Category Archives: FAQ’s

Sail Maintenance and Repair

Over the years, we’ve found that with sails, just like the mechanical systems on the boat, regular care and maintenance will extend the useful life as well as improve their overall performance. All of our working sails are Dacron. I’ve … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's, Technical Information | Comments Off on Sail Maintenance and Repair

Local Knowledge

Nothing can be more daunting than arriving to an unfamiliar country, particularly where language and customs are very different to our own. That said, a bit of homework before landfall can help to ease the stress and enhance the excitement. … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's, Technical Information | Comments Off on Local Knowledge

Standing Watch

How do you like to set up your watch-standing system? How many hours on and off watch? Do you have a formal setup, or do you just wing it based on who’s tired and who feels like staying up? Generally … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's | Comments Off on Standing Watch

Cruising Cuisine

Being “foodies,” as the Kiwis call those who enjoy fine dining, this is a subject that is near and dear to our hearts-and stomachs. At sea, the thing we often look forward to nearly as much as landfall in a … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's | Comments Off on Cruising Cuisine

Keeping in Touch

One of my great pleasures while cruising is staying touch with all my family and friends back home(s) in the States and New Zealand. Improvements in communications technology have made it very easy and cheap to “reach out and touch … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's, Technical Information | Comments Off on Keeping in Touch

Ground Tackle

Carrying and using the right ground tackle for your boat can make the difference between a sleepless night or a good night’s sleep, or at the other end of the spectrum the difference between you boat surviving or coming to … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's, Technical Information | Comments Off on Ground Tackle

Passaging With Crew

Because I am a social animal, and my insurance company requires at least three on board for trips of more than 24 hours, I always have at least two or three mates with me for the blue water passages. Having … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's | Comments Off on Passaging With Crew

Weather Sources

The first, and most important source of weather information to me is my calendar. The southern tropical cyclone season is officially from the beginning of November to the end of April. The northern tropical hurricane season is the flip-side of … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's, Technical Information | Comments Off on Weather Sources

My Worst Blunder

While I’ve made a number of blunders in my cruising life, without question the worst would be running aground on Arutua Atoll in the Tuamotus Island group of French Polynesia in April of 1998. I still remember the incident as … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's, French Polynesia, Pacific Ocean Logs, South Pacific Logs | Comments Off on My Worst Blunder

Five Common Cruising Mistakes

The biggest problem for many of us when we start out cruising is that we are “unconsciously incompetent.” That is, we don’t know what we don’t know. We then must learn by making mistakes, watching other’s mistakes or through reading … Continue reading

Posted in All Cruising Logs, FAQ's, Technical Information | Comments Off on Five Common Cruising Mistakes