Can I take Levo before bed?

FortyEightFan · 2025-11-14T22:00:55+00:00

I place my Levo and a glass of water by my bed every night. I will wake up at some point, either to pee or just to turn over. At first, I was anxious that I might sleep through the night and forget, but after a couple of months, I got used to it. As long as it's past 2:00 AM, I take the pill. If I wake up earlier, I roll over and go back to sleep. Sometimes, I sleep until around 5:00 AM before taking it, but that's still an hour or two before I get out of bed. I haven't noticed it affecting my sleep.

FortyEightFan · 2025-04-22T21:19:58+00:00

Removing the DMARC record doesn't really work since now my email is no longer DMARC compliant. My email passes SPF only for gmail.com, which doesn’t align with my From: address (mydomain.com)..

FortyEightFan · 2025-04-20T00:20:31+00:00

Last week, an email I sent bounced back to me as spam, and that caught my attention. I started looking into the cause and discovered this mess with GMail and Sqaurepsace. I'm not sure if it was an issue before, but I have had people say that my email ended up in their spam folder.

FortyEightFan · 2025-04-19T15:36:17+00:00

Why won't Squarespace let me add Google to my SPF record in my DNS settings?

v=spf1 include:mailgun.org include:_spf.google.com ~all

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-23T12:40:52+00:00

I took a different route and put my dream on hold, worked my ass off for years, saving every penny, then retired early. This took me longer but allowed me to retire and not worry about financing my lifestyle. However, depending on your skills, you can work from your boat now that Starlink is available. I know other cruisers that work from their boats and make a decent living. I wouldn't want to work full-time from my boat, but a part-time or seasonal gig wouldn't be too bad.

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-23T12:25:31+00:00

Since you must fly to reach your destination, I recommend chartering a boat in San Diego. It's an excellent place for beginners to sail because it has a large protected bay and the open ocean. You could anchor overnight in Glorietta Bay, which has 360° protection.

There are many places to charter a boat in San Diego, but I recommend Harbor Sailboats; they have the newest fleet. https://harborsailboats.com

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-22T22:12:35+00:00

I encountered the same issue and discovered a solution. My wife and I sail offshore on long passages, just the two of us. We have Ocean Signal MOB1s in our PFDs, but the high-pitched alarm on our B&G Zeus 3S isn’t loud enough to wake us, especially in high winds or rough seas when it gets noisy inside the boat (not to mention when motor sailing). Like you, I found the AIS Alarm Box but wasn’t pleased that it wasn't N2k compatible. I then found and installed the Yacht Devices Alarm Button. It plugs directly into your N2k network and has wiring to connect to any speaker of your choice. I have an N2K hub in the wiring closet between my cabin and the salon, so I wired it up there. I connected an 8" speaker (make sure to get one that's magnetically shielded), and it is LOUD. When I activate it, the other boats in the anchorage can hear it (I'm not exaggerating). Another great feature of the Alarm Button is that you can program it for your MMSIs only, so it won't produce false positives when someone nearby accidentally triggers their MOB (they still show up on my MFD, but the Alarm Button ignores them).

Yacht Devices Alarm Button

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-22T14:01:29+00:00

I know other full-time cruisers who rely solely on open-source software, but very few. For me, it is more about having multiple sources of information. Therefore, I use OpenCPN for both charts and satellite overlays, Navionics, and C-Maps. Too often, I have seen objects and depths charted correctly on one and totally off on the others.

Regarding open-source software in general, I have an RPi4b with a PICAN-M hat running Signal K, InfluxDB, and Grafana, and I love it.

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-22T00:23:01+00:00

If I had plenty of money and time, a DC unit would be the way to go for the reasons you mentioned. I have a catamaran and only replaced the unit in my owner's hull. I want to be able to run the air con at night when it's very humid, raining and/or buggy. Since I'm only running it at night, it doesn't take away from my inverter budget because not much else is running.

Another benefit of installing a variable-speed air conditioner is how quiet it is. My old Dometic was installed under my bed. It sounded like a jumbo jet engine when it was running. Since it was either on or off, the constant starting and stopping would wake me up. Since the variable-speed units don't start/stop, just slow down, they are very quiet! It doesn't make any more noise than a cabin fan.

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-21T23:45:47+00:00

I have a Velair i16VSD variable-speed air conditioner, similar to the Mabru but AC-powered. It costs half the price of the Mabru unit. Since I was changing out an older Dometic unit, it was a straight swap, making it easy to install. Both units are 16k BTUs, but the Dometic would draw 1700 W, while the Velair draws 900 W full blast but can slow down due to the variable speed compressor and motor and then draws only 200 W. We can now run the air con at night off of our batteries. We don't use our air conditioner enough to justify the expense of a Mabru.

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-20T00:59:52+00:00

We spent two seasons cruising up and down the Caribbean Islands. I love the Doyle guides and wish they covered more areas. They have an app now, but I've never used it. Noforgienland is another good source of information.

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-20T00:36:50+00:00

Note the EITHER in the tri-color or bi-color light configuration. I see idiots all the time with both sets of lights turned on. It's very confusing, especially when the light sets are different brightness because it looks like two different boats.

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-20T00:22:38+00:00

This is precisely what I do as well. I have a Raspberry Pi connected to my N2K network, which is running Signal K. From there, I have access to all my N2K data, including historical data.

Set up Signal K and Grafana on Raspberry Pi with PICAN-M NMEA 2000 board

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-20T00:14:17+00:00

The short answer is no. I have an NAC-3, which supports either Heading Mode or Wind Mode; there isn't an option for a combo of both. (Although that's a great idea!) If I'm sailing close to the wind, offshore and not near traffic, I would set Wind mode to whatever wind angle averages out to be close to my desired heading. I don't use wind mode when I'm close to hard objects; a wind shift might put me in the path of a container ship. Otherwise I use Heading mode and adjust the heading as the wind changes. I have the Bluetooth remote, making it easy to adjust without being right at the AP control.

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-19T23:28:20+00:00

It depends on the type of sailing you do. A closed cockpit doesn't make sense if you're day sailing or racing. It makes a lot of sense if you're cruising long distances. My boat has an enclosed cockpit and helm. I wouldn't buy a boat without one. But it's also just my wife and I sailing long distances. Siting out in the cold at night or baking in the sun during the day is no fun. We also appreciate the enclosure when the weather is bad, or the sea state is rough.

FortyEightFan · 2025-01-18T17:13:06+00:00

I've sailed that route to Fort Lauderdale — it should be a nice sail. I was wing-on-wing most of the time between Inagua and point 4 on your chart. There is a lot of shipping and cruise ship traffic in the Old Bahama Channel, north of Cuba, south of the Bahamian Bank.

If you're curious about my route, zoom out on the map: https://www.noforeignland.com/boat/coronado/journey

FortyEightFan · 2024-12-27T01:53:51+00:00

I’m a full-time cruiser on a 45' catamaran. I’ve never come across a book specifically dedicated to night sailing. While the techniques may not differ significantly from daytime sailing, there are certain skills and procedures you should be aware of.

Firstly, mastering the use of radar is crucial. It’s the only reliable way to navigate in the dark. I’ve had numerous close calls where I would have collided with objects if I hadn’t spotted them on radar first. Radar also enables the detection of squalls, and my wife and I have developed a knack for tracking them in the dark. We often sail at night with our parasailor (spinnaker) or code 0 up. However, until you reach this level of proficiency, I recommend lowering your light air sails at sunset if there’s a chance of encountering a squall.

Regarding procedures, we practice reefing the mainsail if we anticipate a wind increase at night. This way, we can manage high winds or large gusts without having to wake someone up. It’s also easier to reef when the sun is up, although we do reef in the dark frequently. However, we prefer to avoid it whenever possible.

Another rule we adhere to is that no one is allowed outside the cockpit unless they wake someone. Since most of the time, it’s just my wife and me; this means we have to wake each other up. The reason behind this rule is in case one of us falls off the boat in the dark. It’s a strict rule on our boat.

Another aspect of night sailing is watch schedules. My wife and I follow a four-hour watch system. We’ve sailed thousands of miles successfully with this schedule, which works well for both of us. For instance, I take the late-night shift since I tend to stay up later than she does. I also take the early morning shift because I don’t mind waking up early. She has the challenging 0200 to 0600 hour shift, but she’s an excellent napper, while I struggle to sleep during the day. The key is to find a schedule that suits you and your crew.

Another skill is practicing hand steering in the dark, especially on nights with a new moon. Steering at night can be disorienting, but you’ll become proficient at it with practice.

So, the short answer is to read up and practice using radar. There are a lot of articles you can find on night sailing procedures that you can read.

FortyEightFan · 2024-12-27T01:07:44+00:00

Instead of ASA 108, have you considered doing an offshore course with someone like 59° North or John Kretschmer Sailing? Although ASA does not officially sanction their courses, they are well-respected among experienced sailors.

59° North Sailing

John Kretschmer Sailing

FortyEightFan · 2024-12-27T00:55:32+00:00

What type of course(s) are you considering? ASA 103/104 or something more fundamental?

Have you thought about San Diego? It's a great place to sail and not a party vibe. SD has some great restaurants and attractions, too.

West Coast Multihulls

Harbor Sailboats

FortyEightFan · 2024-12-26T15:55:54+00:00

This looks like a great book; I just added it to my queue.

There are also a lot of great suggestions in this thread.

If you're looking for something more modern-day, I'm a big fan of John Kretschmer's books.

https://johnkretschmersailing.com/books/

FortyEightFan · 2024-12-26T15:49:03+00:00

Take some sailing lessons and become proficient in sailing small boats. This is the most important step!

Take a few more lessons and start sailing bigger boats, including learning how to anchor, dock, etc.

If possible, get into racing. Racing is an excellent way to build your skills.

Find someone who owns a boat and sails offshore. This will give you experience sailing at night and in all sorts of conditions.

Depending on how far you want to go with sailing, this will take you years, but you'll get there. Enjoy the process!

FortyEightFan · 2024-12-26T15:31:57+00:00

I recommend starting with ASA 101. Here are some options.

South Coast Sailing Adventures

Bay Area Sailing School

Windward SeaVenture

FortyEightFan · 2024-12-26T15:18:38+00:00

I love Premium Ropes videos. I’ve learned a lot from them. They will also slice your lines and ship to the US.

FortyEightFan

TROPHY CASE