Liveaboards and cruisers since 1997, Rudy and Jill Sechez built both of their cruising boats, first a 36-foot wooden cutter, and later, their current 34-foot sail-assisted wooden trawler Briney Bug, which they designed themselves. The Sechezes are interesting because they are something of an outlier among modern liveaboard voyagers in the way they stress radical simplicity. In their approach to voyaging, they strive to operate their vessel with a minimum of systems on board.  Their cruising grounds are primarily Florida and the Bahamas. Over the years they have also traveled the east coast of the U.S., some of the Great…

The mad rush to keep up with rapid advances in electronics for offshore sailing vessels can get our heads spinning. Every time we invest in the latest satellite telephone, WiFi-capable chartplotter or virtual instrument display, a newer, better unit enters the market, and many of us cannot wait to invest in the most current technology.  If there is one piece of equipment always evolving and always worth having in the latest version, however, it is the humble VHF radio. Over the last 30 years of coastal and offshore sailing, I personally have owned four permanent-mount VHF radios and two handhelds,…

Your greatest protection against mechanical breakdown is preventive maintenance, but if you do have a problem, having the right tools and spares onboard, with the skills to use them, will keep you going on the water. Once you have the basic tools and start doing your own work, your tool inventory will grow. So will your confidence regarding problem solving.  When it comes to buying boat tools, don’t blow your cruising budget on high end, or even new tools. The best way to build your kit is from mismatched, garage sale items that you don’t care about damaging, altering, or…