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Had a 7.5 kt boat for twenty years. Covered just about every waterway east of the Mississippi and west of Africa and Europe. Only once was I in a situation where a faster boat would have been necessary. Once we were forced to wait for three days in the Turks and Caicos when on the north side...

If you need to use a dinghy carry a spare prop. The rubber bushings on these props wear out and you find yourself without a dinghy motor even if you haven't hit anything. If you travel to remote places you could find yourself without a dinghy for days/weeks waiting for a replacement.

Had some books on Bay Pelican for 20 years. Went from frigid situations (28 degrees F) to the southern Caribbean. No problem with the books. Downside is use of space. Ended up first using the book exchanges then Kindle. Now I have gotten rid of hundreds of books at my home where there is...

In the eastern Caribbean we usually anchored in 35 feet. Frequently 45 feet. Any shallower and we were at risk of a wind shift putting us on beach, security issues with locals swimming from shore, or most dangerous, charter boats hugging the shore for shallow water and not anchoring well so...

Having lived with a 8kw Westerbeke for 20 years I found it useful to have a spare solenoid on board. Suggest you buy one and swap it for the one you have. These seem to go bad every seven or eight years. Also take a look at your main engine(s) you may find you have the same solenoid on the...

Bay Pelican went 20 years with a six gallon heater. We were anchored 90% of the time. Ran the generator or motor at least once a day. Had no hot water issues with the two of us living aboard including the occasional guest. Our isotherm water heater had a blend feature that allowed the water...

Has anyone heard of this type of fuel theft? I have heard of the gas tanks being stolen from dinghies but not the diesel tanks being drained. Lot easier I would think to steal from a truck.

Having gone aboard two boats that had worn through their rope anchor line I support the idea of more chain. 100 ft would be the easiest to use as you would be using the gypsy to power up the anchor chain and not having to switch midstream from the capstan. Tides and shifting winds can cause...

I have been in heavy fog in the Gulf, Mobile Bay, the Atlantic ICW, Long Island Sound and each of the Great Lakes. I was in fog for days off New England. On Mobile Bay I have used unpolite language to refer to the small fishing boats out in the fog without radar who almost hit me. I was...

When I first got into larger boats in the 90s, 36 feet was the norm with 42 feet considered large. Above 50 feet was considered suitable for paid crew. When we returned to the United States in 2018 we spent time in a marina in Florida. Among the numerous Krogen owners at the marina we were...

Bay Pelican was insured by Markel though IMIS, Grasonville, MD. Excellent coverage and service. Important issue will be getting umbrella coverage. In Indiana only two umbrella insurance companies covered the boat once past the Bahamas.

Bay Pelicans vented Splendide had an identical installation as Hobo has. One thing that has been missing in this discussion is the voltage of the various units, important for the North American boats. Combo units come are generally 120 volts while the residential units are 240 volts. For a...

My experience is different. For 15 years I had two chargers with various combinations of Xantrex, Max-Pro, Victron and Magnum. If both chargers went to one bank one charger or the other sensed the output of the other and reduced output. My solution was to put a battery switch in between the...

Last number I saw was 113 million were getting some form or assistance which is only 35% not 50%.

Neither Medicare or Social Security are considered taxes in the technical sense. They are contributions/premiums for social programs. As one successful movie pointed out there are federal taxes on booze. The number 47% don't pay federal income taxes was a critical issue in the 2012...

I did something similar using a 30 amp inlet and a single breaker plus a Marinco adapter to go from 30 amp female to 15 amp male so I could run it off of an extension cord. Had this hooked up to just two duplex outlets on the boat. I used this frequently on the Erie Canal where at that time...

Spent 10 years in the Eastern Caribbean. Yes we saw sport fish. Usually based there or flew in decent weather. Almost all were greater than the 50+ ft limit that defines the majority of Caribbean cruising boats. As to trawlers they were essentially full displacement when 50 ft or less. We...

+1 I have long advocated one large bank for house and starting, plus a small isolated battery somewhere that is capable of starting the generator. Thus you get maximum use out of the batteries you have.

On Bay Pelican, a Krogen 42, we took a different approach. There are four drain holes on the lip of the upper deck. We filled these holes in with a combination of 1/2" PVC tubing and one of the deck fill products. Water run off then came out the tubing. We used flexible extensions of the...

Never went on the site but I have no regrets.

Same here. I always checked my sights with a GPS and decided a few years later to sell the sextant and have a spare GPS in a Faraday Cage. Took three years to pass the two Squadron course. Learned a lot other than how to use the sextant. Best thing to come out of it is that I still see a...

You also need to talk with a current tax expert as to the double taxation issue. If you retain your American citizenship you remain subject to US income taxes even though you pay Canadian income taxes. You will receive a credit for certain of the Canadian taxes. The details are tricky and...

Communications, location of cell towers map (We frequently looked for a cell tower before we anchored.) To expand on the mail packages, the location of Fedex, UPS, DHL, offices. Names of customs brokers and the correct wording for an exemption, if any, for import duty. ATM locations south of...

Another factor to consider is that a US boat is a foreign vessel in BVI waters. Anytime the boat is in BVI for more than 30 days a temporary import permit must be obtained. Note if the boat is registered in the USVI the period is 120 days. Another factor is that with flights to and from the...

You are correct. Marine watermakers take salt water and filter out the salt and most other materials through a high pressure membrane. The trick on the ICW is to make water when you are not in a polluted harbor. Decisions you have to make are the capacity of the watermaker in gallons per...