Sailing Guides

Sloops, cutters, ketches, catamarans and more — how the major sailboat rigs and hull types compare.

How to choose a chartplotter for cruising — screen size, charts, networking, and top picks at each budget.

Raymarine, B&G, Garmin, Simrad and Pelagic autopilots compared — drives, sailing modes, and integration.

Spectra, Rainman, Katadyn and more — which watermakers match cruising energy budgets and boat sizes.

LiFePO4 house-bank picks and how to plan a lithium conversion — Battle Born, Victron, Renogy, Epoch, Dakota.

RIBs, rollups, and outboards compared — how to pick the right dinghy and motor for your boat and cruising style.

Modern anchor and windlass picks that hold hard and lift reliably — Rocna, Mantus, Spade, Lewmar, Maxwell.

Offshore-certified life raft picks and buying guidance for cruising sailors — Viking, Winslow, Ocean Safety, Revere.

Rigid vs flexible marine solar panels, how to size an array for your house bank, and top picks for cruising sailors.

How to choose a marine inverter/charger — sizing, LFP compatibility, integration, and the units we'd install today.

Forced-air and radiant diesel heaters for cruising sailboats — how to choose, install, and avoid the top failure modes.

When electric propulsion makes sense on a sailboat, how to size batteries and regen, and the electric drive systems worth buying.

Headsail furlers, in-mast, and in-boom furling systems compared — trade-offs, top picks, and what to install today.

Standing rigging replacement guide — 1x19 wire, rod, Dyneema, terminal types, and when to re-rig.

Storm jibs, trysails, and drogues — how to size, choose, and actually deploy heavy-weather tactics offshore.

How to size, grade, and rig anchor chain and rode — G4, G7, calibrated European chain, snubbers, and chain hooks.

Davit systems for cruising sailboats — Kato, Weaver, Garhauer, and stern-arch options.

How to size and choose sailboat winches — Harken, Lewmar, Andersen, and electric winches.

AIS transponders for cruising sailboats — Vesper Cortex, em-trak, integrated VHF options, and why SOTDMA matters.

Satellite comms for cruising sailboats — Starlink Mini, Iridium GO, Garmin inReach, and how to combine them.

How to choose an EPIRB or PLB for your sailboat — Category I vs II, return-link, and why offshore crews carry both.

Marine refrigeration — Isotherm, Nova Kool, Frigoboat keel-cooler conversions, and how to minimize energy use.

Marine toilets for cruising sailboats — Nature's Head composting, Raritan electric, and manual heads compared.