Projects What's on your boat server? Servers are more common on boats today than ever before. Having some sort of system to run SignalK, a dedicated alerting system, or some other service has become just as integral as having a chart plotter or VHF radio.
Trips One year after switching to power I switched from sail to power a year ago and haven't looked back. There are pros and cons, but I am glad I made the switch!
Reviews Furuno FM-4800 VHF Radio Furuno released the FM-4800 VHF radio in late 2018, and I have been using it since then, and really like it as my primary boat radio.
Internet Low Data Mode helps boat WiFi use in iOS 13 As of iOS 13, there is a Low Data mode for WiFi! For many years, you've been able to limit cellular bandwidth usage, but iOS has not had a way to control the same thing for a WiFi network, until now.
Internet weBoost Drive Reach cellular amplifier installation and testing weBoost released the Drive Reach recently which is a more powerful and refined version of the venerable Drive 4G-X, the gold standard for cellular amplifiers since 2014. I have been using mine for a few months, and have some observations
Projects Victron + Wakespeed + Battle Born power system Rendezvous came with a decent power system which I had hoped to use for a year before upgrading. However, performance and other problems cropped up in the first few months of using it, so I moved this project earlier in the list and jumped in.
Internet Best boat Internet systems Below are my recommended system designs for getting high quality Internet on your boat. There are several different choices depending on your technical ability and budget.
Projects Rendezvous internet setup Having a reliable setup has always been one of my top goals, usually leveraging several technologies. Rendezvous has a similar setup to some of my other boats, but with some modifications and improvements.
Projects Boat piano and storage The Yamaha P-125 piano is super light, has an excellent action, a few great piano sounds, and is perfect for my boat. I also built a system to store it in a closet.
Projects The anchor project After months and months of troubleshooting problems, changing chain and anchors, and replacing electrical components, I finally have an anchoring system that I feel very confident in. The journey to get here, though, was not quick or easy.
Reviews NaviSafe dinghy lights One of the best times of the day to explore is right at sunset, and shortly thereafter. I've always had challenges finding a good solution to ensure my dinghy can be seen at night or adverse conditions until I found NaviSafe dinghy lights.
Reviews Managing internet usage on your boat Managing your internet data usage on the boat is important both for a quality experience, and because of limited WiFi and cellular networks.
Projects Final project push before summer trips A sneak peek at some of the projects I am finishing up. Includes a new LiFePO4 battery bank, water pump, lights, and more.
Trips Friday Harbor round trip After working on lots of projects this winter on Rendezvous, I was itching to get out on the water and test all of them on a longer journey. I was delighted at the opportunity to accompany a friend and her boat up to Friday Harbor for the season, and the trip was wonderful!
Projects Rendezvous initial networks In the last 4 months, I have been developing my overall network on board Rendezvous. I wanted a good WiFi/Ethernet network to connect me to the outside world, as well as a well developed NMEA 2000 network for marine equipment while underway. So far, here's what I have...
Projects Diesel tank monitoring with Maretron TLM Monitoring my diesel tank level is much easier now that I've installed a Maretron TLM ultrasonic tank sensor.
Projects Seaview - more than just mounts As part of the project to update Rendezvous electronics, I planned on replacing the older Furuno open-array radar, which required looking for a new mounting solution on my arch. I started searching for mounts, and came across a lot of solutions.
Reviews Furuno NavPilot 300 unboxing and initial installation One of the most important pieces of technology on any boat I own is the autopilot and systems that drive it. Rendezvous came with a partially functioning autopilot that I was not able to rely on, so I started searching for a new solution.
Trips Poulsbo and Bainbridge snow adventure After having Rendezvous on the dock for the last few weeks, I was itching to get out on the water and enjoy some winter cruising. Crew member Jake was free early on a Friday, so we set off to Poulsbo for the weekend.
Projects New LED lighting everywhere Updating your boat to LED lighting is an easy way to make it feel more updated, livable and safe. MarineBeam, SuperBrightLEDs and Dr. LED converted me fully to LED.
Reviews Monitor your engine with the Actisense EMU-1 Your engine is a critical part of your boat. Monitoring it with the Actisense EMU-1 gives you peace of mind and better visibility.
Reviews Portable low-power espresso on the boat with Nanopresso Wacaco Nanopresso is a great way to make espresso on a boat without using tons of power. You can even get an adapter to use Nespresso pods which makes for easy cleanup!
Trips Boat exploration, a shock and a fire The last few weeks have been very busy aboard Rendezvous. I have spent most of the time learning the boat, exploring wiring and systems setup, and working on some projects that were first on my list.
Trips A new family member I am excited to introduce a new family member - Rendezvous. She is a 1988 Ocean Alexander 420 sundeck motor yacht with lots of neat features and extras. After a whirlwind process of selling Grace, Rendezvous became part of our family in early November
Projects Installing and using a Victron LiFePO4 energy system With my LiFePO4 power design complete, I was excited to install and use the new system for most of this sailing season. The installation took longer than a traditional battery installation, and had more complexity, but turned out to be a fantastic setup for the longer trips I went on this summer.
