I hated to do it but it seemed like the right thing to do. I removed the canvas from my boat. The Bimini and Dodger both came down and are safely stowed below. I happen to be at the boat in Florida this week and saw the storms building in the Atlantic. I figure if… [Read More]
Bilge Fuel
Many boat captains are not aware of the need for Bilge Fuel. This is kind of frightening when you consider that nothing works without some kind of fuel, right?!? After having been away from my boat for awhile, I checked the bilge in my sailboat today. I was very pleased to find a good supply… [Read More]
LED Lights #3
My last attempt to order SMD LED festoon light bulbs from ebay resulted in very pretty blue light (previous posts are LED Lights and LED Lights #2 – hence the very original title of this post!). The blue is very pretty and will work great at Christmas, 4th of July, etc… but not great for daily… [Read More]
Jacklines
I am pretty old school – I can’t help but laugh out loud when I see a kid sitting in a stroller wearing a safety helmet or riding a bike down the street wearing full body armor. I am not sure why people insists on these “precautions.” Perhaps it is because our society is so… [Read More]
Electrical System
I have always been very interested in solar energy. The sun is a very powerful resource of which we, as a planet, are simply not taking full advantage. A few years ago I calculated the equipment needed to supply 100% of the electricity requirements by my home. The cost was rather astounding and enough for… [Read More]
Ahh… Fresh!!!
Note from JD: This post is in regards to the first sailboat that I owned (this one). Somehow, some diesel fuel and gotten into the bilge and the smell got old REALLY quick. I tried the PureAyr product that I wrote about here and I can report that it definitely works! I sprayed it on nearly… [Read More]
Out of Gas?
There I was motoring along in the channel into Marco Island, FL and pop, bang, shudder… stop. No more noise!! Hmm, says I. This is probably not an ideal place for a breakdown. I walked to the bow, tossed the anchor over and started scratching my head. I could not believe I was out of… [Read More]
LED Lights #2
I tried the led lights that I wrote about here. The results were mixed. LEDs are particular about postive/negative poles. It seems that automotive “1156″ bulb style fixtures on my boat are wired incorrectly for the LED bulbs. Bummer – strike 1. The good news is that this is fairly easily fixed, just requries a bit… [Read More]
Sailing Lessons
I went on a little sail a few weeks ago. My plan was to sail from Fort Myers, FL to the Florida Keys and back over the course of a two week period. In summary, it ended up being a five day sail and I did not make it to the Keys. However; it was… [Read More]
Charge!!!
I am so excited! I recieved my MorningStar SunSaver MPPT solar charge controller today. I currently have an 80 watt solar panel with an old regulator. I have read alot about these MPPT controllers and they certainly seem to be the cat’s meow! I am going to get it installed as quickly as possible and… [Read More]