Carrying night vision on your boat offers great utility, and is great fun. It makes night travel a lot safer, providing you with the tools to see in the dark. Highly recommended equipment, more affordable than ever before.

Often ignored until there is a problem, maintaining your boat’s anchor windlass system is the key to keeping your anchoring abilities safe and carefree, as it should be.

NOAA's Coast Survey group has a website for all cruisers to report errors in nautical charts. It is a chance to assist in making our charts more accurate.

Here is my version of a traditional chain hook with locking gate, custom made of 3/8-inch stainless steel plate. It is super strong and will never separate from the anchor chain, so I can sleep soundly, knowing the snubber/bridle will do its job even if we are in shallow water.

Consider a marine survey of your boat, especially if you have owned it for years. It is a good way to identify issues before your cruising season begins.

I came along on a sea trial aboard Mustang, whose Cummins diesel got some new parts. Nice to be aboard her again, one of the most impressive sailboats I have been aboard.

Adding a second, remote fuel filter vacuum gauge at your helm is another tool worth considering as you plan for extended cruising. It takes some of the guesswork out of running your boat, and you will feel more confident that things are well in your engine room.

Do you know about Sea Tow's Automated Radio Check service? It should be part of your normal operations routine, and used often to ensure your radios and antennas are working as well as you hope they are.
Far better than the traditional radio check of throwing out a call and hoping someone will respond. And let's leave "10-4, Good Buddy" ashore, please.

Conversation with industry specialists often drifts into other related topics. In this case, we talked about how best to size a propulsion engine for a new boat, and then selecting the right size generator for the boat's electrical demands.

A recent Southern Ocean tragedy involving offshore safety equipment forces a renewed look at modern life-saving gear and how to make it even better...and safer. 

If you need to connect two lengths of anchor chain, there are numerous ways to do so. Here is one product I found that seems to be the best of available choices.

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.

Air exists in diesel fuel and this service bulletin from Racor explains the phenomina.

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. 

Rather than guess what speed you should run your boat, it is important to develop real-world numbers of the speed and burn consumption your boat reaches at various engine speeds in open water. Depending on how your boat is equipped and loaded, and the propeller(s) you have, it is a straightforward process to develop a speed/fuel burn performance curve that will identify the sweet spot for running your boat at cruising speed.

Along the way of determining this ideal speed envelope, you will also get an sixth sense of when the hull and engine is in harmony as she glides through the water with maximum efficiency and reasonable fuel burn. This is a satisfying project every boat owner should create for his or her boat.

Marine exhaust systems are not perfect, and each system variation has its good and bad points. Awareness is key, and knowing you must address this on a regular basis, regardless of engine hours.

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.

Putting together a fuel delivery system is best done by taking a high level view and making it as simple, as accessible, and as futureproof as possible. Eliminate unnecessary fittings, use fire rated, CG-approved fuel hoses and high pressure fittings, and your system should be reliable and trouble free for the life of the boat.

So much has happened in our lifetime, so why should anyone be surprised that paper charts are going away? Modern electronic charting and navigation systems at so much better in all ways, whether you are a commercial, government, or recreational mariner. Change is coming...

The EPA emissions regulations impose strict control of marine diesel engines. How have engine manufacturers coped with the enormity of researching new technology to meet these cleaner emissions  requirements? By global partnering with other engine manufacturers.

I followed up with Michigan Wheel at the Miami show regarding how much torque we should apply to tightening propeller nuts. Still no conclusive answer.

The confusion continues over whether it is a cutless or cutlass bearing. There is a right answer, of course. The roots of this bearing will surprise you, and it isn't even nautical.