Get set for splicing
One of the handiest little skills that I’ve picked up along the way has been splicing: three-strand, rope/chain and braided.
Getting out of sticky situations: 15 tapes to have on board
Boats, whether power or sail, are constructed using fiberglass, metals, woods, composites, wire, hoses, fabrics and many more materials. And, because they are boats, there is one steadfast rule: things break.
Voyaging tips videos - Inspecting Roller Furling
A video primer on how to check your roller furling gear before a passage
Voyaging tips videos - Fender Boards
A look how to set up and use fender boards for better protecting your hull in an unfamiliar port
New ON video series
The Voyaging Tips video series kicks off with a look at propane and how to use it safely
Lassoing a mooring
It seems everywhere we go, there is a different method of tying to a mooring.
Extend your cruising age
After 16 years of cruising full time and some 55,000 miles under the keel, we certainly do not have the strength and stamina that we started out with in 1997.
Turning a boat in its own length
One of the useful things we’ve learned while voyaging is a technique called torque turns.
The Achilles’ heel of hydraulic steering systems
Any steering system is just that — a system. Each part has to work with all the others for the whole system to work.
Applying lettering to a dinghy
We just renewed our boat insurance and one evening, when I had too much time on my hands, I decided to actually read the new policy. I came across a clause that stated that the theft of the dinghy was only covered if the name of the vessel was clearly and permanently marked on it.
Demystifying your life raft — or, getting to know it step by step
In a recent issue of Ocean Navigator we ran an article by Michelle Elvy and Behan Gifford on the challenges faced by voyagers in getting their life rafts properly inspected and repacked when they are outside of North America.
Preventing exhaust system damage
During our six-year circumnavigation we had two raw water impeller failures and, when we had the engine overhauled recently in Mazatlán, we found three partially torn blades on the impeller that we had installed two years ago in Australia.
