One of the biggest problems with sailing is that a lot of the time, you spend life at 20-30 degrees askew. We have a big strap in the galley to keep our cook in one place, but nothing like that to keep our laptop from sliding off the table. I have been pondering some kind of velcro or strap. My laptop tends to get damaged much easier than my cook when they hit the floor.
Tag: gear
Microfiber Pack Towels for Sailing
Cruising with three young children, a staple of everyday, often several times a day, is swimming. Where there is swimming on a sail boat, there are wet towels hanging from the lifelines.
Tiring the boys with swimming is an important part of our daily sanity, but it sure does suck to have big wet beach towels hanging like it’s laundry day. Worse still if its raining and we have to bring them inside, worse that a wet dog.
Using A Fuel Bladder to Extend Range
Among my humongous list of things to do is to figure out how to carry more diesel fuel. The Tartan 41 was always intended to race, so only had a 27 gallon tank. On Alchemy, the previous owner had replaced that with a 40 gallon tank. With a 1,500 mile crossing to get to the Caribbean, I suspect that might not cut it.
USCG vs SOLAS Flares for Offshore Sailing
Still working on our safety gear list, I have been turning my attention to flares and signalling devices, and in about five minutes, I was confused.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) sets rules on what signalling devices and flares you need to carry.
Continue reading “USCG vs SOLAS Flares for Offshore Sailing”
Gear Review: Mantus Chain Hook
Cruising is a strange word when applied to living aboard a sailboat. From my limited experience, most of the time (especially with kids) is spent in the same place. Perhaps a better name would be “anchoring”.
If you are using a chain rode, a critical part of a successful anchoring is to use a snubber. This is some kind of line that stretches that can take brief shock loads as your boat twists around at anchor. A couple of interesting articles in Practical Sailor gave some insight into the shock loads that a snubber system must absorb. Most cruisers anchor-ers opt for three strand nylon as a snubber. It’s affordable and effective.
But how to attach it.
Sailing With Kids 