SailBits

Managing internet usage on your boat

Managing your internet data usage on the boat is important both for a quality experience, and because of limited WiFi and cellular networks.

Projects

Final project push before summer trips

A sneak peek at some of the projects I am finishing up. Includes a new LiFePO4 battery bank, water pump, lights, and more.

Trips

Friday Harbor round trip

After working on lots of projects this winter on Rendezvous, I was itching to get out on the water and test all of them on a longer journey. I was delighted at the opportunity to accompany a friend and her boat up to Friday Harbor for the season, and the trip was wonderful!

Projects

Rendezvous initial networks

In the last 4 months, I have been developing my overall network on board Rendezvous. I wanted a good WiFi/Ethernet network to connect me to the outside world, as well as a well developed NMEA 2000 network for marine equipment while underway. So far, here's what I have...

Projects

Diesel tank monitoring with Maretron TLM

Monitoring my diesel tank level is much easier now that I've installed a Maretron TLM ultrasonic tank sensor.

Projects

Seaview - more than just mounts

As part of the project to update Rendezvous electronics, I planned on replacing the older Furuno open-array radar, which required looking for a new mounting solution on my arch. I started searching for mounts, and came across a lot of solutions.

Reviews

Furuno NavPilot 300 unboxing and initial installation

One of the most important pieces of technology on any boat I own is the autopilot and systems that drive it. Rendezvous came with a partially functioning autopilot that I was not able to rely on, so I started searching for a new solution.

Trips

Poulsbo and Bainbridge snow adventure

After having Rendezvous on the dock for the last few weeks, I was itching to get out on the water and enjoy some winter cruising. Crew member Jake was free early on a Friday, so we set off to Poulsbo for the weekend.

Projects

New LED lighting everywhere

Updating your boat to LED lighting is an easy way to make it feel more updated, livable and safe. MarineBeam, SuperBrightLEDs and Dr. LED converted me fully to LED.

Reviews

Monitor your engine with the Actisense EMU-1

Your engine is a critical part of your boat. Monitoring it with the Actisense EMU-1 gives you peace of mind and better visibility.

Reviews

Portable low-power espresso on the boat with Nanopresso

Wacaco Nanopresso is a great way to make espresso on a boat without using tons of power. You can even get an adapter to use Nespresso pods which makes for easy cleanup!

Trips

Boat exploration, a shock and a fire

The last few weeks have been very busy aboard Rendezvous. I have spent most of the time learning the boat, exploring wiring and systems setup, and working on some projects that were first on my list.

Trips

A new family member

I am excited to introduce a new family member - Rendezvous. She is a 1988 Ocean Alexander 420 sundeck motor yacht with lots of neat features and extras. After a whirlwind process of selling Grace, Rendezvous became part of our family in early November

Projects

Installing and using a Victron LiFePO4 energy system

With my LiFePO4 power design complete, I was excited to install and use the new system for most of this sailing season. The installation took longer than a traditional battery installation, and had more complexity, but turned out to be a fantastic setup for the longer trips I went on this summer.

Reviews

LunaSea navigation lights

Navigation lights on older boats are a great target for an LED upgrade. Recently I found LunaSea festoon LED bulbs and replaced mine.

Trips

Pender Harbour back to Seattle

After visiting Princess Louisa Inlet, it was time to return home to Seattle. The journey from Pender Harbour back turned out to be much more difficult than getting there.

Trips

Princess Louisa Inlet

I have always wanted to visit Princess Louisa Inlet, but have never had the right timing, boat, schedule, and everything else align until this year. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget, and I consider it one of the top 5 places I have ever visited - boat or not!

Trips

Getting to Princess Louisa Inlet from Seattle

This year I finally made it to a place I have always wanted to see - Princess Louisa Inlet. The trip was an epic one - over 450 NM in only 17 days, and all done solo!

Trips

Sailing towards power...

I have decided to move to a power boat after years of sailing. The decision was a hard one, but also an exciting one as it will enable more projects and testing on a bigger platform.

Reviews

MikroTik Groove step-by-step setup guide

Setting up the MikroTik Groove to boost WiFi on your boat can be daunting. With a few quick steps you can get the Groove up and running quickly on your network.

Projects

Correcting the list - LiFePO4 power system design

Due to weight and features, I decided to convert my sailboat power system to LiFePO4. This article covers the design which settled on Victron components.

Reviews

Conquer seasickness with a ReliefBand

Since as long as I can remember, I've gotten motion sick on airplanes, in cars, and on boats. I have tried many different solutions to help reduce how sick I get, and the one that has worked for 15+ years for me reliably and easily is the ReliefBand.

Projects

Improvements with a new propeller

Grace came with a factory prop when I purchased her - it was OK, but after 3 years of using that prop, I felt that I could get better speed and potentially other benefits.

Projects

Major mast work

In the last year I have had a number of issues with items in or on Grace's mast. During a recent trip to Blake Island, the anchor light stopped working, and that was the last straw. It was time to dig deeper into fixing all of the issues.

Reviews

Modular, cheaper boat internet solution via Netgear and MikroTik

I've written a lot about my boat network, and in particular, Peplink products that offer a ton of functionality and features. For the last 6 months, I have been playing with configurations and hardware that cost less, but still provide flexibility and features that more expensive solutions offer.

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