Bowsprit

It’s Cracked!: Repairing Our Bowsprit

The bowsprit on our boat plays a crucial role in the standing rigging and overall performance of our sailboat. It’s also an important part of our anchoring system, providing support to the bow roller. Our boat is over 40 years old, but our bowsprit is less than 10 years old. However, it seems some mild […]

Alternator Protection Device

Protecting Your Alternator: The Importance of Installing an Alternator Protection Device (APD)

With the growing popularity of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries equipped with internal battery management systems (BMS), it’s crucial to protect your alternator from voltage spikes that can lead to potential damage. We will explore the risks associated with load dumps, explain the role of the Alternator Protection Device (APD) in mitigating these risks, and […]

windlass

Upgrading to an Electric Windlass – Installing a Lofrans Tigres

We’ve heard that switching from a manual to an electric windlass can significantly enhance the sailing experience. Most cruisers spend 90% of their time at anchor so making anchor handling more convenient was a must for us. In the videos below, we share our journey of installing a Lofrans Tigres on our sailboat. We explore […]

AIS

Vesper Watchmate XB-8000 smartAIS

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a shipboard broadcast system that acts like a transponder, operating in the VHF maritime band.  AIS has been around since the 1990s when GPS for civilian purposes reached global coverage.  In 2002 the International Maritime Organization mandated that passenger ships and commercial vessels should carry AIS transceivers. In a […]

sailing instruments

New Sailing Instruments

We considered a few different brands of sailing instruments.  So why did we pick Raymarine?  It’s a pretty popular brand in the sailing industry, and they have a pretty good reputation.  Ultimately, it was because we already had a Raymarine radar.  Our boat came with a pretty old Standard Horizon speed log and wind gauge.  […]

stuffing box

Our Stuffing Box Leaks

Yep, our stuffing box leaks.  But wait…it’s supposed to.  We have a traditional stuffing box (also known as a stuffing gland, packing gland, and other variations).  In general, it’s “an assembly which is used to house a gland seal.  It is used to prevent leakage of fluid, such as water, between sliding or turning parts.” […]

scupper drains

Cockpit Scupper Drains

To be honest I didn’t even know what a scupper was before we bought a boat.  And fair warning, this post has quite a few “boaty” terms. Scupper – a hole in a ship’s side to carry water overboard from the deck We have scuppers along the bulwarks for draining water from the decks, but […]

bilge pump alarm

Bilge Pump Cycle Counter, Switches & Alarms

Our boat came with two electric bilge one manual bilge pumps.  The small electric pump is located at the bottom of the bilge and the larger electric pump (a Rule 3700) was located higher in the bilge near the middle of the boat in front of the old water tank.  We decided to revamp the […]

Voltage Regulator

Installing a Balmar External Voltage Regulator

While I don’t recommend intentionally frying your alternator, frying ours last summer pushed this project to the top of our to-do list and I’m glad it did.  We spent a lot of money on our Battle Born LiFePO4 batteries and with a new alternator and external voltage regulator I feel more at ease that the […]

Outboard engine mount

Building an Outboard Engine Rail-Mount

Way back in 2014 we bought a used Achillies rigid inflatable dinghy that came with a Honda 9.9 HP outboard.  It’s been tied up at our dock ever since.  We use it usually during the summer to run around on the river.  On our first overnight anchoring trip, we decided to leave it behind because […]

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