caribbean cruising
Daily briefing on liveaboard cruising life in the caribbean
Latest Gobbles
Let go, because the boat will not cooperate with your spreadsheet
After 1 year of living on a sailboat with her husband and cat, Tara A. Pierce says the big lesson is simple: let go. The year was “wild,” full of wondering
Curaçao’s most practical entry point is also the least stressful
For cruising sailors arriving from the east—often after Bonaire or the Eastern Caribbean—Spanish Water Lagoon is the practical move. It’s a large, protecte
Rescue, rust, and rebirth aboard ANIMA
Ahoy, I’m Paul — a German transplant officially calling the Caribbean waters home — and the pitch here is pure liveaboard grit: I found an abandoned sailbo
Boatlife's real soundtrack: small frictions, endless fixes
Boatlife gets sold as sunsets, dolphins on the bow, coffee in the cockpit, empty anchorages. That part is real. But the longer game is everything in betwee
Hands-On Sailor
Expert advice for boat owners who want to maintain their vessels and cruise with confidence. The classic model is four hours on, four hours off—but the bes
Blustery bays, smart choices, and the art of waiting
Good morning from a blustery bay in the Abacos. The weather gets a vote whether you like it or not, and this update is basically a masterclass in moving fo
The Caribbean is still the dream — and the calendar still matters
Sailing the Caribbean means over 700 islands, each one a little different from the last. The appeal is not subtle: constant trade winds, warm turquoise wat
Caribbean sailing is still the beginner’s bait-and-switch
Sailing in the Caribbean is pitched as a dream for many beginners: calm waters, beautiful islands, and short distances that make it easier to learn and enj
Three Free Pallets Are Solving the V-Berth Moisture Problem That $200 Products Can't
Free pallets cut into a triangle just became the most useful piece of boat furniture in the anchorage.
The 30-hour run home that says everything about why cruisers keep moving
A US Coast Guard Unlimited Tonnage Master got tired of juggling six open tabs before every departure, so he built his own AI passage planner — and the sail
One Tube of "God's Glue" Could Fuse Your Mast to Your Deck Forever
A sailor on Reddit just discovered that fixing a leaky mast boot with 3M 5200 — the adhesive known to nearly lift an entire boat by its mast when removal w
Rope, Line, Sheet: The Sailing Vocabulary That Separates Crew from Landlubber
Calling a rope a "line" isn't just nautical pedantry — one experienced sailor openly admits they judge people who get it wrong, and they're not alone.
The Catamaran With Two Masts That Nobody Could Name
A 35-foot sailboat just hit 12 knots surfing down Pacific swells six days into a crossing from Cabo to the Marquesas — with 2,050 nautical miles still to g
Your Marina's "Zero Amps" Rule Might Be Electrically Illiterate
A harbormaster with a clamp meter just threatened to evict a liveaboard whose boat was passing every real electrical safety test in the book.
Two Years, No Propane: The DIY Electric Galley That Crossed Biscay on Lithium Batteries
A family sailed their 1970s ketch from Scandinavia to Spain — two years, 3,500 miles, zero propane — cooking every meal on a battery bank they built themse
Fender Covers: The $100 Decision That Saves a $400 Fender
Forget the endless debates about anchor types or dinghy brands — for liveaboards, the real battle for paradise is often fought between the shores of St. Lu
Your Dream 55-Footer Costs Four Times as Much to Run as Your Current 38 — Here's the Math Nobody Warns You About
The average liveaboard sailboat, even a modest one, can see its annual maintenance costs quadruple when you jump just twenty feet in length — and that's be
The $20,000 Lesson Hidden Under Every Teak Deck
A sailor strapped herself to the bow of a 38-foot sloop 50 miles offshore and rode it at 20 knots — laughing — while the GPS ticked past speeds most Caribb
The Shoebox-Sized Fix for Endless Hot Showers Aboard
A liveaboard just ditched their tank water heater for a unit the size of a shoebox — and now they're getting hotter showers than most marina bathrooms.
Inside 50 Knots: What It Actually Feels Like When a Caribbean Squall Turns Violent
The day a 50-knot squall strips away every illusion you had about being a "prepared sailor" is the day your real cruising education begins.
The Boat Owner's Prayer: "Please Just Let Me Find That Wrench Before the Squall Hits"
Sailboat life in the Caribbean will cost you twice what you budgeted, twice what you planned, and more weekends than you ever thought you had — and most li
The Sabre 47 That Vanished: A Broker's Blunder and 24 Hours That Cost Everything
A couple's dream of liveaboard sailing in the Caribbean was sold out from under them overnight — literally — after a broker's verbal assurance turned out t
The 55-Foot Yacht With a Hidden Garage
Your shower routine starts with a cannonball, includes a quick scrub on the sugar scoop, and ends with a 10-second freshwater rinse.
Your Hurricane Plan Might Hinge On One Approved Boatyard
Italia Yachts just unveiled a 56-foot hybrid sailboat with enough solar panels to power your entire floating office—because apparently diesel generators ar