Battery Banter

(published November 2012) Chuck Hawley, West Marine’s Vice President of Product Development, recently bought an Alerion Express 38 Yawl and is learning how to be a […]

All Charged Up

Consider an alternator upgrade for increased efficiency  (published November 2012) Your engine’s alternator can be considered the battery bank’s primary charging device since you use the […]

Sail Off the Grid

Solar, wind and water power for independent cruising  (published November 2012) As I sit and write on a charging laptop, the refrigerator compressor kicks on nearby, […]

Avoid Boom Doom

Rigging a preventer or boom brake  (published November 2012) Warning: The only way to start this is with a dramatic, yet frightening reality.  “BOOM” isn’t exactly […]

Replacing Sanitary Hoses

A cautionary tale  (published October 2012) In the year 2000, when Island Packet built my precious IP 380, MoDachaidh, apparently modern technology hadn’t yet perfected the […]

Practice Makes Perfect

Refinishing Regina Oceani’s middle-aged hull  (published October 2012) It takes a great deal of bravery, faith and endurance to refinish the hull of a 31-year-old, 42-foot […]

The Experts Weigh In

BWS authors share their favorite safety and communication gear  (published September 2012) Without question, our most valuable and useful piece of electronics is an ICOM 802 […]

Fitting Out for Cruising

15 top upgrades that transform your boat into a liveaboard voyager  (published October 2012) Whether you are buying a new boat through a dealer or a […]