A friend of mine who’s looking at boats just asked for my thoughts on the pros and cons of a full keel vs. a fin keel. Here’s what I responded: So I don’t have a great deal experience with full keel, especially in the place where I expect it to most shine – the open…
Author: Chuck B
Moar Sparkles!
SV Sparklemuffin gets even sparklier with LED strip lights! Every once in a while I like to balance boat work with a fun project that’s purely for my own enjoyment. So this time I installed Boomile LED strip lights ($19). It’s 5 m / 16 foot long, has lots of LEDs, takes 12 VDC input,…
Sailing- and Boating-Related Movies
Quite possibly the internet’s most comprehensive collection of sailing-related movies! Is something missing? Let me know in a comment! (Red indicates ones I’ve watched.) Fiction/Entertainment [M] Abandoned (2015) [M] African Queen (1951) [M] All Is Lost (2013) [M] The Boat (2018) – Amazon [M] The Caine Mutiny (1954) [M] Captain Ron (1992) [M] Captains Courageous…
That Poem
A touching poem that my dear friend Christine is generously allowing me to share with you. This poem beautifully depicts one aspect of why I’m embarking on this sailing journey. “That Poem” by Christine Esenther Someone at the Center of the Universe Café read a poem It’s the best poem I ever heard there It’s…
Why Marriage Is Not For Me
I’ve had occasion recently to reflect on the nature of romantic relationships. Full disclosure: I was married once. I understand that it works for some folks. I found that it didn’t work for me. Let me be clear. I have no issue with committing to a life-long romantic partnership with the right person. In fact,…
Anchoring in Richardson Bay
This weekend getaway was just the “reset button” I needed. It was hard work, and a little stressful at times, and I didn’t sleep well last night – BUT it was totally worth it. Sparklemuffin, my friends Ian and Gwen and I anchored overnight in Richardson Bay (San Francisco) and had a blast! There was…
The Silence of the Crabs ✨3
Sparklemuffin (formerly Charmer) is inspected by professional marine surveyor Françoise Ramsay.
Crouching Tiger, Standing Rigging ✨2
In this video, Sparklemuffin (then known as “Charmer”) gets her rig inspected by Ryan Nelson of Rogue Rigging.
Sunday Sail
Had a great time just sailing around with Ian and Gwen who I met at the sailing club social in July. Saw several porpoises. Got some good video footage for YouTube too! For a while we had all three sails up and were looking pretty bad-ass. Ian and Gwen are cool peeps and I look…
A Boy Sailor and His Boat ✨1
This is the story of my quest to cross the Pacific with my sailboat, in search of tropical islands!