Make Your Own Look Bucket
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 51 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: November 03, 2009
When we first went to the Bahamas, many years ago, friends told us to be sure to get a “look bucket.” We weren’t even sure what this was, but we got one and it, as well as its many replacements, has been invaluable as a tool, a food finder and a source of entertainment. It’s basically a bucket with a see-through bottom. You put the bucket in the water and look through it. Unless the water is really muddy you can see below the surface. In clear waters you can see far down, even to the bottom. In a way, it’s like snorkeling wit...... Read More

Tom’s Tips About Look Buckets
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 26 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: November 03, 2009
1. If your boat is moving as you use it, be sure it’s moving very slowly and that the boat operator is keeping watch, not looking through the look bucket.
2. Use of a look bucket usually involves leaning over the side. This can be particularly dangerous for children and even for adults if it is rough, the boat tips too much and for other reasons. Wear life jackets, proceed very slowly, if at all, and don’t have too much weight on one side of the boat.
3. Often you can see many interesting things by simply anchoring, or drifting with the current. This is s...... Read More

East Coast Alerts by Mel Neale October 30, 2009
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 18 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: November 03, 2009

From the USCG 5th District Bridge Branch Chief:
NEW JERSEY INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY (NJICW) - LITTLE EGG HARBOR TO CAPE MAY – INSIDE THOROFARE TO PERFORM URGENT MECHANICAL REPAIRS, MARINERS ARE ADVISED THAT THE AMTRAK NEW JERSEY TRANSIT RAIL OPERATIONS AUTOMATED RAILROAD BRIDGE (AT NJICW MILE 68.9) ACROSS BEACH THOROFARE AT ATLANTIC CITY WILL BE CLOSED TO VESSELS REQUIRING AN OPENING ON THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE:
EACH DAY BEGINNING 9 AM TO 1 PM AND FROM 2 PM TO 4 PM ON TUE 10 NOV 09 TO FRI 13 NOV 09;
FROM 7 AM ON SAT 14 NOV 09 THROUGH 3 PM ON MON 16 NOV 09; AND FROM 9 AM TO...... Read More

Now You See It
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 144 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: October 15, 2009

Most of us didn’t know it, but during the past two years something happened that will be very helpful and important to us all. A standard for rating flashlights and spotlights has come into being. Why is that important? How many times have you needed a good light and looked at the absurd claims of millions of candle power on product boxes? So you pick out one with the most millions (and maybe the lowest cost), take it to your boat, try it out and discover that it isn’t worth squat. Sure, you can probably take it back, but that fact didn’t help a bit during the dark night...... Read More

Somewhere in Time
Contributed by kismet - This blog has been viewed 133 times and there are 1 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: October 15, 2009
Somewhere in Time,” a movie starring the late Christopher Reeve, takes place in the farthest reaches of northern Michigan, on an island you can only get to by boat. The movie depicts a bygone era (1912) and was filmed at one of our favorite Michigan boating destinations, Mackinac Island and the beautiful Grand Hotel, which was first opened in 1887. Even today, the island’s residents have carefully preserved the charm and uniqueness of the turn of the 20th century. Much like our favorite Michigan port, we recently had the opportunity to discover that Tangier Island, Maryland, has a s...... Read More

Sailing Spains Costa del Sol
Contributed by Feel Free - This blog has been viewed 60 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: October 15, 2009
Our sailing in Spain could easily be classified into three parts: 1) Balearic Islands 2) Costa Blanca 3) Costa del Sol. The last, the Costa del Sol (aka “Costa del Plastico”), has been put behind us. In truth, our nine days on the southernmost coast of Spain were not that bad, especially if you didn’t mind open roadsteads for anchorages, rolling from gunnel to gunnel 50 percent of the time, knowing it would cost $150 a night for a marina berth, being trapped on your boat for fear of taking your dinghy near the surf pounded shore. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Cost...... Read More

Blocking Ashore: The Right Way and the Wrong Way
Contributed by badriance - This blog has been viewed 140 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: October 13, 2009
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SOLD! Going to a Boat Auction
Contributed by SarahD - This blog has been viewed 228 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: October 09, 2009
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Why Fiberglass Boats Sometimes Fail
Contributed by badriance - This blog has been viewed 250 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: October 07, 2009
A Primer on Fiberglass Boat Construction

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Chain Care
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 175 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: October 01, 2009
Have you had to replace your anchor chain lately? If you have, you know it’s a very expensive proposition. I’m not talking about a few feet on the end of a nylon rode. That’s not a very big deal. I’m talking about maybe one or two hundred feet or more on a rode that’s primarily chain. We’ve ridden out hurricanes, tornadoes, prolonged full storms and a lot more at anchor, and I believe that quality chain, if used properly with nylon snubbing lines, is the best way to go, if you can carry the weight. But chain, even the good stuff, rusts, unless it’s st...... Read More

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