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Dream Voyage to the Tropics |
Recently the outlet pipe of the lone 24 year old bilge pump aboard Sparklemuffin broke completely off. Better at the dock than halfway to Hawaii, eh? ‘Cuz “if anything is gonna happen, it’s gonna happen out there” as they say. The bilge pump system is super critical for any boat. One of a sailor’s (many) worst…
When I wanted to change my boat’s name, I could not find a simple set of instructions online. The USCG instructions weren’t 100% clear either. So here’s what I did that worked, step by step. Really it’s quite simple, you can complete the forms easily yourself in just a few minutes. Don’t pay someone else…
Change Primary Filter These instructions are appropriate for the Parker Racor 500 series primary filter system as installed on my vessel. The details may differ for your situation, but the general principles apply. 1. Primary filter is Parker Racor 2010SM-OR 2 micron. 2. Wear rubber gloves. Prepare a plastic bag in which to discard items….
What follows is a description of the system I use for mast climbing, recorded here for my own reference. Any equipment, system and technique you choose to use is your personal choice, and you use at your own risk, whether influenced by the information on this page or not. You alone are responsible for making…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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,…