Seamstress at Sea
Sewing Projects for Our Sailboat As a cruiser on a sailboat, there’s more to know than just mastering the art of sailing. As a cruiser, you often find yourself in need of practical and customized solutions for various onboard needs. One skill that comes in handy is sewing. Whether you’re looking to protect or repair […]
Revitalize Your Sailboat V-Berth: How We Replaced Our Headliner
In the video below we explore the process of replacing the worn-out and inefficient vinyl headliner in our sailboat’s v-berth. The existing headliner lacked insulation, leaving the V-berth vulnerable to temperature extremes. By removing the old one, adding insulation using closed-cell neoprene sheets, and installing a high-quality EverSoft™ Foam Backed Headliner, we achieved a visually […]
DIY Canvas Helm Cover: Navigating the Sewing Adventure
Embarking on a sewing project, even without prior experience, has been a rewarding endeavor. Somehow we managed to sew a canvas helm cover for our sailboat, despite being novices in the art of sewing. Equipped with a Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ sewing machine and a determination to use this very expensive sewing machine, we embraced the […]
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 […]
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 […]
A Galley Transformation: Switching from Propane to Electric Appliances
In the pursuit of a more reliable and efficient cooking experience aboard our boat, we recently embarked on the journey of converting our propane galley to electric appliances. After years of struggling with a propane oven and cook top range that proved inconsistent and challenging to control, we decided it was time for a change. […]
Installing a Cockpit Shower & Deck Washdown
Cockpit Shower We’ve seen a lot of cruising boats that have a shower pump that can be used in the cockpit. We really liked that concept for a few reasons. Using the shower in the head is a bit of a chore. The curtain helps keep the water off the countertop and toilet, but there’s […]
Making A SmartPlug for our Honda Generator
One of the first things we did shortly after we bought SVRO was to change the shore power cord to a SmartPlug. The power cord that came with out boat was the typical outdated and problematic twist-type design. Those types of power cords are notorious for loose connections and corrosion. They’ve been known to be […]
Repairing our Isotemp Water Heater AGAIN
Having hot water on the boat is awesome. It’s hard to imagine not having a water heater. Unfortunately, we didn’t have to imagine it because our water heater broke (again) and we didn’t have hot water for about a week. And of course it happened in the middle of winter. Our Isotemp water heater is […]
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 […]