Category: Sailboats
How We Repaired Fiberglass Using Underwater Epoxy
A few weeks back, we shared an incident in Dotham Cut where the anchor wrapped around the prop. As a result, our Sailboat Cadence received some minor fiberglass damage on the shaft strut. With no haulouts or service facilities near our location in the Bahamas, we had to find a solution. Thankfully, we had underwater…
Upgrades for Offshore Sailing
A few months ago we set aside 2 months to dig into a few sailboat projects that would prepare Cadence (our sailboat) for offshore sailing and extended travel. Now, after 1000nm, what do we think? Were the upgrades good? Which projects did we appreciate the most? Our 5 Best Preparations How do I prepare for…
Solar Panel Installation (Phase 1)
Energy is a funny thing. You can be all by yourself, no civilization in sight, and floating out on anchor when all of a sudden you realize you need electricity to complete some simple daily task like checking your email. Our goal is to be completely off-grid traveling the open oceans. But we’ll still need…
Prepping To Leave – Generator, New Lines, Head Repair
Less than 50 days until we leave our home base. Yikes. Oh My. Oh ****! To think that home base is going to become wherever the anchor falls, and knowing that we’re not ready yet…but we’re getting there. Today’s episode (no.64) is the first of many projects that we need to complete prior to setting…
Bosun’s Chair vs. Mast Climbing Harness
Which would you choose – a bosun’s chair or a mast climbing harness? One is a comfortable seat with backrest, and the other is two straps around your upper legs and strap around the waist. At first glance, it seems like an easy choice – the bosun chair! But there’s a bit more to the…
Frozen SV Cadence!
We had plans on travelling and sharing an exciting journey with you this week! But mother nature had her own plans. Somehow, in the Gulf Coast of Texas we had 2 inches of ice on SV Cadence and a layer of ice on the water! Plus, Matt had a massive Genoa rip to repair. Check…
Offshore Sailing Gear on a Budget
Look, it’s no secret, we’re on a budget – as most sailing families are, but offshore sailing gear is not designed for budgets! So here’s what we decided for our first round of purchases. It’s time to upgrade our safety gear for sailing offshore, but we’re on a budget. This means we need to most…
How To Change The Oil In Yanmar 40hp Diesel Engine
How do I change the oil in my Yanmar 40hp diesel engine? This was the question I needed answers to, as I knew that changing the oil and oil filters in my Yanmar diesel were essential to avoiding unwanted breakdowns and costs! I researched the forums, Yanmar Facebook groups, and the Yanmar engine and here…
Repairing the Generator, Splicing the Anchor, and New Furling Line
Nancy told me, “I’m not going if you don’t fix the generator.” And she’s right. We were in the middle of another Texas heat wave, with the index upwards to 110 degrees F. And that’s with high humidity. But I have this intense desire to start breaking free from Galveston Bay and begin exploring the…
How To Get A Fish Out Of A Sailboat AC
How to get a fish out of my sailboat air conditioner. Now that’s a phrase I never thought I’d need to Google. But here we are. The AC stopped working and had a HP (high pressure) warning. That’s all the info I had…oh, and the fact that it’s blazing August heat in Texas. The sailboat…
Preparing To Sail Offshore
When we were looking for the right tiny home to sail us away to a tropical island, we knew it had to be offshore worthy! We didn’t exactly know what that meant, but we believed we should look for three things. Safe. Comfortable. Reliable. That’s part of the reason we went with the Catalina 387,…
Survey, Haulout, and We Bought A Sailboat!
We bought a sailboat! …actually we bought a floating tiny home. But we’re fine if everyone calls it a sailboat. 🙂 After all, she does sail, float, and bob around. It’s been a solid year and a half journey getting here with a few challenges, ample joy, and many lessons learned. Every step has been…