Installing and using a Victron LiFePO4 energy system
With my LiFePO4 power design complete, I was excited to install and use the new system for most of this sailing season. The installation took longer than a traditional battery installation, and had more complexity, but…
How to record and post your cruising tracks
With an old Raymarine e80 and no real excuse to invest in a Garmin InReach or a Spot satellite tracker, it has always been a challenge to get tracks of our trips in a format I can share. And I like to share. I have…
Free barometer app designed for mariners
Not many mariners realize that the most accurate barometer on the boat might be in their pocket... in their cellphones. There are not any native functions in iOS or Android phones that show the pressure reading, so you…
Installing and networking a Class B AIS transceiver with a chartplotter and VHF radio
In 2015 I purchased an AIS receiver for a trip up the Inside Passage. This posting is largely an upgrade of the posting for that installation. I suspected at the time I might look back on a reciever as a false economy, and…
Best LTE antenna and booster for the boat
For almost two years I have been testing, re-testing, and re-wiring my setup on Grace in an effort to find the best LTE antenna configuration. I don’t remember another project I worked on that took so much time and effort to…
Portable lithium jump starter for the sailboat
I made a conscious decision during power system upgrade to have a single battery bank of 3x Firefly 100 amp hour batteries for both my house and starting needs on Grace. Space on any sailboat, including mine, is always…
AIS for the win
I recently received an email with a host of questions about outfitting a boat for offshore sailing and my opinions on a wide variety of related topics. While I’m mostly reluctant to give hard-and-fast “this is what you…
