Tag Archives: Tips and Tricks

I didn’t have a Bimini on my first two boats. I was too wacked out to realize that orange disk in the sky was the sun. Now that I’m 66 years old and my parchment-like skin is thinner than a Zig …

Very simply stated, tides are the vertical rise and fall of sea level caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, and the rotation of the Earth. Depending on the size of …

What are the potential problems that could arise while at sea to endanger your ship and its crew? The list is pretty big. Ingress of water is the most obvious; on board fire, rig and engine failure, crew overboard, lack …

It’s something you hope to never need. Yet, it’s smart not to head out on the water without one. Ditch bags, also called a go-bag or bail-bag, and what’s packed inside can spell the difference between life or death if …

Chances are your boat has the rig it needs. If it doesn’t—buy a new boat, don’t replace the rig. Alas, there are many misconceptions about various rig configurations. Thus, I feel it might be fun to add to the misinformation.  …

With the plethora of weather forecasting apps and other Web-based weather services available to boaters, the humble barometer is often overlooked as a local weather forecasting tool. The yacht’s barometer, in many cases, has been relegated to the role of …

Before the big-box and mega-store era, a Caribbean island shopping excursion often resembled an Easter egg hunt. Several times a week, list in hand, hope in heart, I would set off in search of everyday items, knowing my inquiries for …

Eating fish is healthy and self-caught fish saves money on provisioning, so most cruisers try their luck. Some are real aficionados who fish in a competitive spirit, but most just routinely troll a line on passage. We don’t fish in …

When sailing at night you get a unique perspective on the world. The stars seem more luminescent and much nearer, the wind seems stronger and you feel as if you are cocooned in your own little world. It is easy …

.. Or Tip #2 in Surviving a Sailing Relationship. They say that variety is the spice of life and to keep a sailing relationship fresh, you sometimes have to vary your techniques.  For example, when was the last time you …

We were attempting to clear into Babylon after one of our circumnavigations, when the U.S. Custom’s official began quizzing us about our trash and garbage. Evidently I looked confused because he handed my wife Carolyn a booklet that explained the …

Operating a charter yacht is a dream career for many people. However, the industry has become much more professionalized than the care-free, regulation-free, tax-free days of half a century ago. What is needed to successfully charter as crew or owner …