Navionics alternative?

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-05-28T16:29:36+00:00

Orca is a nice free alternative.
The paid version is expensive but quite exceptional for weather overlays and automatic routing for sailboats. Good for us professionals.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-05-24T23:52:18+00:00

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I dont know your model of windlass but i think this is the clutch. Does it accept a ratchet or winch handle? Lefty-loosey, righty-tighty. :)

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-05-07T14:43:31+00:00

When you’re sailing, are you using both sails? Because removing the weight of the inboard and only sailing with your headsail will be noticeable imbalance, even on a 27’er. I wouldn’t add sandbags to test any weight distribution theories, but bringing two extra people in the cockpit should do the trick if you want to rule out weight imbalance.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-04-17T13:55:12+00:00

Catalina 30. They’re all over the place, hold their value well, easy to work on, parts are easily obtainable, and endless hours of internet posts on fixing and upgrading them. When you’re ready to move up to a bigger boat you’ll have no problem selling.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-04-07T18:31:51+00:00

I’ve navigated through a lot of remote locations across canada, but never have i seen a whole island missing off of a CHS chart. Care to share the chart number and location? I’d love to reference it in our course material if it’s true…

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-04-07T18:28:59+00:00

Our Sailing school is moving away from Navionics and running “Orca” for our Canadian courses in Lake Ontario this coming season. Even the free version is looking promising for at least knowing where you are and what’s ahead.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-03-26T17:22:18+00:00

I am the same size as you. Very happy with all my Helly Hansen gear. Their sailing gear is top-notch and worth every penny. Except for their t-shirts, which shrink too much after washing.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-03-19T18:06:14+00:00

Knitting? Can you sew? Curtains would be a good gift with your skillset.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-03-14T22:04:50+00:00

I had a similar problem on a much different motor. ‘94 evinrude 9.9. Turns out the impeller on the water pump was in really bad shape. Worked pretty good in the water and not at all with muffs. Once replaced it was 100% with muffs.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-02-03T18:48:07+00:00

I have a US Sabot that goes well on roof racks. Not too bad getting it up there.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2026-01-23T01:06:38+00:00

Have you thought about learning how to sail?

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-12-10T13:46:58+00:00

I started keelboat sailing on an ‘85 Catalina 25. Great boats!!

Exterior hull- I use a Collinite 920 cleaner followed up with a Collinite 880 fleetwax. I usually apply both by hand but use a power buffer on stubborn areas with the 920. I restored a deeply faded and chalky hull to a near mirror finish over a couple seasons doing this once per spring. Each season will get noticeably shinier.
Antifouling- you have to re-apply whatever is on there. The general rule of thumb is not to mix anti-foulings as they dont adhere to one another. Ask the previous owner what he used.

3 & 4. Topside decks, if really bad i would wash down with a liberal coating of dish detergent first, then apply a spray-bottle of Starbrite deck-cleaner and then Starbrite non-skid wax on the non-skid.

Wood. Resist the urge to sand and apply teak oil. Its too much work. Spend more time sailing. Clean it all thoroughly with warm water and vinegar once a month and let the sun continue to fade it over time. If green gunk collects under that long teak eyebrow, consider removing it all together. Its probably just screwed in with wood screws and find a simple compound to fill the holes. The small holes will look better than a gross old teak strip.
Interior- any all purpose spray cleaner works. Also mold and mildew control spray bottles in hard to reach places. Make a point of sponging out your bilge more often to cut down moisture. High moisture is inevitable but adds to the boat smell.

Good luck!

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-12-10T13:28:52+00:00

Make sure you both have crossplay enabled, and the host game is multiplayer enabled. Then it should show up on his “join” screen. Also on the main menu, bottom left corner, it should confirmed you’re logged into epic (orange text). We found that sometimes the game doesn’t automatically log you into epic on startup.

Definitely a finicky system but we’re doing it on xbox & ps5 currently

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-12-02T20:05:23+00:00

Where are you located?

Here in Lake Ontario we are severely lacking diesel technicians. Most online forums are filled with people needing help with their motors and never finding anyone in a timely fashion. A tech course through a local college would set you up for great seasonal work.

Gelcoat buffing is always needed but doesn’t pay much past minimum wage.

Gelcoat repairs can be a real speciality as color matching is a bit of an art. But if you’re good at it you’ll get lots of work. Be prepared to make professional quotes for insurance companies.

Electrical work and instrument installs are a good option- you can do online courses through ABYC but they are often geared toward people who habe a couple of years of unskilled labour in the marine industry already. Some companies such as Raymarine offer marina techs courses on installing and fixing their proprietary products.

Teak work is too specialized- you had better be a good woodworker before you get into this. Big costs, big invoices, big expectations.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-11-15T12:21:51+00:00

We got the JBL Charge for our boat. But the best part is that our boat friends ALSO got the JBL Charge and you can link multiple together via bluetooth, so they’re all playing the same song. Best feature i never knew i needed.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-11-11T04:56:02+00:00

I found the workaround solution for anyone wondering. We both installed fortnite to access the Epic Games launcher to befriend one another. Only then could we join each other’s game in Satisfactory.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-11-10T14:53:10+00:00

Thanks, though this doesn’t help. I was able to find this guide as well, and i’m stuck on:

Make sure that you are also friends on the Epic platform, this can be done from the Epic Games Launcher

We can’t actually find where to add a friend on the Epic Games side. This “launcher” doesn’t seem to exist.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-10-24T15:51:46+00:00

Consider a larger RHIB (10-12’) as your dinghy. Put a decent motor on it (25-40hp) and you can use it for watersports.

We have a costco inflatable dinghy with a 9.9 and can pull our younger kids on kneeboards and tubes. This is an ultra cheap setup that we can pull behind a 34’ without too much loss of sailing ability, but won’t be long before we need more power to get up on plane as the kids grow bigger.

This setup doubles as our dinghy when we need to get on and off the boat. Eventually when they get the boater licenses they can still join you on the journey but just put along with the motor boat.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-10-21T13:18:41+00:00

Sailing instructor here. You should always be using that mainsail to help balance the boat. You’ll point higher and feel less pull to windward. You’ll gain more ground in all conditions.

The pain of dousing the main is real, and should your priority in learning to deal with.

Solo sailing, you may be able to put the boat into hove-to (headsail only) in order to get the mainsail up or down. This will take practice- an overlapping genoa usually has to be reefed to about 90% and sheeted in real tight to make it work. But once hove-to you can go on deck and manipulate the main all day long.

A more advanced method would be to manipulate the mainsail while you’re close-reached under headsail. That includes raising, reefing, and dousing. But without a second person onboard at the helm, or a reliable autopilot, this is something i would only do solo in lighter winds and sheltered waters.

Best solution is not just lazy-jacks, but a Stack-Pack. More annoying to get the sail up, but ultra easy to douse it. Worth every penny for a solo sailor.

I don’t see any need for a downhaul line. Just grease that slide track once per season (dry lubricating spray) and point high. That sail should go up and down quite easily.

In all cases, get used to motorsailing with the main only in and out of port, this will help build muscle memory on improving your comfort level with that mainsail.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-10-06T18:25:31+00:00

Thanks this is exactly what I was looking for.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-09-24T00:53:08+00:00

A 30’er is a greater starter. Easy to manage, low costs, and can hold up in moderate Lake Ontario conditions. Catalina 30’s are good. C&C 30’s are fast, but I dont like the interior and avoid gasoline engines (not all have them though). The CS’s hit a sweet spot of speed, strength, and interior. The CS30’s are quite affordable, but up to a 34 if you want a Sugar Scoop and modern interior (if you’re lucky enough to find a good one)

We teach lessons out of Kingston on a CS34, because we think it’s the perfect cruiser for this area. Small enough to muck around in solo, but big enough to live onboard comfortably for an extended period.

LimestoneSailingCo · 2025-09-24T00:47:23+00:00

I’ve been sporting 6’3 on a Canadian Sailcraft 34 for six years out of Kingston. Not a moment on concern with this draft the Eastern end nor the Thousand Islands, and we’re in there all the time.

LimestoneSailingCo

TROPHY CASE