When Buying Batteries Pay Attention to Date of Manufacture
Unless you know exactly what to expect from your total battery bank or start measuring, you may not even spot the problem.
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Furling Genoas
North Sails discusses Furling Genoas including what to expect, what to look for, how to maintain and proper sheeting angles.
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Marine Electronic Overview by a Notorious Cheapskate
The good news is electronics are smarter, cheaper, smaller, and more dependable than ever. The bad news is that if they get wet, they fail
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Addl Insight into Anti-fouling in the Caribbean
The world of anti fouling has been turned upside down a number of times in the past years and this has caused great difficulties to consumers in trying to understand the options that they have.
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Anti-Roll Tanks – A Simple Way to Stabilize Your Boat
Learn how a classic trawler used a passive roll tank system to reduce rolling motion offshore without stabilizer fins or paravanes.
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Sail Cloth and Sail Durability
How long will my sails last? What sail fabric should we buy? How do I maintain them? Questions asked of the team at North Sails.
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Local Boater Option: A Hassle-Free Way to Enter the U.S. by Boat
Learn how the Local Boater Option (LBO) allows U.S. boaters to re-enter the U.S. by phone instead of in person. Find out eligibility, sign-up details, and benefits.
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Asymetrical Sails
Asymmetrical Sails – how they came about, the improvements coming from the large regattas and some things to consider before buying.
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Home Theater Aboard a Floating Home
As one spends more and more time in the Caribbean, a couple small problems arise if you like going to the movies. One is that the movie theaters are few and far between; second, if you do happen to find a theater, more likely than not, the sound system and screen will be lacking. Missing…
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What to Take on a Bareboat Charter
Short on time? Have a boat too small for long-range cruising? Ready to explore new waters? The solution: assemble a group of friends and book a roomy yacht from a base island a short flight away. Since you already know how to sail, your check-out will be a snap. The main challenge will be deciding…
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Let’s Get Technical – Collision Avoidance with AIS (Part II)
Last month I described AIS (Automatic Identification System, a new collision avoidance and ship i.d. system) and how it can be of use to recreational sailors. This month we look at what’s currently available or coming soon. The most basic setup would be to install an AIS Receiver. This is a simple device with only…
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WIFI Solutions for your Boat
Want to send e-mail without leaving your bunk? Call your family for free (or almost)? Get the latest hurricane update? You need wireless internet access on board. In many marinas today wireless access is offered as a common and expected amenity. Freebie wireless networks are also available in many anchorages around the Caribbean, courtesy of…
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Provisioning in the Caribbean 2006
The sight of land after a long ocean passage means just one thing to many folks—fresh food. Throughout the Caribbean island chain, you’ll find an abundant number of places to restock your galley, from large modern-style supermarkets rivaling their counterparts in Europe and the U.S., to smaller groceries with plentiful canned goods. There are also…
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Let’s Get Technical: Getting the News While Cruising
I live aboard and sail my boat, Lady Pauline, full time. Last year, I left home base in the Chesapeake Bay to see the world in this trusty little yacht and am now in the Grenada, hunkered down for the hurricane season like so many others. Before I made sailing my life, I was a…
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Mildew on Sails and the Down Season – Part II
An update to the column on How to Handle Mold Stains on Sails. Hot topic that is up for discussion. The team at North Sails weighs in…
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Fifty Years at Sea – An Interview with Don Street – Caribbean
Here’s another interview with Donald Street from Carol Bareuther Don Street is a legend in his own time; a lifetime sailor, Don has spent forty nine years cruising, charting and writing about the Caribbean. Forty of those years were spent aboard his 46 ft. engineless yawl, Iolaire, built in 1905. He has made 12 transatlantic…
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Flat Out Fishing – All Good Things
This will be my final Flat Out Fishing column. I will miss bringing you what I hope has been valuable information. But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to write a monthly column dedicated to an in-shore fishery that is in serious trouble. The rapid growth of St. Thomas and St. John has had a major…
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Flat Out Fishing – When is a Preserve NOT a Preserve?
I hope that this column will motivate everyone to think about this issue and help provide some positive answers, suggestions, and proposals on how we can solve this problem. While this material focuses on St. Thomas, it is relevant to every marine preserve and protected area regardless of location. On the east end of St….
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VISAR – Communications
Life today is a constant cacophony of noise and information. One of the great joys of boating is being able to get away from it all and find some peace and quiet. Sadly, the responsible boater knows that there is simply no escaping completely as there is a legal requirement for all vessels underway to…
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Flat Out Fishing – Better Tarpon and Bonefishing are in your Future!
Many of you may have missed the new regulation that was passed here in the US Virgin Islands protecting our Bonefish and Tarpon populations. Below is the new regulation in its entirety: RESTRICTING TARPON AND BONEFISH FISHING TO CATCH AND RELEASE USING HOOK AND LINE ONLY IN THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS. Watch for Bonefish Dean…
