Cruising World

questions of the day

Like a lot of other cruisers who set off to chase their dreams, they aren’t welcome ashore where they are right now, but then again, they can’t just pick up and leave. Hmm, where to go? Or maybe the question is, when to begin? As sailors, most of us have a routine and a plan we follow before setting off from familiar home waters. We check the forecast and look for a favorable breeze, consult the tide tables to avoid a current on the nose, if we can. We thumb through cruising guides and read up on harbor entrances, and take a close look at the chart so we have at least some idea of what to look out for along the way. But as a citizen of planet Earth at this…

just be there

When queried how he could so consistently capture incredible photographs, renowned 1930s street photographer Arthur “Weegee” Fellig famously quipped, “f/8 and be there.” Beyond the technical lesson, I’ve always found this quote deeply impactful. Perhaps it’s because much of my career has been spent out in the world, but I believe there’s a painfully obvious and often overlooked truth buried in the simplicity of that sentiment. Being there. Being present in the moment. Paying attention to the world. But above all else, the importance of just getting yourself out there into those bewilderingly wild corners of our planet. And what better place than the ocean, and what better way than under sail? It was an early winter morning when I snapped this photo off the coast of Petit St. Vincent in…

five questions

Spring 2020 found us Cruising World editors (and probably most of you) with some extra time on our hands. During the strange time of social distancing, we decided to check in with some of our regular contributors and friends in the marine industry to see how they were holding up. “Like many, our future plans are a bit up in the air as we want to sail back to New Zealand to enjoy being home for a year or two and hopefully to enjoy the interesting fleet of boats that was planning to arrive for the America’s Cup, which we assume will happen, even if it is postponed a bit,” Lin Pardey said. “So, question is, should we meander through winter within the Great Barrier Reef area, then take a straight…

in praise of butyl tape

In the April 2020 issue, Steve D’Antonio discussed various sealants and bedding techniques (“Put It to Bed”), but he did not mention using butyl tape as a sealant. This happens to be my go-to sealant for hatches and other deck hardware, particularly when mounted horizontally. Butyl tape is cheap and flexible to use and can be found at RV dealers in rolls of 25 feet or more, with different thicknesses. Most important, it works well (easily fits uneven surfaces or around corners) and can be easily adjusted during bedding. It doesn’t smell or seriously mess up the user or the boat like tube-based sealants and is easily trimmed immediately after bedding. After most sealants have been in place for years and the hardware needs to be resealed, the effort to…

5g internet aboard

As cruising sailors, there are certain things that we have had to give up in the pursuit of our lifestyle, and until very recently, consistent, fast broadband internet was one of them. When away from shoreside Wi-Fi, many cruisers rely on cellular technology as their sole link to the internet, but it has its challenges—namely speed and coverage. With the launch of 5G networks, however, this has changed. With 5G, the service has the potential to offer speeds that are much faster than 4G LTE capabilities and greater bandwidth for all your gadgets. So what’s the catch? The tech is still new, 5G-capable phones are pricey (starting around $1,000), and not all carriers have the coverage that coastal cruisers need. But for significantly better internet aboard, it might be worth…

ready for summer

1. GARMIN QUATIX 6 • $700 • GARMIN.COM The latest in the line of Garmin GPS smartwatches can do just about anything. It’s loaded with all the typical smartwatch functions, such as activity monitoring, and call, text and email notifications, plus specialized marine features, including navigation charts, tides, NMEA 2000 data and more. 2. NOMADER COLLAPSIBLE WATER BOTTLE • $25 • NOMADER.COM Packing a water bottle just got much easier. The Nomader bottle is made out of a sturdy heavy-duty silicone and can roll up compactly when not needed, yet is just as easy to use as a hard-sided bottle. The Nomader is leakproof and BPA-free. 3. DACOBLUE FUEL AND WATER BACKPACKS • $168 (KIT) • DACOBLUE.COM These fuel and water backpacks were born out of necessity by a cruiser on a circumnavigation. Traditional jerry jugs are heavy…