On our first three year cruising odyssey we carried 60 gallons of water in two tanks and a couple of jerry cans. We replenished supplies whenever we could from rainfall or dockside taps. On a later cruise we started out with a reverse osmosis watermaker but abandoned it in face of the need for constant …
Electronic level switches that are located in the bilge to operate an alarm or activate a bilge pump seem to be the least reliable piece of equipment on a boat, judging by the number of times they are condemned in sailing forums. In my obsessive search for the ultimate bilge pump switch, I came across …
Cruising small boats in sunny climes involves a great deal of nudity. It sometimes seems like the sailing kit of choice is SPF40 sun tan lotion and a hat. If it rains you take off the hat and reach for the shampoo. It’s amazing how quickly inhibitions disappear under the spell of sunny skies, gin-clear …
The Gulf Stream, that mighty, fast moving, warm ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, squeezes between Florida and the Great Bahama Bank accelerating to over 3 knots at its centre. If you’re crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas you need to take the Gulf Stream …
There are hints of autumn in the air and this is when I most miss sailing on America’s Chesapeake Bay. In the fall the breezes are back after the stultifying heat and calms of summer, the trees are starting to acquire what will become a magical mantel of golds and reds and yellows and browns …
I was watching someone rowing out to his boat the other day and it was difficult to guess which boat he was aiming for, such was his meandering route. It occurred to me that dinghies should be equipped with rear view mirrors, like this: The Salty John R&D engineers are working on it even as …
Here’s a post I made earlier – actually a few years ago – I hope it’s still of interest.. I like walking around marinas, there’s just so much to see and reflect on. As I stroll around I tend to settle on a theme for the day: Drooping spreaders, types of bow or stern, cockpit …
When I can’t be out sailing I like to hike the tow path of the Lancaster Canal – by the time I’m finished I’ll have walked the whole length of it, albeit in somewhat erratic stages. For a couple of years I had my day-sailor, Minnie, on the canal. She drew less than 3’ and …
Mounting the inflatable tender on davits is an ideal solution to the stowage challenge presented by these indispensables of the cruising life. A balanced connection between the davit falls and the dinghy is best achieved by davit slings – usually one at the dinghy’s bow, one at the transom. Each davit sling has a lifting …
This time of year a post on how to check the integrity of a coaxial cable run is appropriate – masts are down, pre-launch checks are underway. When you use a multimeter to check that you have no short circuited connectors in your cable run you should be aware that the cable must be disconnected …