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The most popular Products mentioned in /r/SailboatCruising:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/SailboatCruising:
LibriVox
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GPS Logger for Android
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The most popular reviews in /r/SailboatCruising:
If you want to stick with manual pump, I highly recommend the Raritan models. Worth the extra coin over a Jabsco model.
As far as the smell, it's very likely your hoses smell if they haven't been replaced. There is a test you can do -- take a wet rag and wrap it around your hose between the head and holding tank. Let it sit for a minute and take it off. If the rag smells, you need to replace the hoses.
Your holding tank is probably fine if it's a normal polyethylene unit. I'm not sure what Sabre used from the factory.
Lastly, if you want to thoroughly immerse yourself in the topic of boat odors this is a great book to pick up: https://www.amazon.com/New-Get-Rid-Boat-Odors-ebook/dp/B01BW2ZSTW/ref=sr\_1\_2?dchild=1
I used Navionics on an iPad, and a chart plotter with embedded GPS (no antenna to hook up). With the combination, I felt I had redundancy and reliability. Sometimes one would be more accurate than the other, but all in all it was sufficient to get me where I wanted to go.
Check out the power draw of smaller chart plotters. It was never a cause of strain with our solar panels and house bank.
With the iPad, we used a GPS puck plugged into a USB power source. This is the puck we used: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006M49G80/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glc_fabc_X1PHB8KX24PYAJP4KXRC
We kept the puck charging while the sun was out or we were motoring. As with the chart plotter, the draw was small enough to not be a problem.
I was cruising in the Caribbean for two years. My go to fish book was the fishmongers apprentice. Fishmongers Apprentice Not a fish identification book, but great for how to prep them.
>Sailing Alone Around The World
Just FYI, you can find a .pdf of this for free, and also audio https://librivox.org/sailing-alone-around-the-world-by-joshua-slocum/
To get you quickly up and running, US Sailing's Coastal Navigation text by Tom Cunliffe is accessible with plenty of good diagrams. This is a good starting point to develop your plotting skills and other fundamentals.
For more commentary and discussion, as you might get from an instructor, David Burch's Inland and Coastal Navigation is good. It goes a bit more in-depth on topics, and might be of greater value as an intermediate text.
Finally, there's Bowditch. The printed volume I have is the size of a telephone book from the previous century, so unless you have plenty of reading time it may be more useful as a reference. You can download it for free, alone with a number of other useful publications (Chart 1, US Coast Pilots, etc) that the US government provides.
My book - 'Age of Sail - a personal voyage of discovery' is available for free as a Kindle download on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th March only. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1983701122 If you enjoy it, please leave a review on Amazon
Try amazon smile to donate to a charity of your choice automatically at no cost to you!
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I have read that book, I would also recommend The Cost Conscious Cruiser and Buy, Outfit, and Sail. Get Real, Get Gone was actually what started me down my path other than a childhood appreciation for sailing.
My debt is an unfortunate side effect of getting divorced, but I agree fully that getting to zero debt is ideal. I still have two years of paying alimony, and since I pay more in alimony a year than I have in debt my finances will be in great shape when that happens. I can't actually cast off for good until my kids are adults, so that gives me 10 years to reach true financial freedom. Until then, I'm just limiting my expenses and plan to get a capable sailboat that I can sail on the Great Lakes and then ultimately take out onto the ocean.
I do plan to handle most repairs as well, as an Engineer I have an aptitude for how things work and should be able to learn whatever I need. I don't anticipate doing paid work when I start cruising, but I'd probably be in a good position to help people with any marine electrical issues but that would be more pro bono for enjoyment.
Second this! Also while not totally what you were asking I got a huge kick from this reef fish ID book. If you're going to be doing any snorkeling/diving this really makes it all the more interesting!
Here it is. It's very condensed and I can't find a decent outline of what's actually in the Chapman book, so kind of hard to compare.
Spiral screw extractor — go slow. Your only other option is really to just fill it in with some color matched wood putty and have the hinges be in a separate location (this will depend on the extent of your refit).
I use a band exercise kit. They come with different levels of resistance and clip them to the mast and backstay. Not cardio but damned good for arms, legs & core. Whatafit Resistance Bands Set... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DWSPQQY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Professionally? Your own sailboat? Mechanical/engine work, fiberglass/surface work, hardware, rigging, joinery?
For all of the above google is your friend of course, and you will learn the most stuff by actually trying to fix something. No book knowledge will replace experience working on boats.
If mechanical you need a reference manual. I (and many people) recommend Nigel Calder's book https://www.amazon.ca/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-4/dp/0071790330
I would make sure you enjoy sailing first, find your way into a boat via friend or charter. A lot of folks like the idea of sailing but not actually doing it.
ASA and US sailing books are companion books to lessons. For the fundamental basics I’d recommend this
https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Dummies-J-Isler/dp/0471791431
If you like the stainless look:
This book by Rick Paige was super useful when selecting ours. He gets down and dirty with the things you think you need vs. the reality of said things. “Every boat is a compromise” but we got most of your list checked in our ‘83 Morgan 416 OI for around $42K, in a slip, in Fort Lauderdale 2 years ago.
Get Real, Get Gone: How to Become a Modern Sea Gypsy and Sail Away Forever
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/151684663X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_D04YQMSF3X80QFY2V2S5
No problem. But I would also follow the suggestion below to make sure that you’re still within spec of the controller, panels, and wires. The equations here are V=I x R and P=V x I. Solar panels act as current sources and output a particular current at a rated voltage. So if you currently have the panels in series, it’s going to be outputting a higher voltage but with less current. By dividing them up, you’re going to be reducing the voltage with the same power output, which translates to higher current. Higher current can either be fine or very bad for your controller, panels, and conductors. It’s impossible to say without knowing the details of your particular system.
For comparison, I have two panels in parallel on my boat. They’re both 12V panels, same as my batteries, and they’re connected in parallel via these. A little math (P = V x I) ensured that the current from both panels was within the specs of my charge controller.
Two suggestions:
There isn't room for many actual books on a boat. Ebooks are a solution, but if you intend to be in places where you don't have connectivity you're going to have problems downloading from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Google Play, or whatever.
So, install Calibre on your own computer, maintain your ebook repository there. Install the reader of your choice on your mobile device, and download whatever you want to read this week onto your mobile device with Calibre Companion.
I highly recommend taking a week-long bundled ASA course. We did 101, 103, 104, and 114 on a Leopard 44 with Blue Water Sailing School. With the live-aboard style week long class, you'll get a taste of the cruising life with the safety of a professional captain.
We also came from sailing 22s and 25s on lakes. Our journey was: Lake sailing, ASA catamaran week, then we bought our boat (Lagoon 440). We then had a private course for a week on our own boat, where the instructor gave us a refresher course, and also focused on things I wanted him to focus on. We anchored about 5 times a day, picked up a mooring ball 30 times in different wind conditions, changed the sail drive oil, raised/lowered our lazyjacks, completed an overnight passage, and a lot more that ASA basic courses don't cover.
We have friends who bought a Lagoon 400 and hired a delivery captain in a teach-on-passage style sailing adventure. Everyone has a different way they get into the life.
In terms of "what boat should i buy": That's really up to you. How much comfort do you want? What's your budget? People cross oceans on 25 foot sailboats all the time, but they aren't very comfortable. My wife and I had a goal of a catamaran, and that's what we bought.
It also depends on where you want to go and when you want to go there. I wouldn't leave the dock with my Lagoon 440 if there was a forecast of 35 knot gusts and 20 foot waves, but Skip Novak would probably have a killer time on his new Pelagic 77. You may want to read The Voyager's Handbook. It might give you an idea of what you're looking for in a ocean crossing boat.
I am late to this thread OP, but I have the same issue and was just about to post the same question.
There are two problems here:
1) the painted areas. I am just rating like any other painted surface. Sand to remove the loos parts and paint over. I am trying to remove all of the paint, I am mostly scouring to get it clean and next payer of paint or primer to adhere and work. I use rolling sander; also called burnishing tool. I am ok with it and have done the bilge before. I did take some videos but I did not post the clips. I can do so if it helps.
2) the dark areas is that stuff which is found in old boats. The substance is gooey, and ugly, and unpleasant to look and feel. It just has to go. I guess is old topcoat which deteriorated over the 40 years since put on the surface. I tried sanding and the sander clogs almost immediately. I brought a piece of FG home to try different things but nothing seems to remove it easily. All I found is that washing up liquid softens it and can be scraped a little easier with anything (I used a spoon:) - I am sure there must be a product to remove that. I will ask at the yard when I am next there and if I get an answer I will edit this post (or put it in the sub). For the record, I tried baking soda and vinegar, washing up liquid, even window cleaners!
Hope this helps
I read this post and just bought this:
VIVOSUN pH and TDS Meter Combo, 0.05ph High Accuracy Pen Type pH Meter ± 2% Readout Accuracy 3-in-1 TDS EC Temperature Meter, UL Certified https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKMH86J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_7QRW71TJJ246JR19125Q?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I now want to know if the water onboard is drinkable.
I enjoyed all your articles, thankd for posting!
Have you considered some sort of mailing list so you can alert people to new posts? I'd love to read more, but I'm 100% sure that the moment I close your website I'll forget to check back for more. On YouTube I'd likely subscribe, but I can't do that on a random blog.
https://mailchimp.com/ do a free plan if you're after suggestions.
This is basically the printer I have (though I have the older MK II version but there's very little difference). It's pretty small. There are smaller printers but I don't think I'd want any less print area as I sometimes run up against the limit.
As for power used, I wish I could give some accurate answers but it's never been an issue so I haven't paid much attention to it. For the most part, I only print when we're in port and that often means a marina where shore power is available. We don't often plug in though as our almost 500 watts of solar easily covers our needs, including printing.
I enjoyed Moitessier's The Long Way :)
Cornell's cruising atlas is super cool too...tons of info about different places and routes.
Yeah, I think the smell is going to linger in mine until I have the scratch to replace all of the interior cushions. The previous owner didn’t realize that the exhaust hose was trashed and leaking exhaust vapors into the cabin probably for years. Without the cushions on board, the diesel smell isn’t so bad on mine.
Cleaning out the engine tray and the bilge definitely helps. But if the smell is baked into your cushions like mine, it’s probably something you’ll have to live with for the time being unfortunately. This also helped, but it’s potent. So I only keep it partially cracked while off the boat.
I’ve got a Yanmar 2GM myself. There have been some hiccups, but she’s in extraordinarily good shape for her age, so I’m not planning on doing any repower any time soon.
Buy, read, and memorize this book and you're off to a good start in your boat selection. Get some first hand experience on bigger boats--ideally single-handing so you really understand what it means to be the "buck stopper." I did a short offshore passage in a Jenneau 37 (similar to a Beneteau) and you couldn't pay me enough to do offshore work in a fat, flat-bottomed sailboat again. Cheers.
We bought thesemattresses from Amazon and used a hot knife to fit them to size. We found that most memory foam mattresses these days have fiberglass in them, so it was a struggle to find some we felt safe slicing up.
A 38'er is rather sizable; I too would question the use of an outboard. It's not that they can't be powerful, but rather the sort of person who'd do this is likely the sort of person who'd use a drastically under-powered one of dubious reliability.
What type of boats are you used to? A boat massing 8000+ kg carries a fair amount of inertia, so unless you have such experience you'll want probably someone around until you're confident you can safely dock and undock without scratching up nearby boats. Compared to a shallow-draft powerboat you'll also need to be far more aware of the depths and local tides and currents.
I would suggest it's worth your time and money to find an RYA class to get a jump-start on things, or at the very least grab a book.
I used 1/8 inch Styrene Butadiene Rubber. It’s relatively cheap and can get it on Amazon here
If your battery/charging can take it, small household dehumidifiers use a power brick that converts to DC;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0ZDD2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use this one on 12vDC step down to 9; it pulls 2.5 amp, 'bout the same as my fridge.
I use a switch to turn it off and on, but that could be a timer or humidity sensor.
" ventilation is the key " and fans that move the air vertically, as well as horizontally.
Also using alcohol in a spray bottle when you wipe down the damp inside of the cabin: helps to kill all the mold spores and the fumes help to limit mildew in the spots you can't reach easily.
Marine electrician here: you are doing a great job, carry on :). For panels I am a fan of this stuff, super easy to work with and looks yachty in a kind of industrial sort of way. My go-to when I can't be bothered with wood and Starboard won't look right. Shop around a little, that link is just an example. San Diego Plastics used to have a bin outside that you could dumpster dive for $1/lb
The New Get Rid of Boat Odors, 2nd Edition: A Boat Owner’s Guide to Marine Sanitation Systems and Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor by Amazon.com Services LLC Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BW2ZSTW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_awdo_nt5HFb0FHCN15 Best book on the topic
You could buy a few rechargeable, waterproof Bluetooth speakers and they'll serve you well for far less than you'd pay for a new, integrated boat audio system.
I have the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 and the Wonderboom, and they've lasted me years. They're plenty loud and have like 8 hours of playtime. They can also sync up so you can play the same audio through two different speakers.
read 'An Embarrassment of Mangoes' - great (and leisurely) account of a Canadian cruising couple and their colorful travel adventures -- told from the viewpoint of the wife. https://www.amazon.com/Embarrassment-Mangoes-Caribbean-Interlude/dp/0767914279/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Z8F1304VLDWQ&dchild=1&keywords=embarrassment+of+mangoes&qid=1599096021&sprefix=embarrassmen%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1
I really like the AIMS pure sine wave inverters and have never had a problem but I think if you went with anything with decent reviews you would be fine when dealing with pure sine. Assuming you want US style and 12VDChere is the 300W one but they make all sorts and the 600W has multiple AC outlets
This is not a professional solution but it's free and has worked very well for me to track my mother's phone (early stages of dementia, so I'm being precautious) as well as inform my home automation system when people enter or leave the house or certain areas.
It's a free android app called "GPS Logger for Android", you can find it here and it offers several ways of sending out your location. It's rather battery friendly too.
Again, not a professional solution like the aforementioned Garmin ones but you can try it today for free and see.
Glad you enjoyed the posts!
I published a book earlier this year, “Age of Sail” and it’s available on Amazon in paperback and for kindle
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1983701122
I post intermittently to a blog site at www.myageofsail.com
Oh, I can answer this one beautifully!
We used to use pour over coffee, one cup at a time. It took forever and was awful.
Do they have an inverter capable of up to 2000 watts? If so, read on!! If not, ignore my idea.....
So if they have an inverter, get them two things. First, this guy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLNQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This thing is beautiful. Gets water to the perfect temp in just a few minutes, and saves tons of propane vs conventional heating. If they cruise in the tropics they will appreciate the savings on heating the cabin.
Second, get em this dude: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005YY9X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=305DG4O1W7U4L&coliid=IYQ052FWO4QF9&psc=1
It is insulated, keeps coffee hot for a crazy long time, and its rugged stainless construction keeps them from having to have filters on hand!!!
All this results in coffee made effectively and efficiently at the cheap price of like 15 aH. give or take, depending on their battery bank.
You're in luck, today marks the release of the Android version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blueboatlog.android
Feel free to try it and let me know what you think of it. If you decide you like it, we'll figure out ways to embed it and transfer your data :)