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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
