Preventing and fighting fire aboard: the complete guide
Find out how to prepare for the risk of fire: gear up and learn the right tricks to keep your boat and crew safe!
Tag: Equipment
Weekly quiz: the autopilot steers off course!
When you set your autopilot to steer due west, the boat seems to consistently head WSW. Similarly, when aiming due south, the boat veers SSE.
🔹 What might be causing this discrepancy?
🔹 And how is this issue generally corrected?
Weekly quiz: can your life jacket inflate due to getting wet?
While getting soaked hiking in the lifelines, you wonder: can your life jacket might suddenly inflate due to getting wet?
Weekly quiz: Marine VHF duplex and simplex channels
VHF is the marine communication means of choice.
Rather than bother with frequencies, its numbered channels was a great idea. It made radio simple to understand and use for boaters.
That is, until different needs led different countries to use it in different ways…
Weekly quiz: anode lifespan and replacement
Here, 3 different anodes can be seen before splashing back into the water. Questions 🔹 What is the typical lifespan of an anode and how often should they be inspected? 🔹 What are signs that an anode needs to be replaced? And bonus question 🔹 Where do anodes need to be typically placed on a…
Herringbone stitch to the rescue: repair a torn sail by yourself
Have you ever been stuck with a tear in your sail and not known what to do about it? How do you go about repairing it yourself? Can you sew it, and most of all how?
Fortress, the ultimate lightweight aluminum anchor
Over the last few decades, new anchor types have been added to the traditional range of mooring equipment. In this new Product Test, we take a look at a more modern anchor. Meet the Fortress, a lightweight anodized aluminum anchor we’ve tested many times during our travels. What’s the difference between a lightweight anchor and…
Looking after your inflatable life jacket
Your life jacket can save your life! Good upkeep is essential to ensure its reliability. It will also last longer. Here are a few best practices for routine maintenance and periodic servicing of your life jacket. But let’s start with a reminder of the types of personal flotation devices (PFDs) commonly used. Which type of…
7 antifouling solutions to protect your boat’s hull
Boat hulls are constantly exposed to marine conditions and the growth of marine organisms that can colonize them. These weeds, slimy animals and even shellfish can affect boat speed and handling, and can even damage the hull in the long term.
Protecting the hull is crucial to the durability of your boat, as well as keeping its performance up, reducing maintenance costs and even saving on fuel. There are many ways to protect your hull. Let’s take a look at seven of them.
How to prepare for an ocean passage?
What if the hardest part of a long crossing was actually setting off? We’ve all imagined ourselves on a sailboat one day, setting off on an adventure, but very few of us have followed up on the dream.
Have you always dreamed of crossing the English Channel, sailing to the Balearics or making a transatlantic crossing, but never dared to set off?
