For some reason or other, the idea of pulling out the raw-water cooled Yanmar 3HM and replacing it with an affordable, minimal electric propulsion system keeps playing around my thoughts. Having spent a bunch of years developing a variety of electric propulsion installations on our CAL 34, I do have some experience but came to …
What happens when you say “Electric Propulsion” three times… Read More »
I have a couple of leaks on the Islander and, while not serious, the fact that one of the leaks is a mystery is just a kiss unsettling. The known leak is the Lasdrop shaft seal. Lasdrop no longer supports this model so I’m currently looking for a replacement from a company that supports their …
The other day, I was informed that the hip dinghy that will be the new standard is the OC 330. Of course, being enamored of cool dinghies, I searched out Offshore Cruising Tenders and found a sorta/kinda dinghy that really did not impress me. My first impression was that it’s a RIB meets plywood stitch …
One of my favorite cruising books I’ve come across is Orca and if you have not read it you really should. I mention this because there’s a sequel “Thicker Than Ice” by John Pennington that’s even better. Truthfully, I was not able to put the book down till I was finished and there are not …
The Islander 36, like most boats, has a pulpit and it’s the bit of the design that really gets up my nose. Of course, I really should add that in 90% of boats I see, the pulpit is problematic at best. So, why don’t I like pulpits? For starters, they are part of the the …
Yep, once again, I’ve found myself sitting inside a boat while all hell breaks loose outside. Tropical Storm Ernesto was surprisingly nasty and, while not a cat 5 hurricane, seemed to be just as kickass as Maria was. In hindsight, we really should have gone to our preferred hurricane hole rather than stick it out …
While I have zero desire to ever return to the sunshine state (with the exception of reading Carl Hiaasen and James W. Hall books) I have kept a weather eye on its continued anti-cruiser policies. Yeah, I know, upscale beachfront property owners don’t want their view sullied by someone hanging underwear on their lifelines and …
As the wags are wont to say, “Shit happens”. Of course, sitting on a boat in the Caribbean during the middle of hurricane season one has to expect to have to run through the getting ready for a hurricane two-step. So it does go. So, we’re getting both boats ready for a possible storm, keeping …
An interesting map, some thoughts on a sharkless world, and a needful/scary riff on adaptation… I’ve received a few emails on the subject of a new paint job for the Islander both pro and con but in a polarized sort of way. The funny thing, for me at least, is that in a world of …
Back during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria with nothing better to do, I painted “So It Goes” while at anchor in the mangroves. The paint I chose was Rust-Oleum aluminum paint. My thinking at the time was that it was something Phil Bolger mused would make a good boat paint, it was dirt cheap ($13 …
