Some ARC rally news, an interesting read, and something I really need to add to my laptop… Every day someone tells me I need boat stuff I cannot live without but have somehow never missed. Maybe worth discussing in the comments if you care to.
Regarding that news story, a needful read, and all that stuff in earth orbit… While reading some comments on a DIY watermaker thread, I realized that boat-based consumerism is actually something real close to being a cult. Vicious attacks against folks who have found frugal alternatives seem to be the order of the day if …
Here’s a fun fact that occurred to me yesterday… Most carrots available for sale here in the USVI seem to come from Canada. Here’s another factoid you might want to consider… A lot of Caribbean islands buy groceries for resale in the USVI. Which is to say that, when shopping for a can of tomatoes, …
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 …
While I have zero desire to ever return to the sunshine state (with the exception of reading Carl Hiaasen and James W. Hall books) I have kept a weather eye on its continued anti-cruiser policies. Yeah, I know, upscale beachfront property owners don’t want their view sullied by someone hanging underwear on their lifelines and …
Every once in a while I’m confronted with what can only be insanity when dealing with various marine vendors. For instance, while looking for a couple of Imray charts one particular chart caught my eye because it was priced at $199.99 which is just batshit crazy. I expect that it’s a case of a chart …
I’m not a big fan of bureaucracy but living or cruising on a sailboat it’s just part of the same old same. The best way, in my personal opinion, of dealing with the beast is to simply know what is required and follow the rules. Sure, I know many of those rules are dumb or …
As someone who spent several years being an on and off resident of Camp 4 in Yosemite, I have a very different view of what the word “Dirtbag” actually means… dirtbag /dûrt′băg″/ noun Which has a lot to do with my approach to the whole VolksCruiser thing and why I admire folks cruising with less, …
Practical Boat Owner has an article on the recent ARC rally that I found both interesting as well as depressing. Mostly it’s about what stuff you need to have to cross the Atlantic. Lots of stuff. Expensive stuff. Of course, the ARC has always been a favorite thing to do if one is big on …
As they’re already forecasting a nasty “H” season, it’s way past time for me to be considering the various options that make sense. Trust me, it’s a whole lot better sitting in a French sidewalk cafe than it is being in the mangroves waiting for all hell to break loose. Since we’re speaking of hurricanes, …
