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 …
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 …
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 …
Ian asked what affordable means and I realized I was less than clear about my wants where propulsion is concerned. So, let’s dig in… Affordable is a scary word these days and pretty much useless without context. In my case, back when I first put together an electric drive for “So It Goes” I spent …
For some reason or other, the idea of pulling out the raw-water cooled Yanmar 3HM and replacing it with an affordable, minimal electric propulsion system keeps playing around my thoughts. Having spent a bunch of years developing a variety of electric propulsion installations on our CAL 34, I do have some experience but came to …
What happens when you say “Electric Propulsion” three times… Read More »
An interesting map, some thoughts on a sharkless world, and a needful/scary riff on adaptation… I’ve received a few emails on the subject of a new paint job for the Islander both pro and con but in a polarized sort of way. The funny thing, for me at least, is that in a world of …
Back during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria with nothing better to do, I painted “So It Goes” while at anchor in the mangroves. The paint I chose was Rust-Oleum aluminum paint. My thinking at the time was that it was something Phil Bolger mused would make a good boat paint, it was dirt cheap ($13 …
Lately I’ve been thinking quite a bit about buying and installing an AIS transponder but stuck in the need/want and affordable/ not affordable tests. The bottom line being that I just don’t want to spend $700 or so for a transponder with all the needful bits. Here’s a solution for an alternative solution that would …
Minimal boat, minimal systems. Just about as seaworthy as you can get.
As it happens, I came across this dinghy that I had a link to way back when. Hell its got a pointy front as well so what the hell… On another tack, here’s a link that pretty much says reflects my thinking about what went down yesterday and I’m still doing the happy dance.
