Crossing an ocean or to a new island group can be a trip of three or four weeks. Without refrigeration this means that fresh greens will be limited. Cabbage and onions do well, carrots will last for awhile, but after that we’re looking at canned greens – unless we grow our own. A few cruisers […]
Bunk Pockets for the Crew
Since boats (in our size range) don’t come with bed-side tables, bunk pockets are a handy thing. And everyone has a slightly different list of items they like to have close at hand, so a custom bunk-pocket is particularly nice. These attach to the bulkhead with screw-in Common Sense or Twist Lock Fasteners, but Snap […]
Anatomy of a Hull
I submitted the last blog article without explaining my terms – so sorry! I forget that only .01% of the world cares about all this! But in case you wonder how a boat goes together… Phoenix is a mix of steel and wood. Wood holds water and water rusts steel, so this is intrinsically a […]
Connect a Laptop to HF Radio
Once offshore the internet is inaccessible by a laptop without assistance. To connect a laptop to HF Radio you will need a packet-data modem such as the Pactor to connect to your radio, then some additional hardware to connect your Pactor to the laptop. With this system you can connect to the internet for basic things like sending and receiving email and receiving […]
Refit for Pacific Tour
We’ve hauled Phoenix and moved her to a boat shed. Jon has started the final refit for leaving the west coast for Hawaii next spring. He will do the extensive carpentry and mechanical work on the list, plus hire and oversee the welder / metalwork. I am still working, but will contribute to the later […]
Varnishing 101: Methods for Getting Great Results
Varnish has been used for over 1000 years and still has a certain mystique. Well-applied varnish gives wood a glow and depth that seems nothing short of magical. But although varnish brings out the beauty in wood, varnishing all too often brings out the beast in the varnisher.
