need/want…
I recently had someone point out that (not for the first time) a VolksCruiser t-shirt would go a long way towards supporting the blog and that everyone is doing “merch” these days. As it happens, I was actually considering doing a t-shirt for a cruising oriented film as an ongoing promotion element. Of course, being …
everybody knows…
This is nowhere. Face it, we all have our passions and some lucky people (or so I’ve been told) get to share their passions with with a large group of like-minded folks. Then again, some of have passions that are, due to a general lack of interest, more along the lines of a private passion. …
yesterday being a day off of sorts…
I mostly spent yesterday watching the wall to wall coverage of the impending hurricane Milton. What I should have been doing was installing a couple of vents on the Islander. The main take-away from the media coverage is that 99% of the folks involved did not really understand hurricanes or ‘grok’ the nature of killer …
A couple more thoughts on self-steering…
I keep noticing that the cost of used self-steering gears continue to rise. For example, the Navik windvane which used to sell somewhere between $150- $500 dollars is now selling for somewhere between $400-$1000 dollars (check here for a price spread on used Naviks). While it still might be the best deal going for a …
a few good books…
Back when I was a kid, cruising was not about buying stuff, keeping up with the Joneses, or being cool. It was mostly about being there and doing it. Most everyone out cruising was on a budget, no one had fan clubs or followers, and companies were not handing out gear to Influencers. To tell …
Something from the Boat Bits files…
I recently had a conversation with someone wanting to get into cruising and it seemed that his main goal had a lot to do with achieving a certain level of independence. Sound familiar? For me, the best way to achieve a reasonable amount of independence is to simplify and live within one’s means. Which, I’ll …
some more on the “H” ting…
Most cruising folk I know are obsessed with the weather in general and when it comes to the “H” ting time we can’t get enough input. The first thing I look at when I wake up is the NOAA forecasts and the last thing I check before going to sleep is a cocktail made out …
a plywood and PVC windvane…
You might want to check out. Sensible, simple, and cheap. Better yet, it should cost you less than $60 or so in materials and a couple of days of work. Considering that the cost of used vane gears (Aries, Navik, Windpilot, Atoms, Hasler, etc) are getting more expensive and hard to find, this gear makes …
It’s still that time of year…
Folks up in Florida should be some kind of nervous… Down here it’s been fairly calm and while Beryl nailed the Grenadines and we had Ernesto kick some butt here in America’s Paradise, it’s mostly been benign weather wise. Fact is, the last few days have been mostly windless and a stiff breeze would be …