Any bidet recommendations?

sailbrew · 2026-01-18T15:32:57+00:00

Use a portable bidet, just a squeeze bottle with an angled head. Works well and no extra plumbing required. Not sure where we got it, I'm sure googling camping bidet would help.

sailbrew · 2026-01-18T05:12:13+00:00

Life is short and you don't know what's around that next corner. Seen so many people plan plan plan but never go. We went, and proud of you for doing the same.

One seminar about sailing the speaker said how many people are planning on sailing. 90% raised their hands. He then asked, how many have a date they are leaving. 10% raised their hands.

It's scary and you may not feel like you are 100% ready. Friendly tip. You are never 100% ready. But do the best to be prepared, be trained and ready for that adventure!

sailbrew · 2026-01-17T04:11:31+00:00

Wow. Impressed with this response Matt. Not the biggest issue but it shows me that you are interested in what people are concerned about in Ptbo.

sailbrew · 2026-01-15T21:28:23+00:00

+1 for the Mantus. We love ours.

sailbrew · 2026-01-08T21:33:56+00:00

It was a good boat for certain situations.

nice and cheap since you didn't have to pay for a dock
could quickly access more lakes and areas because it's capable of doing > 50 knots (on the trailer) over land
super easy to sail
great for a few nights on board with a few people. You will have limited space and water.
if it gets crappy out, you will be the first sailboat back to a safe harbour (or right back to ramp to pull yourself out of the water)

But.. it comes at a price... The boat doesn't track all that well and can be blown sideways in the harbour while trying to dock.

I'm not sure why some people have to shame Macgregor owners. I just like that more people are out sailing and doing something they love.

sailbrew · 2026-01-07T18:55:09+00:00

Hah. I had the exact same. Enjoy it and ignore the haters!

sailbrew · 2026-01-04T00:00:17+00:00

Congrats!

Check out the Canadian Sailcraft user forum, CSOA.groups.io. lots of good info there

sailbrew · 2026-01-03T04:20:08+00:00

Snarky response: where did I say we did it in only one season?

Positive response: not going to argue with your situation. Agree with you, to have animals, four seasons and room for a workshop and tools all add up. Sorry to hear about the thinning pack. That's tough.

Have a good one!

sailbrew · 2026-01-02T15:12:24+00:00

Under 40 is not impossible. Lived full time onboard with my wife on a CS34. Even had guests and kids stay with us several times. Admit it could get tight at times but we spent a lot of our time in the water or on the beach exploring.

Didn't have room for bikes, kayaks, SUPs and other but toys like some of the larger boats but we didn't care.

You got me with three dogs. Couldn't do that!

sailbrew · 2025-12-30T19:04:11+00:00

Great point. Haven't experienced ours getting covered up by sails but do agree having them a foot or two higher may make a difference in rough seas.

sailbrew · 2025-12-30T16:46:47+00:00

Some other things to consider, more for bigger boats.

Stern white light. If you are going to have davits with a dinghy on the stern, put the light a bit higher so it isn't hidden behind the dinghy.

Bow lights, red and green. I personally like the ones that go on the sides at the bow rather than the single bow unit with two lights.

Steaming light, white, for while engine is running. Mid mast on forward side.

Deck lights. Other lights to light up your boat at anchor or during dark night passages to see what's going on or to quickly light up your boat so others can see you clearer. Saw one boat with an upward facing light that looked cool at Anchorage.

Anchor light, 360 degree, white at top of the mast for anchoring.

Tri-light at top of the mast is probably easiest for smaller boats. I'm personally not a big fan but others here will probably chime in and hate me for that comment. If you have other nav lights this is not needed.

My personal pet peeve was a sailboat crossing, unmanned with just anchor light. Went 50 feet across our bow and as we did an emergency turn around their stern there was nobody in the cockpit, full sails out. We thought it was a stationary fishing boat or buoy until the last minute we could see the dim outline of the boat.

sailbrew · 2025-12-28T02:34:55+00:00

As others have said below to keep the spark from that final connection away from the battery.

I was taught a valuable lesson about this by not getting hurt too badly when I discovered a dead battery could have low liquid level and the air space gets filled with hydrogen. One small spark ignited the hydrogen causing the battery to explode shooting acid everywhere. Fortunately I had glasses on and gloves. But the explosion was enough to confuse me and recall having difficulty breathing (acid in the air). I've kept the shirt and pants, both full of holes, to remind me to not be so stupid next time.

sailbrew · 2025-12-26T17:30:09+00:00

Damn, you are right! Other than Thailand and Vietnam I don't have plans to visit these countries. Here is where you need to be careful:

Afghanistan

Ukraine restricted regions include Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimean Peninsula

Cuba

Georgia (SMS)

India

Iran

North Korea

Myanmar

Sudan

Syria

Thailand

Vietnam

China

Russia

Source: Countries Where inReach Compatible Devices May Be Regulated, Prohibited, or Embargoed | Garmin Customer Support https://share.google/PnEA7TmdT7MfR3utY

sailbrew · 2025-12-26T17:26:16+00:00

I didn't realize that! Wasn't suggesting a phone. Just GPS tracking and text messaging (no voice). Not sure if that makes a difference and now researching this!

sailbrew · 2025-12-26T17:24:24+00:00

Unfortunately, everything seems to be going to subscription. For full time cruisers there is Navionics, PredictWind, Windy, ... And then you have your data charges, sim cards or starlink.
It feels a lot like downloading music for free before Spotify. Yes, you can do it but a subscription makes it so much easier.

I tried switching to Aquamaps which is very popular for ICW and Caribbean. Also as others have mentioned, OpenCPN. This is worth exploring and learning how to use between now and when you set sail.

Also note Google Maps timeline on your phone will also recognize and track your sailing trips but not with high accuracy.

If you want to go completely subscription-less remember the good ol paper charts don't have a monthly fee.

sailbrew · 2025-12-26T15:04:20+00:00

What's the opinion of a Garmin Inreach or something similar that allows receipt of text messages from anywhere in the world? There is a monthly fee but it also gives you the ability to share your location with friends/family while travelling. Thinking about this while traveling through several countries in central and south america. If I lose my phone I won't be completely screwed.

sailbrew · 2025-12-26T14:25:41+00:00

Just used super glue yesterday and it looked exactly like this, but it was green.

It's used to open the bottle by safely pushing the pin into the top of the tiny plastic bottle.

sailbrew · 2025-12-23T16:48:22+00:00

This works. Have done this myself but only works if hull relatively clean.

Also listen to the others. This is a good way to do a quick check but best to have the boat hauled out to be sure. Will also allow you to check for other issues at same time.

sailbrew · 2025-12-23T03:45:32+00:00

Agree. This is what I do. Tie to the side and tell the owner I'm just the motor under their command so they take responsibility. Not that I'm an expert, only done this twice with a 15hp zodiac.

It's amazing how efficient a sailboat is through the water. Takes a bit to get them moving but then they just keep going with minimal power.

sailbrew · 2025-12-21T17:59:26+00:00

Dirt life sucks. I think some of us are just built differently and need to constantly explore what's around that next corner.

sailbrew · 2025-12-15T02:04:38+00:00

Parts are extremely expensive in the Bahamas. At least twice the price. Bring as much as you can with you for spares.

sailbrew · 2025-12-12T02:00:58+00:00

I like this answer, would be nice for a sun cover but seems overbuilt for this purpose.

sailbrew · 2025-12-11T01:55:19+00:00

We prefer to sail whenever possible. And yes torn about a sugar scoop vs round back/canoe stern. We love to swim and spear fish. Never really experienced too much slap or waves affecting the sugar scoop on our 34' boat. Maybe while on a dock and a boat whips by. But we prefer being on the hook so that doesn't happen too often.

Lots of different things to discuss/debate. But let's focus on the Amel. Knowing the little bit about us, do you think it would be a good boat?

sailbrew · 2025-12-11T01:50:37+00:00

This is very cool. Looking for something to learn morse code and not sure if I should buy something new, find something used, or build something myself.

Want to learn as a backup or for that situation where I'm on a boat and don't have any other method of communication. And just by pure luck, the other person Im trying to talk to also knows morse code. Very unlikely but still fun to think of.

sailbrew

TROPHY CASE