Something from the “possible pandemic” department, a timely yet apt cartoon and we’re back to zombie apocalypse territory… How about a DIY build your own sextant kit? Not a bad Holidaze present at all. That said, the Celestial Navigation Starter Package might be a better investment in the long run.
I’ve always been of the “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst” kinda guy and, as a result, also big on backup plans. For instance, at 2AM last night I was thinking about… What would I do if I lost the rig on the Islander? And so, my “A” plan for a rig replacement …
Why I find myself asking … “How would James Baldwin refit this boat?” Atom Voyages has always been the gold standard for refit videos. If you have an issue of what to do with your classic plastic project there’s a 99% chance that Atom Voyages has the answer. Nuff said.
My plan for today was to catch up on reading and then dismantle an outboard and make a gawd-awful mess in the cockpit in the process. Lucky me! We have what I’ll call a Seattle day in Paradise and it looks like gray skies and copious rain is what’s on the menu. So, next on …
I have to admit I really don’t like internal combustion engines when they are part of a sailboat. Partly because they’re dirty foul things that take a disproportionate chunk of the cost of owning a boat. I mention this because I recently caught a review of a Sigmadrive unit that made a strong case for …
Yesterday, while making a list of stuff I need to procure, the thought crossed my mind that boat stuff, more than likely with the incoming regime, is going to become a whole lot more expensive in a hurry. For that matter, everything is going to cost more than we’d like with maybe the exception of …
Sometimes you just have to buy something for the boat and at the moment, I really should get a hand-bearing compass. Now my first and usual reaction is to find a cruiser flea flea market and find one for around $10 bucks or so but the problem these days, is you don’t see a lot …
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 …
