So how much does it really cost to own a yacht? A recent article in Business Insider suggests the lavish yacht lifestyle is not for the faint of heart.

But is that really true for those who own a cruising boat? Maybe that’s something to explore in depth.

No matter how much you prepare, there is always something. A young Swedish couple I follow recently sailed from the Big Island in Hawaii to Honolulu. The sail wasn’t pleasant, and in the brisk conditions, they heard a loud bang against their aluminum hull. Turns out they lost their Rocna anchor overboard. The chain had been removed for the trip to keep seawater out of the chain locker, done a million times, but this time, their trusted stainless steel anchor restraint failed.

It’s Always Something.

We look forward to spring boat projects in my house. Getting the boat ready for the season, fixing what no longer works, and getting familiar with the boat again. But it is already June, postponed after many long weeks of spring rain and other distractions.

It is finally coming together, however, and soon we will be back on the water.

Checking for tight electrical connections is a great part of your spring ritual. Making sure all important wiring is securely tightened, as loose connections are the primary source of electrical and electronic failures.

Some other tools in my toolbag you might want to acquire.

There are a few tricks to keep your brightwork looking good during the season. Here are some ways to hold off expensive refinishing jobs. Keeping up with brightwork while cruising isn't hard and is so worth it.

At least once a year it is a good idea to inspect your boat's dock lines. At the very least, an overnight soak in fabric softener does wonders for dirty, stiff lines.

Along with wrenches and other tools, a non-contact thermometer is a valuable instrument to help you keep tabs on your ship's systems. Once you establish the normal temperature of your engines, pumps, and other machinery, an occasional recheck of this equipment will indicate if you are developing a potential problem.

Sometimes you need to get off the boat and attend to other life matters. Pam shares her experience about preparing to leave their beloved sailboat in a faraway marina.

Some useful information to keep your mechanical steering working properly.

Maintaining your hydraulic steering system is not difficult, and a thorough inspection should be an annual affair to keep it operating properly.

The value of an engine survey can't be overstressed when looking for your ideal cruising boat. A separate effort from a general boat survey, an experienced mechanic's skill at judging the overall health of a boat's engine(s) and generator gives you the ability to decide if the boat is right for you, or if you should keep looking. More so than any other element of a cruising motorboat or trawler, the engine room is the most important space on the boat. 

Continuing a discussion of going through the boat twice a year to restock, renew, clean, and make sure all is right. Well worth the effort! 

Composite Yacht did a fantastic job painting Blue Angel. Super happy with the work, as opposed to the shortcuts done by Hunt Yachts. Dead batteries uncover previously unknown parasitic loads that took down the batteries in the two weeks she was in Trappe, MD. 

As the season moves into cooler weather, it is a great time to spend quality time checking and tightening everything on your boat, especially if you plan to head south for the winter.

Part I takes a first look at some things to inspect and tighten on systems.

Monitoring fuel consumed instead of engine hours is how Caterpillar measured its workhorse 3208 diesel engine for mean time between overhauls. That was a very sensible approach, providing a better view of how hard an engine has worked during its life. 

Doing the Loop? Been on the Tenn-Tom or Carolina ICW recently? Then you know about the dreaded mustache that forms on your boat's bow.

Now that the trip is done, or that section is behind you, how best to get your hull clean again?

As we get Blue Angel into the painting process, we find ways to make her better by greatly improving access to many of her systems and hardware. Improvements that will make the boat better.

When elbow-tiring, hand-rubbed compounding and waxing no longer does the job, it may be time to paint your boat. Gelcoat is not intended as a forever finish, and 11 years was perhaps waiting too long. No worries, striking beauty is only a paint job and $$$$ away. And it is the start of the effort to take this great Hunt design and make it into the great boat it should be. 

Sometime it takes a different perspective to connect what has been there all along. In this case, the routines of keeping ship appliances working applies just as well on shore.   

Our first Monday Minute, sharing a piece of useful information from traveling around the world, visiting boat builders and suppliers to our industry. Due to the enormous diversity of the global marine world, spanning commercial, recreational, and military segments, many of these professionals know much more than we will ever experience during our boating years.

I find their tips and comments worth considering.

Finding ways to make your trawler or sailboat better capable of traveling offshore. All of these efforts result in a better seaboat, even if you are not planning to cross oceans. And these upgrades will better familiarize you with the many systems on a cruising boat. And that brings confidence.

We continue our look at how to prepare your boat for going offshore in a powerboat or trawler, and what you should address to make sure things go as planned. The stresses of offshore travel are different from running in protected waters and preventative effort can help ensure a trouble-free passage, which is what we all aim for.

Recurring questions and inaccurate answers rule the day on the Internet when it comes to diesel fuel and delivery systems. I'm going through my notes to collect credible information gathered over many years. Ultimately I plan to assemble this into a resource of some value.

The delivery of a new Krogen 58 from Annapolis to Ft Lauderdale gives me an idea of how to wash off the inevitable salty slime that comes from rough weather offshore.