Sail Far Live Free

There are cool hi-tech gadgets for cruising and then there are must-have accessories. But how many of those cool hi-tech gadgets are must-haves? Thankfully, not many. I'm not sure sailing and cruising would be quite as satisfying if we all needed cutting edge gear to make it happen. After all, many of us like the fact that at the core, it just takes a little wind and a simple craft to sail far and live free. However, Noco's tiny Genius Boost GB30 lithium jumpstarter has very quickly become a must-have hi-tech gadget on our boat. We've all run down engine starter batteries, whether in your automobile or sailboat. In fact, between Erin and I, our automobile has required a jump start no less than 4 times during the last 12 months. We haven't ever ended up with a dead battery on our sailboat (we have 3 total: 2 house, 1 starter), but I'm happy to have the added insurance of the GB30. Genius Boost - Tiny, portable jump starting power! The Genius Boost GB3

"What would men be without women? Scarce, sir...mighty scarce." - Mark Twain Sometimes there are comments from the peanut gallery as we walk down the docks. “He’s gonna be in trouble when they get older”, they say. Or “He’s severely outnumbered!” For the record, I'm usually agreeing with these comments in my head. What the peanut gallery has noticed is that I lead (and am lead by ) an all-female crew. Things aren't any different on land either since even our cat is a female. I am blessed and THANKFUL to be surrounded in such a way and so, I thought I would share some of my observations as the only male onboard. First, some heartfelt introspection. My wife and three daughters ensure that I'll always have an identity, that my calling in this world isn't hidden or perceived in my own mind as being scarce. I'm thankful every day for the opportunity to be a husband and father to three girls. Hannah, Soleil, Erin and Isabel guiding my ship. My all

"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." - Steve Jobs Storage space seems to be a limiting factor on many cruising sailboats. Because of this, many of us are forced to make tradeoffs. Should we leave both side decks open or cram one full with a SUP lashed to the stanchions? Do we want to bring along the spinnaker and play musical sail bags when it’s not in use, or should we leave it at home and curse the light air? On our particular boat, a Catalina 34, storage tradeoffs often occur in the galley since lockers are limited there. So naturally I was eager to get my hands on some of the collapsible cookware from Nautical Scout . I tried the tea kettle over the weekend and came away impressed with the quality and how little the collapsibility effects overall function as cookware. It simply extends up from the 2.4” collapsed position in a second or two and is ready for duty as a 5-cup kettle (5.5” tall, 6” wide). I boiled a full kettle

Lines by Hannah Walters (Kudos to my daughter for these macro shots)

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." - Bob Marley Do you listen to music while you sail? Or perhaps you play tunes in the cockpit during sundowners. Maybe you like to kick some beats at the beach when you go ashore. No matter the circumstance, having a small portable Bluetooth speaker opens the possibilities for more time spent enjoying the music you like. I can hear some of you asking, "Why do I need a Bluetooth speaker when I've already got a perfectly good stereo and fixed-mount speakers on my boat?"  I can think of many advantages of a portable Bluetooth speaker for sailing. To name a few, try these: Beach music - You can bring a Bluetooth speaker with you when you go to shore. Dinghy music - Ditto. Now your dinghy has a sound system too. Dock music - Ever want to have tunes on the dock or up at the marina grill? Digital music library - Does your boat stereo have a connection for your phone or iPod? If not, a Bluetooth