Sail Far Live Free

"Always look on the bright side of life." -Monty Python And what better way to literally do so than with a quality pair of sunglasses that are built for life on the water? After all, some of the most intense, bright light you'll ever encounter will be sun glare reflected off the water while sailing. I've recently been trying out  Hobie Polarized Cruz sunglasses  and Gill's Sense bifocal sunglasses . The first thing you'll notice about both is that these are from companies that knows active watersports and sailing in particular, so already I'm feeling a connection. But are they worthy of respected sailing brands? First lets start with the features. Both are a wrap style frame, meaning they're a bit curved, sleek and form-fitting for your face, as opposed to other styles that "sit" on your face/nose and don't offer much in the way peripheral protection from glare and wind. Both  Hobie  and Gill market these as multi-use for waters

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King, Jr. I began my review of " The Fin " shoes from SoftScience on Martin Luther King Day, and since SoftScience strives for ultimate comfort, I thought the quote was fitting. Are your knees and faith shaken when you're challenged, or are you on solid ground? But on with the review... First, let me say that these shoes are different. They look different - like a Sperry/Crocs hybrid. They feel different - like a soft but supportive slipper. But I suppose the look shouldn't come as surprise once you learn who's behind SoftScience. The top two SoftScience executives have deep connections to Crocs. Scott Seamans is the Crocs founder and former chief designer while John Duerden is Croc's former CEO. Their goal at SoftScience was to create shoes that provide ultimate comfort

"Relatively speaking you make me who I am. I need you exactly like the ocean needs the land."   - John Denver (lyrics from Relatively Speaking ) Muskegon Lighthouse (by K. Walters) As much as I love being on the water, there's truth in John Denver's lyrics above - "the ocean needs the land". The contrast between soil and sea makes each come alive. You've probably read about a sailor's senses being awakened at the first whiff of land after a long passage. Even miles out to sea and hours or days away from landfall, our bodies sense the contrast. Land is a necessary component of sailing, even for those of us who enjoy the journeys more than the destinations. And so, I'm giving my homeport of Muskegon, Michigan some blog love. To the uniformed and many sailors and powerboaters alike, Muskegon is nothing more than a large, safe harbor from Lake Michigan's gales. You can exit the "big lake" through Muskegon's two outs

You may not need an anchor swivel between your chain and your anchor, but a quality swivel can help your anchor perform its job even better and store more easily. Shifting winds, changing tides, currents and swell can all make your anchor pivot, twist and turn in its set, potentially compromising the ability to hold firm. An anchor swivel minimizes the impacts of boat movement on the anchor set. It also allows the anchor to position itself in the right orientation when you bring it up to your anchor roller on the bow. Typical anchor swivel design John over at MorgansCloud actually swears against using swivels because the more traditional designs end up being a weak link when sideways torque is involved. One of the two screws can give way with heavy side loads or quick, jerking motions. Mantus recently introduced a new uniquely designed swivel that is stronger than the corresponding Grade 40 anchor chain, potentially making it the strongest link in your anchor/rode/shackle co

"Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live!" - Bob Marley My favorite genre of books is, no surprise, non-fiction cruising/sailing books. But I've got to be in the right frame of mind to read and actually get something out of it. If it's not quiet or I've got other tasks looming, I might as well forget about reading. My mind just won't focus under those circumstances. However, the latest wave of cruising/sailing videos is there to fill the void. Often I'll put on my headphones and let my mind drift while watching YouTube just before bed. I know in a sense this is burying my thoughts and escaping the reality of a long, cold winter, but I've accepted that in the short term. Our addition (from a few boats & years ago)  to YouTube's cruising annals. Several years ago when I first started blogging (~2007), YouTube was still just an infant and there was little in the way of sailing content. Nowadays, there

Simple solutions. That could be a sailing cruiser's credo. And in that vein, the Scosche Magic Mount is a super simple solution for mounting portable electronics at the helm or the nav desk down below. I've been using the Magic Mount Original for about a week now with my iPhone 6 Plus and have been really happy with the functionality and ease of use. But before I get into the likes and dislikes, what is a Magic Mount? Well, it's essentially a magnetic mount that allows you to dock and undock devices quickly and easily in either landscape or portrait orientation. The base is similar to a lot of other mounting systems and allows for twisting, pivoting, etc. The base of the Magic Mount original (the model I think will be most useful to boaters) attaches to just about any surface using a sticky adhesive pad. If this semi-permanent arrangement is an issue for you, I suggest you consider one of the window mounts that use a suction cup instead. Magic Mount Original from S

Big Skies and Smooth Seas (by Hannah Walters)

I love electronic gear that doesn't eat into my sailboat's battery bank. Add in three-in-one versatility and an IPX5 shock/water resistance rating and you've potentially got a nice piece of cruising tech. Those are the features that the Buckshot Pro Bluetooth speaker/powerbank/flashlight from Outdoor Tech possesses and as their website says, this is "stuff you probably want". I first became interested in the Buckshot Pro as a small Bluetooth speaker that could handle wet rides from the mothership to the beach and back. Its small size (about 4.125"L w/ a 1.75" diameter) allows it to fit in a pocket, a cup holder or mount to stanchions and the bimini frame using the included rubber mounting strap. I routinely get over 10 hours of play time at 3/4 volume, which is quite good considering the size. Sound quality isn't stellar, but it's still very respectable, again considering the speaker size. Most of the time the sound is on par with other small

Once again, I'm pleased to bring you another installment of my "4 simple questions with a sailboat designer" mini-interview series. This week, I welcome Bob Johnson from Island Packet Yachts to SailFarLiveFree.com. Bob Johnson's passion for sailing bloomed at an early age. He was only eight when he bought his own subscription to Yachting magazine, and fourteen when he wrote a term paper on his future career as a naval architect. That same year, he lofted his first sailboat on the living room floor, then sailed it down Lake Worth, with his brother holding a garden umbrella for a spinnaker. He was hooked for life. Even though he became a mechanical engineer, ending up at McDonnell Douglas designing missiles, his heart was still with sailboats. With a master's degree from MIT in naval architecture, he went to Florida and worked with Irwin Yachts and Endeavor, gradually becoming general manager. But he had a well engineered dream. He started Island Packet modestl