a simple electric system…
Minimal boat, minimal systems. Just about as seaworthy as you can get.
Things that work
Stop signs on the roads I like to travel…
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 …
What’s up in America’s chilly paradise…
It was seventy-two frelling degrees this morning! Since I have the Simpson Lawrence Anchorman aboard (SHINY!), it’s now time to remove the Vetus manual windlass and put it up for sale to get it (and its weight) off the boat. I had planned to take it down to bare metal then give it a new …
Outfitting the Islander…
Now that we’ve finally sorted out the various Yanmar issues, pretty much got the boat livable, and no longer seem to be sitting around waiting for parts, it’s time to finally get around to the fun stuff. Which translates to tweaking the rig and installing some needful stuff. As far as the rig goes, the …
a couple of new tools for the tool locker…
I recently bought a pair of Toughbuilt sawhorses from Lowes as they had a two for $50 price and free shipping to the USVI. Such a deal. Looking at them now that they finally got here (it took a month) I’m quite impressed and thinking since the two for $50 is still active buying another …
$0.29 a day…
What with the push for induction stoves for boats, the current news that gas stoves may be less than healthy, and the fact that I’d love to lessen the amount of fossil fuels aboard. So, hardly surprising I’ve found myself thinking about the various alternatives to propane lately. The main issue with going electric is …
the comfort factor…
It’s funny how many times I’ve heard the term ‘comfort’ when folks explain to me why they need a boat bigger than they need and more expensive than they can afford. “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.” —Will Rogers Now, don’t …
Some changes in an old boat…
Most late 60s and early 70s classic plastic sailboats of the 34-foot variety are actually pretty good boats but exceptionally challenged in the cruising stowage department. It’s not that they are too small but that the long-term cruising stowage was just not part of the design brief. So if you’re looking at buying a …
An exercise in common sense and frugality…
I just realized that we’ve been using our DIY composting toilet without any issues or problems since 2009. which, if you do the math, adds up to twelve years. As it only cost around $100 that’s a pretty good return on investment. I mention this because the whole idea of VolksCruier is not about doing …
regarding a very long voyage in a pretty small boat…
I read recently how Keith Leitzke has returned from another cruise to nowhere in particular and it got me thinking about a few things… The first being how that Bill Lapworth’s CAL 20 is still a great minimal cruising design in spite of the fact that it was never really designed to be one. While …
regarding a very long voyage in a pretty small boat… Read More »