enough for the rode to lie in light winds. The solution, long practiced around coral islands, is to pick a clean spot, lower and lightly set the anchor in the center, and then add floats to the rode as needed to keep it above the surrounding coral heads as the boat swings. The method is also applicable to grass beds and areas with patches of rocks or other snags.

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A reliable autopilot is great to have onboard because it gives you opportunities to rest your arms and/or eat while under way while still keeping an eye on things. So, when something doesn't feel quite right with the auto pilot system, don't wait to fix it. Practicing easy, preventative maintenance on a regular basis will prevent costly autopilot repairs-or replacement-later on.

My auto pilot is a Raymarine TS4000+ Autohelm with SeaTalk links. Although I have a sailboat, the same unit has been a very popular choice for power boats with a wheel type steering, such as large cruisers and trawlers. Other autopilot brands and models use a similar closed, self-contained wheel drive system and require the same care. Some auto pilot models use exposed external drive components, which makes servicing such as rinsing, tensioning and belt replacement much easier.

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Sailing used to mean disconnecting from the everyday-for some, it still does. Days were spent watching the waves roll by, adjusting sails, reading books, and sharing happy hours with fellow cruisers. Anchorages were social places, with sailors zipping around in dinghies searching for weather updates, swapping information, or simply making social calls. Getting online often meant heading ashore in search of Wi-Fi or holding a cellphone at strange angles in hopes of catching a signal.

Starlink changed that almost overnight.

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As the forecast for this season calls for much cooler temps and more frequent higher wind speeds and gusts, thanks to the effects of a Super El Niño, reefing has become a frequent topic. I was somewhat surprised when many sailors at our yacht club confessed they had never reefed their sails and, frankly, were not sure how to on their boat or when. Many claimed they simply furl in-reef-their foresail since it's the easiest and quickest thing to do. However, when asked, they admit to losing a lot of steerage and experience violent sail and gear flogging. For unfamiliar or novice sailors and crew, this can indeed provide for some scary moments.

When to Reef

Before I go any further, let's get one of those questions out of the way first. How do I know it's time to reef? The answer is simple. The minute you even start to ask yourself if you should put in a reef is the time to do so. This is Neptune's way or your spider senses speaking to you. Most times, the thought or feeling comes up long before it's needed, so follow your instincts and reef now, while it's easier to do so and while you're still in full control.

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Have you ever been sailing along and thought to yourself, something just doesn't feel right. That is what happened to me with our steering on Misirlou, our ancient but venerable 1964 Cal 40. Like the proverbial frog in the pot of water heating up on the stove, the tightness and hard spots came on gradually, without me noticing at first.

But our rudder and bearings were new! I put them in myself, let's see... (counting on fingers) 25 years ago. Okay, maybe not so new. Dropping the rudder after our end of season haul out revealed what I had expected: The nylon bushings were unevenly worn and out of round. The rudder stock was structurally sound but had surface scoring and pitting in the top and bottom bearing regions. Simply swapping the old bushings for new was not an option, given the surface condition of the rudder stock. An upgrade was needed.

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VHF radios are not included among the minimal safety equipment required on pleasure craft by the US Coast Guard, but they should be. VHF radios can be used to contact nearby vessels, marinas and emergency services. Almost all VHF radios receive weather channels, providing access to forecasts and warnings that are important to the safety of your vessel and crew. In short, they're invaluable tools for routine and emergency communications.

The gold standard for VHF radio transmission is a fixed-mount model offering 25 watts of transmission power from an antenna mounted high atop a mast. That power and antenna height will give line-of-sight VHF radio waves a range of up to about 25 miles, depending on the height of your mast and that of the receiver's antenna (which is why Coast Guard stations have tall towers).

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You love sailing. You love (or like) photography, and you want to share some of the spectacular things you find out on the water with friends or family or social media strangers. What type of camera makes for the best cruising companion?

Before we look at the different options on the market and explore which ones best lend themselves to sailing photography, let's have a brief chat about weatherproofing.