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Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:00:52 +0000
Ever since I was a kid, water heaters either ran on Shore Power or with a heat exchanger from the motors hot water. When I took out my diesel motor to put in an electric motor, I gave up half my heating options. When I went cruising, I disconnected from shore power and gave up hot water all together! After 5 years of cold showers, we finally have hot water again! A company called Missouri Wind and Solar makes a 48VDC, 700W water heater element that simply threads into your existing water heat...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Mon, 10 Jan 2022 18:32:21 GMT
A shortlist of famous ships cats...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Fri, 07 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000
You might not care about the YouTube Algorithm because you might think that it doesn’t affect you. This couldn’t be farther from the truth if you watch anything on YouTube! YouTube chooses which videos get shown to a creators subscribers and on Home Page based on a variety of metrics. You are either a creator who is trying to figure out how to get your videos seen by potential viewers or a viewer who is being force fed the same regurgitated crap that YouTube’s Algorithm is feeding you. This v...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Thu, 06 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000
I grew up in Puerto Rico going to La Parguera every weekend, then I moved to the states and missed those beautiful waters every day I was away. Sailing back into the waters of La Parguera was incredibly special! I was finally able to show Maddie, my wife, all the places I swam and explored as a kid. We even went to the bioluminescent bay, also called the bio bay, where Maddie went skinny dipping!
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Wed, 05 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000
Have you heard of them? They are an awesome couple who is cruising on a Carter 33 that they have been rebuilding as they go. They have the dream and are doing everything they can to make their dream their reality! We met up with them in an anchorage on the south coast of Puerto Rico and they became friends for life!
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Tue, 04 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000
For thousands of years, wood was the hull material of choice. This was the norm until fiberglass was introduced! Some will argue of the virtues of other hull materials but the truth is, all hull materials existed when fiberglass was introduced and fiberglass has dominated the market as the standard hull material for all personal boats being built. The expert I interviewed was Matt from MJ Sailing as they have sailed extensively on a fiberglass sailboat, then an aluminum sailboat, and are now ...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Mon, 03 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000
When I say plywood, you are probably thinking of a wooden boat; but while plywood is “technically” a form of wood, the construction methods differ so greatly that it would be like saying that a horse and a mouse are the same thing because they both have four legs!
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Sun, 02 Jan 2022 20:28:50 +0000
Cement boats? I know this sounds ridiculous but they have been making the boats out of ferro cement for a very long time; and they actually have some impressive properties! Ferro Cement is very different from “Concrete” as those boats all were plagued with problems (and most of them sank). Ferro Cement is different and holds up really well in the marine environment. The metal frame is never exposed to water and therefore remains entombed inside the cement as the boat voyages around. The main ...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 21:27:50 GMT
A quick trip over to Inchmickery Island
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Tue, 21 Dec 2021 20:00:00 +0000
Aluminum used to be called Unobtanium because its properties were so advantageous but they simply couldn’t make enough of it to actually build something out of it. Fast forward a few hundred years and we can all sail on yachts made from this wonder material of the future!
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Tue, 21 Dec 2021 18:30:46 +0000
The series is finished! I have interviewed cruisers on various hull materials to ask them what it’s really like to own and sail on a boat made of X material. The first video in the series is Wooden Hulls where we get to hear about what it’s like to cruise on an old wooden classic from 1966!
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:21:25 +0000
One of the shining features of Dyneema over steel is the fact that Dyneema can be repaired. Chafe is the biggest problem facing synthetic rigging, and one that is easily avoided by routing the running rigging in a way that it won’t contact, and then chafe, the standing rigging. Should chafe occur and become serious, Dyneema can be easily repaired with mending splices to insert a new portion of Dyneema replacing the damaged portion. After 6 years of sailing, our synthetic standing rigging has ...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Thu, 09 Dec 2021 20:01:08 GMT
Some sailing dreams don't come true.
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Sun, 21 Nov 2021 17:41:19 +0000
The sailors dream is to wake up in paradise, raise the anchor and go on a beautiful sail. That is precisely what we got the chance to do in the waters around St. Thomas and St. John in the USVI.
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Sat, 13 Nov 2021 04:12:28 GMT
If you are thinking of taking your cat sailing on a yacht, here are some things to think about before you leave the dock
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Thu, 04 Nov 2021 22:28:25 GMT
Some recent travels and can catnip make cats pee? apparently yes...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Sun, 31 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000
We all want to go sailing but sometimes you might find yourself doing it alone. Can you solo sail and single hand a bigger sailboat?
Ocean Research Project by ORPTeam
Wed, 27 Oct 2021 18:04:59 +0000
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Mon, 25 Oct 2021 06:04:12 +0000
Electric motors run reliably as long as they have enough power supplied to them. The question of “how good are they?” is just the incorrectly asked question “how good are the batteries?” We have crossed the Atlantic twice and visited many ports along the way. We have managed this on just eight 100ah batteries hooked up in series and parallel to give us 200ah at 48v. As a result, we have practically no range and as a result do not count on our electric motor to take us far. We have been using ...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Sun, 10 Oct 2021 18:03:52 +0000
Long after the pandemic has calmed down, Sailing is still affected by policies and policing in the name of COVID. See how it affected us while sailing around the open waters of the US Virgin Islands.
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Fri, 08 Oct 2021 13:43:28 +0000
Normally, people go cruising just to sail the Caribbean; these people also sail straight to the islands in the most direct way possible and thoroughly enjoy life. We went the really long way to get to the Caribbean, arriving after 4 years of cruising and two Atlantic crossings. It’s a good thing we did the other sailing first because we might have never left the Caribbean! Subscribe
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Sun, 03 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000
Hiding in the lee of an island is a great way to protect yourself from punishing winds. The land blocks the sea from building waves that will rock your yacht as well as blocks the wind m, allowing you to anchor rather peacefully in some horrible conditions! When you are looking at a new place to go cruising and need to find happy hiding holes that you can tuck into if the wind builds, how can you figure out how far away from land you will still be protected? Navionics will tell you the elevat...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Sat, 02 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000
Cruising is a very cost effective way to live and travel the world. The wind is free, and it will carry you to distant shores well beyond the horizon; all you need is the patience to wait for it to get you there. Expenses can be very low, just the food you need to eat and the parts you need to replace on your boat as they go wearing out. While you will have the time and knowhow to fix everything on your boat, you will still be faced by the hurdle that you will need to purchase the raw materia...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Fri, 01 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000
You know the dream: Live your best life and get paid to do it! It sounds fantastical and then you hear about someone who is doing just that. They are getting paid to sail around the world and enjoy every moment of their life. Why do they get to do it while you are stuck at the office? The truth is, money while sailing is a simple equation: Money Earned - Money Spent = Money to Cruise This may seem over simplified, but it really is that simple. When you have your desk job, you have lots of mon...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Wed, 29 Sep 2021 12:52:09 +0000
Do you need to have radar on your cruising boat? The short answer is: “No” but the long answer is: “Maybe”. It really depends on where you plan to cruise. Are you aiming your bow for warm tropical waters? In that case you won’t need radar. If you are going to more “unique” destinations where fog is a normal part of life, then suddenly radar becomes a very valuable tool. Radar has many uses on a boat, many of which I do not find to justify the cost of the unit. Weather The most proclaimed reas...
Rigging Doctor by Herb Benavent
Wed, 15 Sep 2021 13:01:00 +0000
And now for the last bit of days from our passage across the Atlantic Ocean.
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Sun, 12 Sep 2021 19:14:53 GMT
A quick trip to the Forth and back again...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Wed, 01 Sep 2021 01:04:13 GMT
While we were in Berwick, I had removed the spinnaker pole to get better access to some wires on the mast and, like a moron, I left it on...
59 North by Andy Schell
Wed, 28 Jul 2021 05:22:06 +0000
After 1,000 Miles
1,077 miles sailed since departing Rockland, Maine on a Tuesday morning.
Today marks the start of the 8th day at sea aboard ICEBEAR, another Tuesday
morning, but in a very different place. The passage has been both
uneventful and eventful, tiring and restful, fantastic sailing and
frustrating calms.
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Tue, 20 Jul 2021 22:38:56 GMT
After getting back from the island, I chose to try and get some stuff done. We still have to scrape, clean, and paint the hull with...
59 North by Emma Garschagen
Sun, 18 Jul 2021 18:06:07 +0000
On this passage from Bermuda to Maine, Mia is not aboard the ICEBEAR. She
is in Sweden getting SPICA spiffed up for a summer of sailing, and of
course hanging out with Andy, Axel, friends, and family. But as I have
learned this year, Mia is always onboard the 59 North boats.
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Wed, 30 Jun 2021 22:10:33 GMT
After getting some sleep, it was time to get back on the island. I'm going to go to the other side of the island to see what's over...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Fri, 25 Jun 2021 18:02:17 GMT
After sourcing the issue with the leaking water tank, which I discovered was my fault - the seals hadn't been lined up properly on the...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Thu, 17 Jun 2021 23:02:26 GMT
Having spent a day trying to figure out our next move, it was time to go again. I figured we would go to Edinburgh - but where in...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Sun, 13 Jun 2021 00:12:40 GMT
On this particular morning, I can't say I was in the best of moods, but nonetheless, I got on with the business of getting out of here. ...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Sat, 29 May 2021 22:41:53 GMT
For the last few weeks we've(I've) been busy getting the boat ready as we can for whatever's about to happen - cleaning, sanding, and...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Thu, 14 Jan 2021 00:01:29 GMT
So what's happening?! No blog posts for a while! Well, we had hoped to go up North into Southern Scotland, but an opportunity...
59 North by Isbjorn Crew
Fri, 04 Dec 2020 19:54:24 +0000
CHESAPEAKE TO ANTIGUA, by Kitty and David
December 1, 2020
We just can't stay away from Isbjorn! Or is it that we just can't get to
our own boat??? Either way, on November 7-21 we made a very cool 14 day
1904 mile passage from Annapolis to Antigua on Isbjorn, 59-North's 48 foot
Swan.
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Sun, 29 Nov 2020 23:52:49 GMT
While we work out what our next move will be, we've been afforded the gift of time. With nowhere on the horizon and no new lands ahead...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Sat, 21 Nov 2020 23:57:27 GMT
The next morning my alarm went off, and I woke just up long enough to grab my phone and turn off the remaining alarms, as I tend to set...
59 North by Andy Schell
Thu, 19 Nov 2020 13:57:06 +0000
ISBJORN & ICEBEAR update
November 19, 2020
Here is another update from the boats, this time I decided to make a
combined post from both of the boats.
ICEBEAR is within 100 miles from Antigua with and ETA this evening, not
sure if they can make it before sunset. ISBJORN is about a day behind, and
will arrive sometime Friday evening / night.
59 North by Andy Schell
Wed, 18 Nov 2020 00:12:00 +0000
ICEBEAR Update
November 17, 09.30
It’s 0930 and we’re sailing upwind again, making 8.5 knots and pointing for
our destination. I didn’t think our crew would see any downwind sailing
this passage, with all the forecasts showing week after week of headwinds.
They had gotten used to life at an angle, and the “low side” was much
better rested than the “high side”.
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Tue, 17 Nov 2020 23:52:34 GMT
The next day, after procuring a small amount of fuel, and completing a series of domestic tasks we were about ready to be getting out of...
59 North by Andy Schell
Tue, 17 Nov 2020 10:31:21 +0000
ICEBEAR Update
16 November, 3.23 am
0323 in the morning. We had a very fast start to the day, broad reaching
with full sail, including the staysail, in like 20-25 knots of wind from
the ENE. Topped out at 10.6, and averaged over 9 knots on the 12-4pm watch.
Scott & Shook-Ming covered 37 miles in that stretch! Mostly on autopilot,
as we were all sitting out in the cockpit doing more celestial navigation.
We went through a full sight reduction!
59 North by Andy Schell
Mon, 16 Nov 2020 14:37:13 +0000
Ahoy Shipmates
1800 position report @ 29 32 N 59 39 W HDG 177 T
Crew almost fell over to the right after cracking off , everyone adjusting
to the new reaching conditions while learning how to read and dodge squalls
, ISBJORN is loving the conditions. Just about to sit down for crew dinner
.
59 North by Andy Schell
Sun, 15 Nov 2020 21:53:36 +0000
ISBJORN Update
November 15, 05.00
It is 2152 here on Isbjorn and i just got off watch at 2100. I am sitting
at he Nav Station on Isbjorn with only one red reading light illuminating
the dark cloudy night. What a difference a night can make out here. Last
night it was gusting 30knts apparent and we had three reefs in the main and
genoa.
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Sat, 14 Nov 2020 22:35:54 GMT
Ramsgate was supposed to just be another quick place to recharge, but after only a few hours sleep I found myself awake at seven in the...
59 North by Andy Schell
Sat, 14 Nov 2020 19:05:04 +0000
T-Minus 10 Seconds to the End of the World
Friday the 13th, 100 miles east of Bermuda, on the edge of the Bermuda
Triangle. ICEBEAR is ripping, blast-reaching on an ESE’ly heading, two
reefs in the main, two reefs rolled into the big genoa, sailing in 20 knots
of breeze on 70Âş apparent. Freight train mode, the boat making 8-9 knots,
the helm light
59 North by Andy Schell
Fri, 13 Nov 2020 10:41:56 +0000
Update from ICEBEAR,
Friday 13 november, 04.30 boat time
Friday the 13th. Spooky. Day five of headwinds. They’ve varied in strength
but never in direction - right on the nose. It’s been a while since I’ve
sailed close-hauled for this long. 847 miles since we left Annapolis, with
the first 130 or so motor-boatin’ down the flat calm Chesapeake. The minute
we were able to set sail the sheets were tight, day-in, day-out.
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Wed, 11 Nov 2020 22:07:44 GMT
As the weather just sucked for two days with no real sign of letting up - high winds and lots of rain - and after listening to the...
Cats on a Yacht by The Captain
Sat, 07 Nov 2020 23:04:45 GMT
Poole was to be just a quick stop, sleep, shower, supplies, and shelter from the storm - the next day we would be on our way. Everything...
59 North by Andy Schell
Tue, 27 Oct 2020 02:46:41 +0000
I’m in a reflective mood tonight, re-reading John Kretschmer’s Sailing a
Serious Ocean and reminding myself why I wanted to go ocean sailing in the
first place. John’s writing is what inspired me down this career path, and
anytime I get overly stressed about our business I pickup one of his books
and do a reset. I’ve been thinking about all the miles we’ve sailed on
ISBJORN since buying her in 2015. Over 40,000 and counting, from 10Âş north
in the Caribbean to 80Âş north in the High Arcti...
59 North by Andy Schell
Tue, 14 Jul 2020 12:15:00 +0000
First in to the finish at St George's at 10:31 Friday night was Andy
Schell's Swan 59 Icebear skippered by Sean Westoby, followed by Hank
Schmitt's Swan 48 Avocation at 3:06 PM on Saturday, then fellow North leg
competitor Alessandro Pagani double-handing with Anthony Johnson on his
Spirit 47 Luna at 8:35 PM, with Andy Schell's Swan 48 Isbjorn skippered by
Vincent Matiola crossing the finish on Saturday night at 9:56 PM.
59 North by Andy Schell
Mon, 13 Jul 2020 07:08:55 +0000
Isbjörn is on a merry beat across the north Atlantic with the wind on her
nose and a healthy crew. It’s been an upwind slogfest since lifting anchor
outside of Maryland’s Solomon Islands, where we rafted up with Icebear on
the 4th of July. We’ve traded the blistering heat and ridiculous humidity
of the Chesapeake Bay summer for salty air and a cool offshore breeze -
coming straight off of Bermuda, of course. But we’re thankful!
59 North by Andy Schell
Fri, 10 Jul 2020 22:37:53 +0000
Facing headwinds on their final approach to the finish, Andy Schell's Swan
59 Icebear skippered by Sean Westoby is poised to be the first entry to
cross the finish line in the inaugural Spirit of Bermuda Charity Rally
organized by the East End Mini Yacht Club (EEMYC) and the Sailing Yacht
Research Foundation (SYRF). This team sailed the West leg of the course
starting off the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on Monday afternoon at 1500
EDT, and with 28 miles to go at 1600 EDT, their anticipa...
59 North by Andy Schell
Sun, 14 Jun 2020 21:55:48 +0000
Just last week a new rally in conjunction with Bermuda Tourism was
announced, as both a fundraiser for the SPIRIT OF BERMUDA tallship, and as
a way to get boats offshore who were otherwise supposed to have raced in
the A2B (like us), or the Newport to Bermuda Race. This is good news.
We have committed to join the event with both ICEBEAR & ISBJORN, IF we can
get enough crew to fill both boats.
59 North by Emma Garschagen
Thu, 11 Jun 2020 15:31:27 +0000
We had a perfect start on Sunday evening when we pushed off from St.
Thomas. Steady trades made for a happy ICEBEAR and happy crew. Matt and
Layton made a delicious quinoa salad and we reached along making 7 or 8
knots all night. Alex and I stood the 2100-0000 watch that night and saw an
epically bright, big, waning moon rise. We enjoyed a bit more sailing on
Monday morning. During our 0600-0900 watch we shook out the reef in the
main and added the staysail. As the day warmed up the bre...
59 North by Emma Garschagen
Sun, 07 Jun 2020 21:30:46 +0000
By ICEBEAR Mate Emma Garschagen
How fast the world can change! Just a week ago, Alex and I were leaving
home in Boulder, CO to get on a plane. Having been in lockdown for the past
two and a half months, hardly seeing even close family and friends, we made
the decision to take two flights and stay in a hotel. The change felt
drastic, but the more we thought it over, the more we knew we had to go
meet ICEBEAR in the Caribbean to sail her north to Annapolis. The trip was
just too good to ...
59 North by Andy Schell
Mon, 01 Jun 2020 15:35:22 +0000
Today's the day. As I type this, both ISBJORN & ICEBEAR are at-sea...well,
kinda. ICEBEAR, under skipper Sean Westoby, is at-sea for real, sailing
north from Grenada towards USVI, while ISBJORN is on a short motor-boat
right from BVI over to USVI having just be re-launched and commissioned on
Friday at Nanny Cay Marina. They'll rendezvous in USVI and as early as this
weekend, weather permitting, sail northbound for the Chesapeake and home
waters of Annapolis!
59 North by Isbjorn Crew
Sun, 31 May 2020 05:17:39 +0000
Having worked as a professional rigger on some of the most avant-garde
boats afloat, Isbjørn Mate Liz Karamavros has caught a glimpse of what the
future holds for cruising rigging. Read on and learn how and why Liz got
her start in the rigging Industry! Join Liz and ISBJORN Skipper August LIVE
this Tuesday for a free synthetic rigging and splicing tutorial!
59 North by Andy Schell
Wed, 06 May 2020 12:53:56 +0000
I think I made this pretty clear in the last email, but just as a followup
and to make things official, we have postponed our entire sailing calendar,
for both boats, by a full year. A few of you had asked questions specific
to this - for example, one trans-Atlantic crewmember on ISBJORN found that
he's able to move his flights and hotels in the Azores to 2021 quite easily
- so we thought we'd address it specifically to everyone.