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Our Amazon Prime subscription may be one of the absolute best things we’ve bought for boat life. Need stainless bolts and your local hardware store doesn’t carry the right size? No problem, they’ll arrive tomorrow by noon. Need a new LED light fixture to help save energy? They’ve got thousands. Just cannot deal with rebuilding the head, again? Just buy a new one. The point is, Amazon sells pretty much everything you need for boat life except the actual boat.

The first step to getting your hands on some of these great deals is to have an active Prime subscription. The next step is to start shopping! Pro-tip: Shop from the Amazon app for access to exclusive coupons and deals on Prime Day. But with so many items on sale, how do you find good deals? Below is a list of some of the best items on sale for sailors and boaters.

Deals for Boatlife

When boaters get to a new anchorage we love to get off the boat and explore! There is no better way to do that than on a SUP. It’s a good core workout, so peaceful and really a great way to feel one with nature. If you’re really brave try your hand at SUP yoga! Amazon has a few different brands with great reviews on sale for Prime Day so check them all out.

Gerber multitools are included this Prime Day! If you don’t have a multitool aboard, now is the time. These come in handy for so many reasons. Need to rip open all those Amazon boxes you got from Prime Day shopping? No problem. Need to open a beer to celebrate a hard day’s work? This has you covered. Of course, it’s useful for actual screwing, cutting, and prying, but we find we use it most for those daily situations.

In boat life, it is better to be overprepared. When the hurricane season of 2017 hit, so many Caribbean islands were left without drinkable water. The Lifestraw is for those moments. It removes 99.999999% of waterborne bacteria & 99.999% of waterborne parasites. One straw can provide up to 1,000 gallons of safe drinking water during its lifetime. Every boat and ditch bag should have one. We got one last year during Prime Day and thankfully haven’t had to use it. If you missed out then, grab yourself one now! Better to have it and not need it.

Good eye protection aboard is nonnegotiable aboard our boat. My eyes are so sensitive to light that I’m often squinting with sunglasses and a hat on! Oakley has a few of their sunglasses on sale for Prime Day, and some with polarized lenses!

A good night’s sleep is the foundation for safe passages. I haven’t quite figured out my perfect foam combination, but I know my mattress topper helps! So many boaters swear by theirs as well. This 3-inch topper is on sale and is infused with gel beads that capture and diffuse heat so you don’t get too hot when sleeping. That will sure come in handy in the tropics! As nothing on a boat is standard size, you’ll have to cut this to fit your cushions. It’s really easy to do with an electric or a chef’s knife.

If you are starting anew, you can snag a Casper Elements foam mattress for Prime Day. This mattress in a box company has rave reviews and a loyal fan base. If you go this route be sure to check that the mattress height will work in your berth. Its sadly a little too tall of a mattress for us, sigh. Be sure to apply the coupon before checkout for an extra 20% off.

A laser infrared thermometer has proven a very useful tool aboard. Need to diagnosis where your engine is running hot? Point this bad boy at it? Want to make sure you properly padded your diesel heater exhaust fitting? Test the hull temperature? Want to prove just how cold-hearted your wife is? This will give you the exact degrees. (What, not everyone’s husband does this?)

Having a multimeter aboard is the first step in diagnosing electrical issues. You want one that can read both AC and DC currents so the tool will be that much more valuable aboard. There are a few different models on sale for Prime Day, so add one to your tool kit if you don’t already have one.

A lightweight hammock is key to ultimate relaxation aboard while at anchor. Sometimes we’ve been known to hang ours while underway. This hammock has nearly 20,000 glowing reviews and packs up into a 5″ x 8″ bag. This makes a great holiday gift for boaters.

Life on the water can, unsurprisingly, be wet. A good dry bag to keep your stuff dry is really handy. No longer do you need to worry about your phone, money or provisions getting wet on that dinghy ride back to your boat. Toss them into this drybag and they will stay safe and dry in even the wettest of rides. Also great for SUP and kayak exploring.

Technical clothing and gear aboard can come in handy, especially for hikes while exploring new ports. Hiking shoes, hiking clothing and light winter gear are on sale from Columbia are part of this year’s sale. After hiking last summer in Maine in my running shoes and leggings, I think this may be the year I finally invest in the right gear so I don’t slide all over those rock scrambles.

Deals for the Galley

One of my favorite pieces of galley gear is my Instant Pot. I got it on for $55 2 years ago and it is continually one of Amazon’s best-selling items each Prime Day. It’s no surprise it is on sale again. But this year they have a few models on sale, including their new one with the built-in air fryer lid! I love how quickly I can make a homecooked meal even after a long day. This device does require power, so I’ve only used it while plugged in on the dock. That being said, it has been AMAZING to have aboard.

I’ve always been conscious of how much waste I produce, but I’ve become even more eco-conscious since living aboard and really understanding how much waste humans create. Single-use plastic is a HUGE problem, and plastic sandwich bags, water bottles, and straws are some of the biggest contributors. We’ve made a lot of progress in correcting our impact for all of these. Stasher bags have been so amazing aboard. You can freeze them, boil, microwave or just used for dry goods. I absolutely LOVE these bags.

I’ve been using my Contigo travel coffee for longer than I can remember. I have tried a lot of other designs and this is truly the easiest to use, no-spill design. I love using this during my morning watch shift. I don’t have to worry about my coffee getting cold, or it spilling when it inevitably rolls off the bench during a tack. What I love even more than the design is their warranty and customer service. If for any reason your mug stops working (starts leaking), they will send you a replacement mug!

During the lockdown, we upgraded a lot of our galley gear. We always cooked a lot, but we had a little more time to try new recipes. One of the things I had always wanted was a dutch oven. It’s such a versatile pan aboard that I can’t believe I waited so long to get one! This one is on sale for Prime Day, but it is the 6-quart model. If your boat oven can fit this, it’s a steal! Crockpot has their 3-quart version on sale, too.

Mixers for sundowner cocktails can be hard to keep aboard. Soda cans take up a lot of space and have been known to develop tiny holes in them after being shaken around while underway. Enter the Soda Stream. This little beast is perfect for making on-demand sodas and fizzy water. We like to add a little lime and mint for a refreshing and non-alcoholic treat. Don’t worry, we also use it for cocktails!

Electronic Deals

Our Amazon Fire Kids tablet is hands down the best thing we bought for our summer cruising. It comes with a year of Amazon Freetime which gives access to thousands of books, audiobooks, games and videos. It has been a really great way for us to access educational and entertaining content during crossings.

Having a GPS is a non-negotiable aboard our boat (and should be for everyone), but what happens when you want to hop in the dink and explore? A Garmin handheld GPS to the rescue! We first saw one of these when we were cruising in the Bahamas and met a wonderful couple who were visiting and rented a powerboat for their stay. We’ve wanted one ever since. Maybe today’s the day?

I cannot believe this one is on Prime Day Deal! If you’ve ever contemplated a drone aboard, it has likely been the DJI Mavic. This bad boy is so amazing aboard and folds up super small. I think its time may be a necessity aboard, how else are you going to get those amazing aerial shots of your boat sailing?

Phones and tablets are an integral part of the boating world today. We can navigate with them, plan sundowners with other boaters in our next anchorage, check the weather, document your journey with thousands of photos and so much more. But all of that is useless if your device runs out of battery. Having a backup power source to recharge your phone and/or tablet is key. We absolutely love our Anker chargers. They are the size of a cell phone so easy to carry around, and they recharge devices FAST. This one is a Prime Day lightening deal, so don’t miss out!

As expected, Amazon devices are heavily discounted for Prime Day. As we’re currently tied to a dock we’ve found the Amazon Echo Dot to be very useful aboard. It’s tiny, loaded with features, and has endless punny jokes to keep me entertained. You can connect it to your Spotify account or just play anything on Amazon music (with or without a Music Unlimited subscription. I probably use it most often for its timer feature.

Running out of storage for your camera is always a concern when traveling and sailing off into unexplored waters. If you’re anything like me, you’ll take about 1,000 photos each hour. Those pictures can take up a LOT of space. Scandisk and WD hard drives and memory cards are on deal today. We always grab a few just in case. You can never be too prepared with extra storage.

Fun fact: I bought my last Kindle in 2013. It has finally stopped charging no matter how much I wiggle the cord. Needless to say, this is a deal I’m really pumped about. The WATERPROOF Kindle Paperwhite “I read like real paper but am an electronic device” can now withstand life aboard a boat even better. The paperwhite technology is easier on the eyes and can be read in the bright sun with no issue. Beachside reading and a wave gets the screen? No problem. Gobbling up a novel by the pool while the kids splash in the pool? Not an issue. Relaxing bath? Ha, I’m just kidding, we’re talking boat life here (but it CAN go in the bath!). This model comes in 8GB or 32GB so you can carry an entire library around with you.

Deals for Families

Cubcoats are the ultimate multi-use clothing item for kids and we all know that the more uses an item has aboard the better! These genius sweatshirts and hoodies transform into a cute stuffed animal when not in use.  These bad boys can also be used as a pillow when on the go. 3 uses. One product. SIGN US UP. This year they have hoodies, masks and t-shirts available on deal.

The post The Best 2021 Amazon Prime Day Deals for Sailors and Boaters appeared first on Sailing Chance.

The time has come for us to put Chancelot, our 1982 Vagabond 42 sailboat, up for sale. We have absolutely loved living and sailing aboard her, but our family needs a little more space. With a growing toddler, two dogs and two work-from-home adults, the last year has has shown how nice it would be to spread out a little more. If we were able to go cruising, and not be tied to the dock for work obligations (and all the gear that requires) our 1982 Vagabond 42 would be the perfect boat for that.

The Vagabond 42 is an extremely solid boat, with a hand laid fiberglass hull that is at least an inch thick throughout. She is a comfortable cruiser with a large center cockpit and ample deck space. With a 5’6″ draft she is a great boat to sail to the Bahamas and beyond. We’ve outfit her to comfortably sail in the cooler climates as well with a diesel heater that runs at anchor with minimal amperage draw.

Please click through all the hyperlinks for photos of noted upgrades or more information.

1982 Vagabond 42 Specs

• Designed by George H Stadel III and built by Bluewater Yachts in Taiwan in 1982.
• Hull type: Fin keel with skeg rudder
• Rig type: Staysail Ketch
• LOA: 42′
• LWL: 34′
• Beam: 12.83′
• Draft: 5.5′
• Ballast: 12,000 lbs
• Engine: Yanmar 75 HP
• Water: 150 gallons (3 separate tanks)
• Diesel: 50 gallons
• Docked at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, NJ.
• NJ and USCG registered

Some of the Reasons we Love the Vagabond 42 Sailboat

• The Vagabond 42 is a very LARGE 42 foot sailboat. There is so much space with this design
• There is so much storage aboard, in fact, that is one of the main reasons we decided to buy her initially! 5 ½ years aboard and we don’t even use all the storage lockers
• There are 3 separate sleeping cabins – not typically found on 42 ft sized vessels
• An open salon layout compared to many salons that have the centerline table
• The double walk-through design offers so much convenience. It was something we didn’t know we needed, but don’t think we can ever live without!
• Larger than queen aft cabin that is safe and secure during passages
• The engine access is amazing. It was great when we bought her (one of the major benefits of a double walk-through layout), but we’ve added even more access so every part of the engine is easily accessible. 
  • Easy engine access encourages great engine maintenance. This engine runs amazing and is incredibly reliable. 
• Wide catwalks with gunnels make going forward under sail safe and easy. 
• A roomy deck is great for enjoying life at anchor – both at the bow and the aft deck
• A comfortable cockpit with ample seating
• Dry cockpit in heavy weather
• Solid fiberglass hull with no coring

1982 Vagabond 42 Upgrades

Sails & Rigging

• New rigging – Summer 2019
  • Sta-lok mechanical lower fittings (swage uppers)
  • Mix of new and new-ish turnbuckles (all chrome bronze)
  • New fork fittings
• Profurl jib and staysail furlers – Summer 2019
• Replaced mizzen boom (boom raised, and lengthened to maintain sail area)
  • Boom was staysail boom. New boom end fittings and mounting
• Mizzen sail (full batten) and stack pack – Summer 2020
• Staysail w/ sacrificial cover- August 2020
• Sacrificial cover added to jib – Spring 2020 (Jib was new 2015)
• Stackpack for Main (Spring 2019) (Main was new 2015)
  • Note, stackpack has our name on it, but we can remove the letters
• Garhauer jib tracks and cars – Summer 2020
• Masts – Summer 2019
  • Main painted & rewired 
  • New Garhaur masthead sheeves
  • New VHF antenna, anemometer, spare 16/2 for expansion
  • New led spreader lights, masthead LED tri-light, steaming light
  • Main has 2x rebuilt ST winches and new Antal line clutches
    • Note, mast is not run back to cockpit (our preference)
  • Mast steps at bottom at top of mast
  • Mizzen painted and rewired
  • Mizzen has spare VHF and 16/2 for additional AIS or expansion
  • Mizzen has led spreader lights
• Running rigging is all relatively new as of 2018/2019

Deck, Cockpit, Etc.

• New 340W flexible Sunpower solar panels – Spring 2020
  • 2x 140W panels on bimini 1x 100w on dodger
  • Have spare 100W panel sized same as dodger
• New Horizontal Electric Windlass – Lofrans Tigres – Installed September 2020
  • New 200ft of GT Chain Spare 100’ of rode
• New teak cockpit table – Summer 2020
• New teak captain’s storage seat – Summer 2020
• New teak cockpit floor grates
• 1” stainless steel hard rails – aft half of boat
• New lifeline netting – Summer 2020
• New toerail and rubrail varnish —10 coats of Awlwood professionally done – Summer 2020
• Davits were installed and beefed up with added welded supports
• New and rebuilt dorades boxes with 10 coats of awlwood
• New cockpit quickdry cushions – Summer 2020
• New sunbrella cockpit cushion covers – Summer 2020
• New glass installed and resealed in the portlights – Summer 2020
• New Lexan in all hatches including the sliding hatch – 2019
• New “Captain’s Navy” sunbrella bimini and dodger – 2017
• New custom teak handrails over doghouse with varnish (not installed)
• Car seat anchors installed under the starboard side dodger if needed

Mechanical

Engine & Engine Room

• Yanmar 4JH4-TE 75HP Turbo (about 675 hours —new 2014 install) with amazing access on all sides
• New Balmar AT120 Alternator (2020)
• New Balmar Serpetine belt pulley system (2020)
• New Balmar ARS-5 Alt Regulator (2020)
• New Propshaft (2019)
• New Cutlass bearing (2019)
• 2X Racor Filters with Customer fuel polishing manifold
• New Butyl vibration and sound proofing throughout

Heating & Cooling:

• 16,000 BTU Webasto reverse cycle – 2017
• Planar 44D diesel forced air heater – 2018
• Ducting has vents in the salon, pass through berth and aft cabin. This has been sufficient to heat/cool the entire boat without issue.

Pumps

• Auto-regulating fresh water circulating pump (2020)
• 2000gph Bilge pump (2019)

Electrical

• 2x New Smartplug Shorepower (30amp)
• New master breakers
• 110 system completely rewired – 2019
  • Shielded wire throughout
  • All marine wire
• New 110 outlets
• 12v system rewired
  • All Marine wire
• New Panel built on nav station with interior, exterior, VHF, monitor controls, etc.
• New battery switches, selector, ACR, etc
• New Promariner Pronautic 1260p battery charger – 2019
• New solar mppt smart charger – 2020
• New 4d Starter battery (also powers windlass) – Summer 2020
• New L16 *2x 6V) batteries (430 AH) 2019
• New LED cabin lights installed throughout

Electronics

• Raymarine ES78 – Chart Plotter – 2019
• Raymarine P70 tri-unit display (wind, speed, depth, temp, etc.)
• New Simrad VHF V60 + wireless ram mic and AIS 2019
• Raymarine electric autopilot drive (came with boat, unit is older but rock solid)
• New BRONZE Airmar Triducer (depth, temp, speed) – Summer 2020
• New Simarine systems monitoring system (tanks, volts, amps, etc) 2019
  • More here
• New Sony marine stereo (forget model but from west marine)
• New speakers inside and out

Galley

• New Isotherm #2013 fridge and freezer units (one unit for each) – 2019
  • Rebuilt interior of refrigerator/freezer – reglazed, sealed, foamed… right down to this nonsense : https://photos.app.goo.gl/dY9FcErYe68C8t2A9
    • PS, did I mention I’m 6’3” 220? lol
• Custom pullout drawer for easy access – 2017
• Aquasana 2-stage under sink drinking water filter –  New December 2019
• Hillerange 3-burner stove
• 2 15-lb propane tanks 2015 (stored in aft deck locker) – Note this isn’t separate
• Propane regulator pigtail – New December 2020

Tanks

• 3 new stainless water tanks – custom made (2018)
  • 2X 50 gallon tanks below salon sole
  • 1X 40 gallon tank for under starboard settee
• New 6-gallon hot water heater – 2020
• 50 gallon diesel tank (aluminum) 2015
  • Old tanks removed, new diesel tank centerline and secured with glassed in tabs and vertical supports. Room for new tanks on either side or storage (which was our plan)
  • Tank sits on G10 board on top of old centerline glassed in wire/tube chase with to allow winter condensation to flow under and into engine room bilge VS. pooling around tank

Aft Head

• New holding tank – never used
• New pex plumbing for sink and shower
• No toilet in aft head

Fwd Head

• Jabsco quiet flush electric head – New 2020 (+spare macerator pump)
• New 10gal  holding tank – never used
• All hoses replaced Summer 2020

Miscellaneous:

• Removed and glassed excess seacocks 
• New seacocks – engine room X3 (seachchest for engine + reverse cycle
  • New secocks in FWD head (rebuilt 2, 2 new)
  • Aft head seacocks all rebuilt serviced – new seacock for raw water head
• Rebuilt rudder shaft log from machine shop +  rebedded with exposed bolts (previously buried in glass)
• New foam cushions fwd bunk, salon – Summer 2020
• New foam cushion – passthrough berth – Summer 2019
• Hull stripe/Cove stripe painted navy – Summer 2020
• Salon has an accent wallpaper wall. This is removable wallpaper and if you don’t like it can easily be peeled off. There is a fiberglass wall underneath. This is an old light in the photo, so that is not there anymore. 
• Cubbies and closets are lined with hypervent or dridek 

The Project List and Idiosyncrasies

The Deck

• 75% of the deck has been re-cored and glassed with bi-axial and West Systems epoxy. The only thing not re-cored was the foredeck fwd of the doghouse (which seemed ok)
  • The plan was lay new teak decks around the entire boat this winter. There are dozens of 8/4 teak boards sitting in my woodshop. (We can discuss including these with the sale if desired)
• RIGHT NOW: the deck is glassed over and barrier coated with UV-additive for protection. We sailed this way to and from Maine last summer. 
• All stanchion bases were elevated on 1/2” fiberglass pads (to align with the new teak decks but also to minimize leak potential
• All hardware installed with butyl tape
• All teak was professionally done with 10 coats of Awl Wood summer 2020. 
• WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE:
  • It is the new owner’s call on whether you want new teak installed or paint/non-skid deck. Teak on the foredeck needs to be removed no matter what.

Interior Floors

• We had to completely cut the salon floors out to remove the old fuel and water tanks. The previous owner had cut out the pass-through floors when he re-powered the motor. And winter condensation has been hard on them. All in – she needs a new sole. Both new teak and teak and holly plywood were ordered for this project. The teak is not the same old-growth Burmese stuff bought for the deck. This is sustainable teak from Honduras – lighter, less oil continent, and less dense (lighter weight). In the end – because we lived on her, we could never get around to tearing up the floors. Sooooo… she has ¾” BC plywood floors in the salon, and her original (though weathered) teak and holly elsewhere. If you want the materials I have – they’re yours with sale
• Because we liveaboard in the winter—and have a toddler prone to falling—we have grey foam tiles throughout and LOVE them. It may have also contributed to the delay in installing new floors. Out of sight, out of mind. We have cruised with her this way for over 2 years – from the Chesapeake to Maine. The foam tiles are great insulation if you do any cold weather sailing.
• The salon has a completely new substructure to support the floors. It was installed with the new tanks (old system had a wood grid sitting ON the tanks)
• Long story short – you’ll likely want to redo the floors

The V Berth/Forward Berth

• This originally had bunk beds to starboard. The lower bunk was useless and became a landing pad for junk storage, laundry, and things you’d forget about until next year. We ripped out the lower bunk and built-in new custom teak cabinets and drawers for usable storage. This is great for tools, clothing, laundry, etc. The teak isn’t varnished yet, but is otherwise it’s complete.

The Galley

• Counters
  • The countertops in the Galley are structurally in good shape. It’s the white fiberglass stuff. 
  • The counter-tops on the fridge darned-near cause us to jumps ship. The white fiberglass was peeling up when we bought her and the PO simply painted it white. 
  • We intended to install new Corian throughout, but it’s on the 2021 list that we haven’t gotten to yet. The fridge otherwise works really well, but cosmetically, the countertops are not the prettiest. You can see some pics of them here.  

Access to engine room

• Two new access panels to the engine room were created—one behind the companionway stairs (with fuel manifold on it) and the other in the galley next to the two originals. 
• Without this, addressing the alternator tension, accessing seacocks, etc. was difficult but, now, is a breeze. 

Aft Head

• We removed the old toilet when we first bought her and just never added a new one in. So now it hosts our Sailrite sewing machine with a cushion we use as a seat for our makeshift vanity. (The sewing machine is NOT included in the sale of the boat.)
• There IS a NEW 25-gallon holding tank installed under the master berth and the seacocks are ready to go, we just never got around to installing a head there. 
• There is a dedicated shower space in the aft head with a door forward and a curtain aft, but it is tight. 

The Walkthrough Berth

• There is no door between salon and berth. We bought her that way and never felt the need to reinstall. There is one between the berth and the aft cabin. 
• The berth is currently my daughter’s room and there is a full-length/height zippered lee cloth. There is a small divider to make the space slightly smaller and more comfortable for your smallest sailors if desired. This easily zips on/off. The main zipper has a latch so that it cannot be opened from the inside
• The generator USED TO live below the berth. PO had removed it. We now use that room for the diesel heater, reverse cycle AC/heat, and House battery bank.
• Note on generator, we use a Honda 2000 whenever solar cant keep up (which is rare) and we can include in sale as well.

Salon

• The original table was removed when we ripped up the floors. We always thought it way too big for the space, so there is a smaller table built on a pedestal that can be included with sale. Never installed (was waiting for new floors). 
• Bottom step (really big box) used to be a battery box. It is now open storage
• 6-gallon water heater is under port-side settee in same compartment as refrigerator unit. Small computer box fans were installed to circulate air between the lockers (originally water heater was only 4-gallon in the engine room). 
• All the cushions were replaced – BUT only half of the fabric in the salon was redone, lol. We completed the starboard side with custom upholstery fabric in 2019 but never finished the port side. We have the fabric (which is beautiful) should you wish to complete. Port side is grey, starboard side is a teal. 

Chainplates

• We intended to change the chainplates when we redid the rigging. Unfortunately we ran out of time before our cruise to Maine. We had a rigger come and inspect via thermal camera and dye our existing and he said we’re fine. All the screws were removed and checked. 
• That said, we did have new custom 5/8” bronze chainplates made of the main rig. The are intended to be installed outside the hull (vs. inside and through caprail) and use the existing plates as backing plates. This would prevent the need to remove all the cabinets. 1” bungs would be used in this case to cover the bolts and replaced nuts behind cabinets. 

Hull

• Previous owner had the hull peeled, with new layers of matt added, then barrier coated. I had the barrier coat re-applied in 2016 when we first did her bottom. She last had a bottom job in 2019. She got 2 coats of hard and 2 coats of ablative

General Wear and Mid-Construction Notes

The long of the short is, 85% of the boat has been completely replaced and we’ve cruised here every season comfortably. BUT she isn’t “finished.” (are they ever, really?) There are some mid-project panels removed behind cabinets here and there (from installing new tracks and stanchions, or running new plumbing, for example). There are some small nicks and dings taken out of the companionway when we squeezed the old tanks out. The winters are hard on her but have gotten better with the diesel heater and dehumidifier. Most of the interior still looks beautiful, and the few flaws are hidden behind cabinet doors.

Price

Our 1982 Vagabond 42 sailboat is being sold as is, where is for $75,000.

Contact Information

Please reach out for any questions or more information on our Vagabond 42 for sale.
Kelley Sinclair: kelley@sailingchance.com or 347.453.6857
Jason Sinclair: Jason@sailingchance.com or 718.913.7786

The post Chancelot is for Sale – 1982 Vagabond 42 appeared first on Sailing Chance.

It is no secret that Jason and I love wine. We look for wineries everywhere we go, so it is no surprise that we decided to find as many wineries close to each anchorage we stopped at along our sail through Long Island. You may not initially think of a Long Island wine tour by boat, but we had a lot of fun seeking them out and tasting as many wines as we could!

Please be sure to check each individual winery’s Covid-19 policies. Some of these wineries were visited before this pandemic began. This article required intense research over many visits that we happily did for you. You are welcome.

Northport Wineries

The first stop we made was Northport. Typically you think of the North Fork region as Long Island’s wine region, but there is no reason to wait until you sail all the way out on Long Island to begin sipping. We always pick up a mooring ball from Seymour’s when visiting Northport and tie up on the dinghy dock when we go to shore.

Del Vino Vineyards

Del Vino Vineyard is easily accessible from the Northport Village dinghy dock. At just over 2 miles away, you can easily bike there or call an Uber.

Del Vino Vineyards is the first vineyard on the Long Island wine trail. It features 11 hedged vineyard acres producing five grape varieties. Their sittings feature wine and light bites. A fun way to spend the afternoon.

Mattituck Wineries

Mattituck is jokingly referred to as the “Port of Last Resort” by many of our dock mates. The nickname refers to it being the only real place to safely tuck in on the Long Island Sound before you hit open water. The problem is, they never really give the location a chance, and don’t make it far enough down the canal to discover Mattituck’s true charms. Tucked nearly 2 miles down the Mattituck Inlet is a small anchorage with a dinghy dock or, if you prefer staying dockside, Strong’s Water Club. Both serve as a great spot for exploring some of Long Island’s best wineries.

Roanoke Vineyards Wine Bar

The Roanoke Vineyards Tasting Room is located on the adorable Love Lane nestled between boutique shops and restaurants. At just a 1/3 of a mile from the dinghy dock, this is the easiest place to start your wine tour. The tasting room features both indoor and outdoor seating. This is not at a vineyard, so the outdoor seating is more garden seating but still very cute. They serve both Roanoke Vineyard wines and Wolffer Estate wines along with a small snack menu. Apparently, they even offer kid tastings of grape juice – how cute!

Bridge Lane Winery

Bridge Lane Winery is one of our favorite Long Island vineyards. They sell all of their wines in can, bottle, box and keg form. Yes, you can buy a keg of wine to fuel your entire summer sail. While we didn’t take the leap with the keg (you better believe we measured multiple spots to see if it would fit though!), we did stock up on a few boxes of rosé. Every cruiser knows the benefits of boxed wine aboard, but its really nice to have good boxed wine for a change. Their rosé is on tap aboard Chancelot all summer long.

Bridge Lane Winery is located a mile from the dock which can easily be walked, biked or cabbed. It is located off a main road, so if you want to take back roads, it is 1.5 miles. They have a small tasting room and a lovely outdoor space with picnic tables for tastings. They have a small snack menu to accompany your tastings. They were very kid-friendly and welcomed our crazy toddler with open arms.

Macari Vineyards

A mile from Bridge Lane is Macari Vineyards. This beautiful winery offers indoor and outdoor tastings with picturesque views of their vines. To give you guys an idea how beautiful, the winery hosts a lot of weddings. They offer tastings paired with lunches from local restaurants and wines by the bottle or glass.

Harbes Family Vineyard

Harbes is an empire. They have a family farm, barnyard adventure, vineyard and an orchard. I’m exhausted just typing that all out. The vineyard is located in a 100-year-old potato barn and offers a beautiful indoor tasting experience. Outside they have a ton of tables and outdoor yard games to keep the kids entertained while you’re sipping away.

Shinn Estate Vineyard

Shinn is 1.5 miles from Strong’s Water Club, but its along back roads full of beautiful homes. The vineyard and tasting areas are truly gorgeous. Indoors they have a cozy library, but outside they have a ton of tasting areas with views of the vineyard. There is a lot of grass area for the littles to run around while you enjoy the tastings. They offer tastings, wine by the glass, bottles and a snack menu.

Borghese Vineyard

Borghese was probably our least favorite tasting experience. It is located on a semi main road, but unlike other vineyards, the tasting experience isn’t tucked in some secluded garden with sweeping views of their vineyards. Its pretty out in the open on cheesy blue plastic tables. They offer 4 different tasting experiences, but none of the wines blew us away. This place has great reviews, so perhaps we’re in the minority here. Regardless, you should try for yourself during your wine tour!

Greenport Wineries

Kontokosta Winery

Kontokosta Winery is unique in that it sits atop sweeping bluffs with views of the Long Island Sound. As a sailor, I appreciate any opportunity to drink seaside. Add in the fact that the libations are award-winning hand crafted wines and I am in for a fine time. They offer wine tastings and a snack menu.

One Woman Wines Greenport

One Woman Wines is a certified sustainable winery which means they don’t use herbicides or harsh pesticides and are a full farm in addition to a vineyard. The owner, Claudia, grew up in Italy where she helped grow grapes on her family farm. She took that experience and has devotedly been tending to her vineyard on Long Island for nearly 20 years. You can sample her wines in the Greenport tasting room in town.

Cutchogue Harbor Wineries

Just a few miles up the road from Mattituck, but 38 nautical miles away (you have to sail around the North Fork), Cutchogue Harbor anchorage and its marinas provide access to 5 of the North Fork’s wineries in a 1-mile stretch. Sure we could just uber over there from Mattituck, but where is the fun in that? This is a Long Island wine tour BY BOAT after all. Sign us up! The start of this wine trail is a 2-mile trek from the harbor.

Puliese Vineyards

First up is Puliese Vineyards. They are a family-owned and inviting vineyard that produces wines with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Gewurztraminer and Niagara grapes. However, if you are planning to visit multiple Long Island vineyards like we did, you have to try their sparkling wine flight.

Bedell Cellars

Down the road 1/2 a mile from Puliese is Bedell Cellars. This is one of the more well-known wineries on the North Fork, and with reason. It is beautiful, and their wines are delicious. Their grounds host weddings and events as well as small tastings. They offer tastings, wines by the glass, bottles and small bites.

Pindar Vineyards

Pindar Vineyards is one of the oldest vineyards on Long Island as its founder helped create the wine making industry on Long Island in the 1980’s. Their vineyards are spread over 500 acres and produce 17 grape varieties! They offer tastings of their wines in their tasting room, but guests can bring their own food to picnic along with their wines.

Lenz Winery

The first grapes of the Lenz Winery were planted in 1978, making it one of Long Island’s oldest wineries. Today, guests can sample 4 different tasting selections along with a selection of meat and cheeses. Bonus points that the winery is dog friendly.

Raphael

Raphael is an old school vineyard with its winery 12 feet below ground to help keep the wine cool in the summer and warmer during the winter. The vineyard offers wines by the glass and bottle to be enjoyed outside along with light snacks. They are not child or pet friendly, so keep that in mind if you are on the hunt for family-friendly spots.

So there you have it. Fourteen wineries for you to explore while you are anchored along the shores of Long Island. Are there any wineries that you love that we should check out?

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We are about to spend our 7th (!) Christmas aboard – where has the time gone? If there is one thing I have learned about spending the holidays aboard it is that you don’t have to give up your traditions, you just have to make them boat-size. We’ve happily had a 2-ft tree perched on a shelf in our salon completely lit and decorated. One area I don’t really have to make changes is with our stockings. Stockings have always been my favorite part of Christmas morning – it seems good things really do come in small packages. Now that I have a daughter, its a fun challenge finding little goodies that warrant their space aboard and fit in her stocking. This is the first year she seems to understand what is really going on and I am LOVING it! She has been pretty easy, but where my real challenge comes in is in finding stocking stuffers for the adults. Below are a few of my favorites for life aboard.

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The Best Stocking Stuffers for Sailors

Headlamps are a necessity aboard, but the batteries always seem to die at the worst possible moment. We’ve been using rechargeable headlamps for a while now and they are perfect. When the light starts getting dim, just plug them into the USB charger to repower. They are always there for you when you need them.

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I can’t seem to go anywhere without my Anker portable charger. This little bad boy’s high-speed charging can recharge my phone so fast so I don’t miss a single thing. My phone is my camera and I take a photo probably every few minutes (hey, I just can’t miss a single thing my 2-year-old does). My Anker can charge my phone about 3x before it needs to be recharged which is very convenient when you are away from endless shore power.

I think the Hydroflask Cooler Cup is the absolute perfect cup for life aboard. Technically it is designed to keep beer cans cold (which it does superbly), but I also love to use it for wine and cocktails as well. Simply slip the rubber lid on the bottom and it becomes somewhat non-slip. The cup is double-walled so it keeps cold drinks cold and hot drinks warm – it is the Goldilocks of drinkware.

A digital angle finder may not be the first gift you think of, but that is why it is so perfect. I bought this for a non-boat project and am constantly finding myself using this aboard for so many projects. Is that line square when I am cutting fabric for my cushions? Just what angle do I need to cut the new foam for my v-berth mattress? What angle is the hull inside that cabinet? The use cases are truly endless.

I work from my boat which means that if I am going to get any work done I need to make sure I have a pair of headphones for calls and video conferences. I love my Soundpeats bluetooth headphones so I don’t have to worry about a cord getting in the way. The audio quality is great and they are comfortable in my ears. I’m not a fan of over the ear headphones so these are perfect.

I have only recently discovered Good Hangups and I am obsessed. These are so brilliant I wish I had come up with them myself. Good Hangups allow you to turn any surface into a magnetic surface – perfect for displaying kids’ artwork, shopping lists, project organization and more. They use a repositionable magnetic base that you can attach to any surface (and safely remove!) and a small magnet that you use to keep everything secure. The magnetic base is completely covered so it should help with any corrosion.

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A great thing to throw in the stockings of water-loving kids and adults are reef-safe sunscreen sticks and lip balm with SPF. I always have a lip balm within arms reach and in every pocket because I truly hate having chapped lips, and sunburnt lips are even worse!

For the little sailors I’ve been stocking up on nautical board books. I think my favorite for this year is Go, Go, Pirate Boat. We have Car, Car, Truck, Jeep and absolutely love it. These books are set to be read to popular children’s songs so they are truly catchy and the kids get really into it and start reading it to themselves as it is set to a tune they remember. The illustrations are also boldly colored and present an opportunity to work on your colors as well.

What are your favorite stocking stuffers? I am always looking for new ideas!

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I say it every year, but the holiday season seems to start earlier and earlier. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for cheesy holiday movies (much to my husband’s dismay) and absolutely love all the holiday decorations, but can we just live in the moment and enjoy Thanksgiving before we go crazy with Christmas? This year I’ve seen some great Black Friday deals pop up and wanted to make sure you didn’t miss out on all the latest steals. Stay tuned here as I’ll add new Black Friday deals for sailors and boaters as they are announced.

This article contains affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking one of our links. This comes at no additional cost to you. 

Deals on Sailing & Cruising Courses

Crash Course in Cruising

Have you ever wondered what cruising was really like? Well Nica Waters has you covered in her Crash Course on Cruising. Each lesson covers important topics and considerations to see if cruising is right for you. Topics include boat & budget considerations, weather, maintenance, minimalism, health aboard, daily life, and more. Get 20% off the course now through Cyber Monday with the code FITFAN.

Storing Food without Refrigeration

Carolyn Shearlock’s The Boat Galley has been a must-read resource for sailors and boaters for years. Her website offers endless tips and tricks for managing life on a boat. Now, in her PDF ebook, Storing Food without Refrigeration, she focuses on how to make it work even if you don’t have a fridge or freezer. You’ll be surprised at how much you can store without modern conveniences. She’s offering 20% off with the code BLACKFRIDAYCHANCE. The code is also good for 20% off all of her courses including Get Ready to Cruise the Bahamas, Eating Well with a Tiny Fridge and Unwritten Rules of the Cruising Life. Now through Cyber Monday. 

Deals for the Galley

Instant Pot

The Instant Pot has always been a big seller for Black Friday and Prime Day. It seems to always goes on super sale across retailers and this year is no different. The Instant Pot has become a staple on our boat and is so versatile in what it can make. It doesn’t heat up the boat which is great on hot summer days and makes such amazing meals so easily.

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Vaccumm Sealer 

Vaccumm sealers are great aboard – for keeping meats fresh and keeping rarely used, but essential tools rust-free. This model from Geryon has been used and loved by over 2100 people and is on deal for Black Friday.  

Reusable Mesh Produce Bags

Say goodbye to plastic produce bags and bring a set of these along when you go shopping. They are also great for collecting bulk dry goods at the store (be sure to transfer them to an airtight container when you get home though!) and a ton of other uses aboard.

Swell Bottles and Tumblers 

Swell bottles keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot all day long – key for enjoyable drinks aboard. Amazon has a lot of styles and designs available including tumblers, sports bottles, standard bottles and roamers. 

Sodastream 

Is bubbly water your thing? Or, want to make a fresh soda while anchored off a remote island? Well, make sure you have a Sodastream aboard. These bad boys are great for cocktail mixers, sodas or just fizzy water. Amazon has a few packages on deal for Black Friday. 

Deals for Life Aboard

Bushnell Binoculars

A good set of binoculars are key for life aboard. A few pairs are included in Amazon’s countdown to Black Friday deals, including the Bushnell H2O Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binocular, 10 x 42-mm. 

Columbia Clothing for the Whole Family

Whether you are a warm weather sailor or stay up north, Columbia gear is on sale for Black Friday on Amazon. Pick up UPF clothing, light rain shells, quick-dry pants/shorts hiking shoes and/or puffy coats. So many options, and at a great price for the weekend.  

Cacala Turkish Towels

Turkish towels are clutch aboard a boat. They take up so little space, are crazy absorbent and dry quickly. We’ve had a few of these towels for about 5 years and they show no sign of wear. This brand is also very affordable, and I find the quality very high as well. 

Electronics Deals

512 GB Micro SD Card

I have to be honest, I didn’t even know that micro SD cards came in sizes this big. But now that I do I will be adding this beast to my collection. Its so important to have backups of your important files, and this guy makes it easy. There are also a ton of other deals on SanDisk and WD products, check them out here. 

JBL Flip 3 Stealth Bluetooth Speaker

Hanging out at the beach for the day but want some tunes to set the mood? This waterproof speaker is just what you need for a day of fun in the sun. This speaker is waterproof, streams your music via bluetooth, offers 10 hours of playtime and features a JBL bass radiator. Walmart has a great deal on these for Black Friday for $50.00. Valid only Nov 28th and 29th. Don’t miss out! 

Echo Dot 

We love the Echo Dot aboard our boat. It is tiny, and really offers so much benefit aboard. Granted, we are tied to a dock the majority of the time with wifi, but if that is your situation too, you may want to snag one of these on sale. We use ours as a sound machine for Zoe (playing ocean waves of course), a timer for cooking and telling us terrible dad jokes. For extra fun savings, tell your Alexa-enabled device “Order a charcoal echo dot.” There are also extra savings on bundled deals with the Fire stick. 

Garmin Handheld GPS Products and Watches

Have your heart set on adding a handheld GPS to your vessel this holiday season? Amazon has savings on inReach devices and their Garmin GPSMAP 66i GPS Handheld and Satellite CommunicatorGarmin GPSMAP 66i GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator. There are also deals on their training devices for running, cycling and triatholon packages. 

Bose Wireless Headphones

Do you work remotely while you cruise? A good set of headphones can make the difference in successfully getting some work done in a remote coffee shop or restaurant. Bose has both their over ear models and earbud styles on deal right now. 

Boltune Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

Bose headphones still too pricey even on sale? Maybe these Boltune ones are more your speed. They have 83 five-star reviews and a much more affordable price tag. 

Kindle Paperwhite

Books are great, but they take up precious space aboard. The Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for life afloat. It can hundreds of books on a single device (comes in 8GB and 32GB options) and is only .3″ thick. The paperwhite technology allows you to easily read your screen, even in the sun, and now the device is waterproof! 

LED Strip Lights

We love having strip lights aboard, but maybe not for the applications you are thinking of. They don’t necessarily create the most attractive mood lighting, but they do have their use aboard. We have our entire engine room lit by them making diagnosing issues so much easier when you can see everything. We also like to light deep cabinets so we can easily find what we’re looking for. You can also hook them up so that they only are on when you open the door so its not using power unecessarily. 

Energizer Rechargable Batteries

Traditional batteries can be a pain in the butt. They always die at the worst possible time, and create such waste. We recently switched to rechargable batteries and they have been great! The charger can charge both AA and AAA (but not at the same time) which is really convenient. 

Anker Charging Products

We LOVE Anker chargers so much. They are very compact and charge our phones super fast. We always have one in our bag for shore excursions. You can get multiple charges on one device as well. We’ve turned so many people on to this brand, will you be next? A lot of their products are included in Amazon’s Black Friday deals – some nearly 50% off – so its time to stock up! 

Deals for Kids

Magnetic Blocks

Magnetic blocks are great toys for life aboard and traveling. You don’t have to worry about their creations falling with a passing wake or if you hit a little turbulence. I love coupling these with a baking sheet or one of those old school metal lunch boxes for the perfect building surface. 

Kindle Fire Kids EditionScreen time is a very debated subject when it comes to kids, but there are definitely times when a tablet comes in handy. This device comes with their 2-year worry free guarantee. If it breaks for any reason, they will replace it. It also comes with 1 year of FreeTime Unliited which gives access to over 20,000 popular apps and games, videos, books, Audible books, and educational content from PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, Disney, and more. 

Boba Wrap

I’m not here to argue the many benefits of baby wearing, but if you have an infant aboard, a wrap can really come in handy! I was hesitant to buy one at first because I was intimidated by all the fabric, but once I got the hang of it I was hooked. For Black Friday, the grey Boba Wrap is on sale. Snag one of these up if you are expecting or know someone who is! 

Cubcoats

These amazing hoodies were on deal for Amazon Prime Day as well, and if you missed out now is the time to snag one up! The deals are even better this weekend! These hoodies brilliantly transform from a sweatshirt to a stuffed animal – two products in one! They are perfect for travel or small spaces. They can be worn if your child is cold, used as a pillow for sleeping on the plane/train/auto/while underway, and played with at other times. We love these on our boat! 

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Traveling has always been a big part of our family. We love to explore far off lands and having a baby didn’t stop our wanderlust (Hello, we spent my maternity leave in Italy!). We absolutely love taking Zoe to new places, letting her try new foods, play with kids she doesn’t speak the same language as and experiencing new cultures. What we don’t always love about travel is the getting there part. Gone are the days of binging on rom-coms or staring out into the sunset as the hours pass by. Now, we have a very active 2-year-old to keep entertained.  Boating with a toddler certainly makes passages a bit more challenging, but with a little creativity and seasoned sailing parent recommendations, we now have an arsenal of activities to break out when she gets bored.

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Keeping them Safe

Before we figured out how to keep our toddler entertained, the first thing we had to consider were the different ways to keep her safe while we’re underway. Sailing with toddlers is full of complexities as they want to move and explore every single second of their days so making sure they don’t hurt themselves while we’re sailing is an absolute necessity. There is nothing like an ER visit to ruin an otherwise fun day (Been there. This toddler boat has 3 options for safety, and we generally let her pick which one she’d like to do.

1. A secured car seat

We installed eye bolts so that we could latch her car seat into the cockpit, safely protected from the wind and waves by the dodger. This set up is great when both of us are needed for docking, raising sails or something. We try to talk about “her seat” in a fun way so she doesn’t see it as a punishment. We let her watch movies on her tablet while she’s in the chair so she has started to associate it with fun times as opposed to a device that limits her movement. The volume on the tablet is limited, but we’ve had success by connecting it to a bluetooth speaker.

2. In the cockpit wearing her life jacket

When she was an infant we loved the Salus infant life vest, but that taps out at 25lbs. She isn’t quite big enough for a toddler life jacket (30lbs+) so we found the Sterns infant life jacket which is a similar design to the Salus Infant PFD, but is good up to 30lbs. I love the collar on this design and how it protects the back of her head. We also have a tether and harness for her.

3. Down below

When we head inside we typically have a little more freedom, pending on the water conditions. We shed the life jacket and climb into a bunk or sit on the floor and play with whatever toys her little heart desires. We have a little more freedom when I don’t have to worry about toys flying overboard.

Keeping them Entertained

Now that we know how we keep her safe, sailing for kids, especially, needs to be fun, or it isn’t going to be enjoyable for anyone. Here are some of our favorite activities for sailing with a toddler.

1. Travel Toys for Toddlers

Some of my best travel toys for plane and car trips also work while underway. My go-tos include Melissa and Doug reusable sticker books, mess-free coloring and playdoh. My favorite of these is probably the playdoh because she’s at the age where her imagination is really developing and it is so versatile. I grab a sheet pan and we make cookies, eat ice cream, cut shapes, make soup, get chased by sharks etc. The possibilities are really endless.

2. Magnet toys

Magnet toys are one of the best travel toys for toddlers. Pair it with a metal lunch box or a baking tray and your kids have a surface to build their creations on. There are so many different companies that make great starter sets, but I like Tegu blocks and Magna-tiles Qubix for toddlers as they are a little easier for their hands to grab and stack.

3. Playing with water

We have a pop-up laundry basket that we use for a bathtub. This works great with a few buckets and toys. Zoe can spend hours (ok, maybe 30 minutes) pouring water from one cup to another, over and over again. Bonus that I can give her a wash down while we’re at it. TIP: If the water is too cold, fill a solar shower and let it heat up first.

4. Puzzles

These can be beginner puzzles or a little more advanced. They take up little space and really help their little minds grow.

5. Trivia

Brain Quest was a fixture of my childhood. My sister and I spent endless hours trying to stump each other on our way to grandma’s so I was so excited to introduce my daughter to these. Their first set of flashcards is for ages 2 – 3 which focuses on building language skills.

6. Build a fort

Grab a sheet, a few pillows and head to the v-berth or aft cabin to let their imaginations run wild.

7. Play Horsie on fenders

Cindy Wallach’s kids used to like to bounce on a fender and pretend it was a horse when they were little. It’s a great way to absorb the waves and help the kids learn and feel the motion of the water.

8. Shoot the Lobster Pots

If you’ve ever sailed in the North East US, you are very familiar with all the uncharted crab and lobster pots you have to dodge. Why not get the kids involved? Pick up a water cannon, and shoot every lobster or crab pot you pass close enough by. Make it a competition, where the winner gets ice cream when you get to port (don’t worry, everyone wins this game!)

9. Fishing

SV Rise loves to get their littles involved early on with a little fishing to pass the time. A small rod can keep a toddler entertained for a long time!

10. Scrub the deck

This genius “game” came to me via Agi.  Her idea is to get them involved in all parts of sailing – charting, watching out for obstacles, and even cleaning – early on so they learn to love it. I love the idea of a clean deck so I’m game for this one! Thankfully, Zoe already loves the clean-up song.

11. Building Boats

Using craft materials and other items found around the boat, Katheryn Litke and her son build boats while underway and do a sea trial of their creations once they dock or anchor.

Do you have a great way to keep your toddler entertained? Let me know and I’ll add you to the list!

The post Sailing and Boating with a Toddler: How to Keep Them Safe and Entertained While Underway appeared first on Sailing Chance.

Having the right boat drinkware aboard can really make or break your enjoyment aboard. The saying goes, “there is no use crying over spilled milk,” but there is certainly a reason to cry when a cocktail goes down! Nothing can spoil a moment like shattered glass or a hot beer. We’ve tested numerous boat wine glasses, cups, mugs, bottles and tumblers aboard our boat and the below are our favorites on the market today. Now, repeat after me, “I will drink wine on a boat, I will drink wine on a boat, I WILL DRINK WINE ON A BOAT.”

If you are really starved for storage space aboard, I recommend getting just two types of drinkware – a tumbler and a water bottle. You can use the tumbler for hot and cold beverages and its easy to clean stickier stuff out of. But, if you like having specific vessels for each purpose, I’ve got recommendations for all of them! All of these glasses withstand the harsh salt environment and can easily be taken apart for hand washing.

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Boat Wine Glasses & Cocktail Glasses

I know I really should leave the best for last, but the Hydroflask Cooler Cup is my favorite. It can be used as a wine or cocktail glass AND as a coozie for beer cans or bottles. The silicone ring on the bottom slips off and fits on the top of the glass when used as a coozie to keep your beer secured. When used as a cup, the silicone ring helps keep the cup from sliding around whatever surface you put it down on. The cup is double-walled using vacuum insulated TempShield Insulation which is a fancy way of staying your cocktails will stay cold for up to 24 hours or warm up to 6. This truly is a multiuse product that I love having aboard.

While Avex does have a glass specifically designed for wine, we found it to have too small of a bottom and would tip over very easily. But, we love the Avex Sundowner Rocks Glass. This is one of the wider glasses we have onboard so it can easily hold your fancy cocktail ice cubes (we love the Tovino molds!). It is also perfect for wine. It features double-walled insulation so drinks will stay cold way longer than they should ever last. I’ve also used this for coffee from time-to-time. The bottom features a silicone pad to keep it from slipping as the boat rocks.

The Yeti Wine Glasses are a crowd-pleaser. They have a nice weight to them and a more traditional wine glass feel to them because of their shape. These Yeti Wine Tumblers are also double insulated to keep your drink cold all night long. They come in 10 different colors so you can easily match them to your boat decor. There is even a Rambler Magslider lid that fits these to keep wine contained on dinghy rides to shore to watch the sunset on the beach.

When we first set out on our sailing adventure, Govino Wine Glasses were all the rage as they were still pretty new. These plastic stemless wine glasses claim to be the creator of the first unbreakable and shatterproof wine glasses. These bad boys were created in Napa Valley for trade people to showcase their wines when proper stemware wasn’t available. Today, they have been happily gracing picnics, pools and boats. What I love about these glasses is they are incredibly lightweight (great for carrying in your bag), on the cheaper side of my recommendations and take up very little space as they are on the smaller side. What I really don’t like is just how lightweight they are when empty or close to empty. A light breeze will easily knock these glasses over which can be quite annoying.

If you are on the hunt for more traditional looking acrylic wine glasses, check out Vivocci Stemless Wine Glasses. These unbreakable wine glasses are made from BPA free plastic and have a real glass look but are durable enough to withstand the challenges of life aboard. I have noticed that this style of glass can slightly yellow or craze after a few years of use.

Boat Sparkling Wine Glasses

These Corkcicle Stemless Flutes are the newest drinkware addition to our boat. We don’t drink a lot of bubbly aboard, but some occasions call for it! These keep your drinks insanely cold (the narrow opening helps with this). I don’t know if it is my imagination, but it also seems like the bubbles are crisper when drank out of these glasses. The bottom has a silicone non-slip pad and the glasses are very sturdy despite their narrow shape. I love all the fun colors they come in as well.

The Govino Flute Glasses have the same appeal and faults that their wine glasses do. However, these are more susceptible to the wind blowing them over as they are tall and narrow. Govino glasses have the benefit that they are very light, packable and more affordable.

Boat Tumblers

The 20oz Yeti Rambler is one of my most used boat cups. Its a large enough size to hold enough liquid for a quick outing, or to keep me hydrated as I write this article. It keeps ice frozen through multiple drinks and keeps my coffee nice and hot while I’m walking the dogs thanks to the double insulated stainless design. In my opinion, the Magslider Lid is what really makes this cup. There is a magnet mechanism that allows the lid to open and close easily. The lid just slides into the cup, so keep in mind that this is NOT a spill-proof design. However, it does lessen the likelihood of losing your entire cup.

The Pelican Traveler Tumbler will keep your beverages as hot or as cold as you like, but what I think really stands out about the design of this tumbler is its lid. It screws into the tumbler instead of sliding in so don’t have to worry about it accidentally coming off. This spill-resistant design has a slight leg up on Yeti’s design. If you somehow figure out how to break or damage its durable double-wall vacuum insulation with a copper-plated inner wall, Pelican’s legendary lifetime guarantee has you covered.

Boat Coffee Mugs

While I can use any of the other cups aboard for my morning coffee in the cockpit, some days I have to take my coffee to go. That is where the Klean Kanteen TKWide with Café Cap comes in handy. This spillproof design allows me to throw this in my bag without worrying it will ruin whatever else is in my bag with it (which is usually my computer). Klean Kanteen recently redesigned their bottles so that the threads are inside the bottle instead of on the outside which allows for better temperature retention.

All of my standard ceramic coffee mugs have chips in them. Some have even lost their handles which I epoxied back on. There is just something amazing about drinking a hot cup of coffee on a crisp morning from your cockpit. Pure heaven. The Yeti Stainless Insulated Mug with Lid lets me enjoy my coffee in a more traditional mug style while being made of a more practical boat mug material. Because the mug is wider than their tumblers, it will allow warm beverages to cool off slightly quicker than using their tumbler as more of the liquid touches the air. Note that the cooling time is significantly longer than a traditional mug. The lid that comes with it helps, and you can also get a magslider lid separately. I would not recommend this as a travel mug as the design is so wide and it won’t fit into any cup holders.

Boat Water Bottles

The Klean Kanteen Kids Bottle is the perfect size for small hands and the sippy lid is great to prevent spills when it falls (or gets thrown) over. Zoë loves this bottle and can easily suck the liquid past the “no-spill” valve. We never can manage to keep the protective lid on so we just wipe the spout if it’s been anywhere it shouldn’t be. The bottle comes insulated and single-walled. The Klean Coat is safe for babies and pets if either of them gets the bottle in their mouths. I also love that I can attach a carabiner to the lid hook to attach it so it doesn’t roll away. https://amzn.to/2SYC9lC

I’ve written about my love of the AVEX FreeFlow Stainless Autoseal Water Bottle before, and my admiration for it remains. This bottle can keep water icy in 100-degree temperatures. The lid snaps open for easier cleaning, but it can still be a bit tough without a brush to get in all the nooks and crannies. Keep in mind any bottle or cup of this size can get heavy when full due to the material, but its worth it to me for the performance.

Personalized Boat Glasses

If you’re in the market for custom wine glasses for your boat, many of my recommendations can be personalized with your boat name. All of Yeti’s Rambler products can be customized on their website. There are also a bunch of third-party personalization services for the other brands. These make a meaningful and personalized boat gift for all the boaters in your life.

Do you have any other recommendations for boat cups I should test out? What favorites do you keep aboard?

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Outfitting your perfect galley is a constantly evolving process. After nearly four years aboard I think I have it all figured out, and then I discover some new life-changing item that I just have to have. What worked for Chance may not be the best sailboat galley equipment for Chancelot. It’s personal and varies by what kind of sailing you are doing. What you use most often as a dockside liveaboard will certainly be different from what you favor as you cross an ocean. Below is a list of my prized galley supplies and, for fun, three that everyone keeps telling me I should love, but just can’t find the heart for. Enjoy!

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Storage equipment for your galley

1The Sistema “Bake It” Storage Containers are one of my best boat galley storage solutions. Airtight with double clip secured tops, these come in different “baking” sizes that fit a whole bag of whatever they are designed for – flour, sugar, powdered sugar, etc. Don’t let the names limit your storage imagination, they are also a great fit for other dry goods. I currently have one for rice (in the flour size) and oatmeal (in the brown sugar size.) They come with a handy measuring cup that stays in the container so you never have to go searching for one. I find that these waste a lot less space than my Lock & Lock containers and seem to be a better overall fit in my current galley. The molded handles make it easy to grab and they easily stack so you can cram in a bunch in a small space.

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2I love going to the Annapolis Boat Show to discover fun new galley tools. Gripstics are one of those items. They slide on to any bag creating an airtight seal for chips, coffee, frozen veggies, etc. They come in all different sizes for all your sealing needs. Just fold the bag over and slide on the Gripstics. I’ve personally found them great at holding up to freezer temps without cracking.

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3There is a lot to love for your galley from Joseph Joseph, but one of my new favorites is their cutlery organizer and knife block. These drawer organizers are extremely compact and can easily fit in a small galley drawer. I particularly like how it seems to make better use of the vertical space in a drawer instead of just spreading out to take up the entire drawer.

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Boat Cooking Equipment That Makes Cooking on a Sailboat Easier

4I originally purchased my stovetop griddle pan during an accidental move back to land, but it fits perfectly on our Hillerange 3 burner stovetop. It makes prepping a big breakfast of bacon, pancakes and eggs so much easier with the increased cook space. I only wish it distributed the heat more evenly. But, I guess that is what you get for $15. Just keep an eye on what is cooking, and move around as needed.

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5I don’t fry a lot when cooking but sometimes you have to whip up a batch of conch fritters. When duty calls I try my best to keep the scalding oil in the pan. I’ve found traditional splatter guards to be really difficult to clean and the metal mesh screens just don’t hold up to a marine environment. I wasn’t even looking for anything specific while browsing the aisles of TJ Maxx (but when are you really?) when I stumbled upon a silicone splatter guard. It can easily be wiped down and because it’s silicone it won’t rust. It also doesn’t have a handle, but tabs, so it stores a lot easier.

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6So many sailors swear by Magma nesting pots and pans for boat cookware, but I really don’t find it that difficult to stack my regular pans. Granted I have never tried the nesting set, but I really don’t think I would enjoy living without my Analon pot with the colander built into the lid. It’s not too big, not too small and whenever it is clean gets used for every meal I seem to make. And, who doesn’t love one less dish to wash?

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Essential Baking Items for Your Sailboat Galley

7As someone who loves baking I never seem to have parchment paper on hand so I have thoroughly enjoyed the invention of silicone baking mats. They are great for keeping your cookies, pizza, whatever from sticking to the pan and are a lot easier to clean than a baking sheet with cooked on Pam stuck to it. I just cut them to size for my smaller boat sized baking sheets.

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8There isn’t a whole lot to say about my silicone pot holders except that I love them. They don’t get moist from the salt air, don’t fade and if you spill anything on them they easily rinse off. Bonus that they can help open stubborn jar lids, too.

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9I first found stackable cooling racks while living in my 244 sq ft Brooklyn studio. That apartment was where I really started to master small space living. I love to bake and these took up exactly all the counter space I had, but allowed me to cool multiple batches of cookies at a time. For some reason these didn’t make the cut when we first moved aboard but I recently bought a new set. They can be used individually or stacked three high. Perfect for any boat baker.

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Products for Cleaning Up Your Galley

10One of my favorite sailboat galley accessories is my Lunatec Scrubr. They are rough enough to get off really caked-on food, but gentle enough not to ruin your stuff. The best part is they never EVER smell and food particles don’t get stuck in it which can really gross me out. Ever since I tried these on The Boat Galley’s recommendation I haven’t looked back. (Editors note: Jason hates these for some reason, so they aren’t for everyone.)

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Beverage Items for Your Sailboat Galley

11A lot of sailors swear by the AeroPress but this girl prefers her French press. I find it the easiest way to make good coffee. I’m a two cup kind of girl and like making more than one at a time. I also love making iced coffee. Just fill it with coffee, add water, and put in the fridge for at least 12 hours. When it’s ready, just push the plunger down. Easy, peasy. The biggest complaint I hear is that cleaning up the press is messy but I don’t agree. Just make sure there is a little water in it, swirl it around and pour it overboard. I currently have a Bodum with a glass beaker. In all my time aboard I have only broken one. I have a spare (just in case!) aboard and when I finally go through that I will invest in their stainless model.

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12I shared my love of Avex products in my holiday gift list this year but these deserve another mention. Their thermoses keep water icy in 100 degree temps and coffee warm in freezing weather. I can’t get enough of them. [TIP: if you decide to use one thermos for both, be sure to rinse with boiling water to get the coffee flavor off the stainless.] Avex also makes really great insulated cups as well. We first tried the wine glasses. We loved how cold they kept our drinks but they were top heavy and easily knocked over. Not great for a swaying sailboat. We now have their Sundowner Rocks Glasses and like them a lot more. I also love how fitting the name is. You can see more of our drinkware recomendations in our guide.

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13We have a fridge that is shaped to our hull, which means it is curved. That doesn’t leave a lot of space for typical ice trays. I love these individual Tovolo Sphere Ice Molds. I admit they are a bit on the pricey side, but one of these spheres can last several drinks. Being that they are individual spheres, they can fit in to smaller spaces along the hull where a full tray just cant. They also are completely covered (outside of a small hole on top) so you don’t have to worry about gunk getting into your ice. Shout out to Sail Me Om for sharing this find with me.

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Items You Don’t Need for Your Galley

And because I like to be a leader, and not just follow what everyone else says, here are three things I’m supposed to like but really hate:

Most sailors swear by Corelle for their sailboat dinnerware. “Oh, they feel like real plates!,” “I just can’t bear to use plastic,” “They are unbreakable boat dishes!” Well, I am here to tell you that they certainly can break, and when they do they will shatter into a million teeny tiny pieces that I guarantee will continue to get lodged into the bottom of your foot for at least a month. Just trust me. And you know what, I have no problem eating off of Melamine plates. I actually love the designs that the Threshold Target line comes out with each summer. They also have great serving plates and bowls which are perfect for entertaining.

Everyone swears you need a double galley sink. So, based purely on blog and forum recommendations from other cruisers, we got one for Chance. I hated it. Each basin is tiny and you really can’t rinse off anything sizeable. Chancelot has a single larger basin and I. LOVE. IT. In my opinion, there is no reason to ever need that stupid tiny double boat galley sink set up.

I really wanted to like the Govino wine glasses. They’ve gotten rave reviews from countless bloggers, but I just don’t like them. They are great when they are full, but as soon as you drink anything they get too light and easily get blown over with any amount of wind. And, any night with our sailing buddies leads to a lot of empty glasses. This boat needs something a little more solid.

Other Sailors’ Favorite Galley Equipment

If you don’t like what I have to say, maybe one of these blogs have a few sailboat galley ideas you would prefer:

• Kim from Lahowind shares her faves in galley gear! 
• Brittany from Windtraveler talks about her Top 10 Galley Gadgets
• Cheryl from Good Ship Monster spells out the Favorites in Their Galley
• Melissa from Little Cunning Plan introduces a few new winners in her Galley Product Wins post
• And, the one stop shop for all things galley – The Boat Galley

So, what do you think? Anything life altering you’ve discovered that I should add to my list? Or, if you’ve written a post about the topic that you think I should check out and add to my list, comment below with a link!

Updated July 2019. Originally published in January 2017.

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If your boat is anything like ours, you have so many hidden sailboat storage compartments, but I bet they aren’t used to their best ability! Boat storage options are truly endless. Every time I step on to a new boat I am always inspired by something. Picking up little tips and tricks along the way, I have come up with a few boat storage ideas I’m pretty proud of. Since the majority of you may never cross paths with us and stop on by, I wanted to share some of my most clever boat storage solutions.

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Sailboat Storage Ideas

Canvas Bags: Bags have so many uses on a boat to help you keep everything organized and easy to manage. For Chance, I bought these bags from the Container Store to use in our closet. They allowed us to maximize the space (including along the curve of the hull) that we wouldn’t have been able to do if we use rigid buckets. I still use these on Chancelot along with packing cubes. Having multiple size bags makes it easy to organize like items and allows you to maximize the amount you can shove into a single cubby. I do wish they were waterproof, you know, just in case. I also bought a bunch of these shoe bags that help me keep my shoes organized and any dirt that may be stuck on the bottom contained.

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Fabric Bins: Dog toys, handbags, electronics, more sunglasses – really, whatever odds and ends we have lying around – all find their way into a few fabric bins. These boat storage bins keep our shelves clutter-free and small items from being thrown around while we’re underway. I find that the fabric bins are more useful and can squeeze into spots that plastic crates can’t. And, they look a lot better! We do use the rigid bins in the galley and in the fridge. These are much easier to rinse off if food spills on them.

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Wine Glass Rack: When we move aboard Chancelot we were gifted a set of plastic wine glasses. They are perfect for a night out on the deck and we don’t have to worry about them breaking if someone drops one. We installed a hanging wine glass rack under one of our cabinets and use a velcro tie to keep them in the rack while underway. Works perfectly.

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Pockets & Hammocks: I’ve written about my love for pockets as one of my all-time favorite boat storage organizers before, but I’ll say it again that these things really do come in handy. On Chance we had a pocket in the cockpit that kept our Explorer Charts nicely tucked away, but within arms reach while we were in the Bahamas, another pocket for our remotes and now on Chancelot we use one in the aft cabin to keep Jason’s socks out of harm’s way. Hammocks are equally as useful. We’ve used them to store produce and this winter we’re storing all our hats, gloves and scarves in one in our forward berth. The hammocks are nice as they let more airflow through whatever you have stored in them.

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Bungee Cord Flip Flop Organizer: Our companionway entrance used to house our battery bank so the bottom half of our entrance is a pretty hefty sized box. To keep our many flip flops off the floor I fashioned a bungee cord around it to slide them into. This is one of my favorite smart storage ideas because it creates new storage space and it is super easy to install. Pairs of flip flops easily slide behind the bungee cord, keeping them tucked out of the way.

In Stair Drawers: On Chance, our 34′ Seafarer, we built in a few drawers into the companionway stairs that ended up being one of my favorite small boat storage ideas. They gave us a lot of extra space that would have gone unused otherwise to store our silverware, stick lighters, cooking gadgets and random odds and ends.

Over the Cabinet Racks: These things are great. I have a few of these hung between the louvers in our cabinet doors and even over the fiddles in our heads. They keep shower products, toiletries, pens, etc all nicely contained and not thrown all over when we’re healing. The over the cabinet towel racks also work really well and avoids extra putting unnecessary holes in the walls for a permanent rack.

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Sunglasses String: We tend to collect sunglasses over here and have run out of places to keep them safe and scratch-free. I came up with the idea of hanging a simple paracord string up and hanging our sunglasses up and out of harm’s way. Boat storage solutions don’t always have to be complicated. Sometimes simple is best.

Duvet or Blanket Bolster: We have so many blankets aboard Chancelot. So. Many. They sure have come in handy when we have a group out for a sunset cruise and the temps start to drop, but for a while, I had no idea what to do with them when we weren’t using them. I saw the idea of using the blankets as the stuffing for a bolster pillow and a light bulb went off. It was so brilliant. So I hauled out my Sailrite and whipped up a bolster for the end of our bed and I haven’t looked back. You can find directions on how to make a bolster in one of our favorite sailing DIY books, Don Casey’s Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual. It provides something nice to lean up against when not in use and easily unzips when I’d rather snuggle up in the blanket hidden inside.

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What do you think, am I missing anything? Do you have any genius sailboat storage ideas that will change my liveaboard life?

Article updated July 2019. Originally posted in January 2016.

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Our boat is crewed by two adults which means we have to switch on and off between the two of us during night watches. Yes, we have technology to help (THANK YOU AUTOPILOT), but three hours on and three hours off can be hard to get through. You can easily get lost in your own thoughts, talk to the dogs, or listen to some tunes, but that can get boring pretty quickly. We prefer to listen to audiobooks.

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When we first started cruising we had one CD set of The Art of Racing in the Rain that we listened to on repeat. Thankfully it is now much easier to listen to your book of choice through Audible or your local library. You can download the books for offline listening so you don’t even need to worry about being connected to enjoy. Try a FREE 30-day Audible trial and get 2 free audiobooks.

Without further ado, we wanted to share some of our favorite recent listens depending on what you are in the mood for.

If you want to solve a crime

JK Rowling, author of the beloved Harry Potter series, has a secret pen name and a dark alter ego that has crept into the detective genre in an exciting way. As “Robert Galbraith”, Rowling has abandoned the magic, wizards and pagentry for a depraved murder whodunnit series starring a grizzled dark British detective—Cormoran Strike—who’s one part Jack Reacher, one part Sherlock Holmes, and one part Ben Sanderson (a la drunken Nick Cage in Leaving Los Vegas). His Watson is Robin Ellacott, a secretarial temp-turned-parter who is thankfully smarter and more daring than the average detective sidekick. As expected Rowling’s character development is just as rich as it was in Harry Potter, and each book will keep you guessing, awake, and on the edge of your helm seat. The narration of the 3-part series (The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, Career of Evil) is fantastic and yarns the web characters and plots Rowling (or Galbraith) has spun into a gripping audiobook series worthy of any passage. And hey, you’ll always have a new anecdote to share about JK Rowling secret life! (Note: Video more your thing? This series has also been adapted for TV by BBC and is now available in the US on Cinemax via Amazon Prime Video). 

For A Stephen King Novel that Won’t Freak You Out

The King of horror is now the King of detective novels? You better believe it. Mr. Mercedes is Steven’s King’s first (and only!) foray into the detective/police procedural genre and he delivers a group of characters and narratives that I’d place among his best. In this trilogy—because King loves trilogies—a retired and suicidal police detective gets a personal taunt from a man who just drove a Mercedes into a line of 40+ people at a job fair—before disappearing into the ether. Without giving the plot away, I can you that what happens from there will blow your mind. Narrated by actor Will Patton, the audiobook series will keep you awake on any passage. Even if you’re not a fan of detective novels, I’d take Mr. Mercedes for a test drive. (Note: Mr. Mercedes has also been adapted into a Hulu Original TV series). 

For a Good Laugh

I’ll begin by saying that Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite writers. From American Gods to Neverwhere to Coraline to Sandman, I’ve never been disappointed. But Good Omens is probably his best work—and the most fun. I’ll warn ahead here: in Good Omens, Gaiman does play with some religious dogma in this (in a good-natured way) so if that will bother you, you might want to skip to the next audiobook. The plot follows an angel and a demon who’ve developed an unlikely friendship that begins in the Garden of Eden. After thousands of years living among us and falling in love with the world around them, these two unlikely heroes on the opposite side of good and evils are forced to team up to stave off the Apocalypse and save the world. The characters are unique, the story is fun, and the hijinx is hysterical. Be careful not to laugh too hard and wake the next watch early!

Forget John Snow. Forget that horrible Game of Thrones series finale. With this prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: A Song of Ice and Fire, George RR Martin takes us 100 years before the Game of Thrones to a world where the Targaryens still reign supreme—and one unlikely hedge knight will change the fate of the entire Kingdom. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is actually a collection of three sequential novellas: The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, The Mystery Knight. These three prequels follow Dunk, our bumbling hedge knight and future commander of the Kingsguard, and Egg, the future king Aegon V Targaryen. This audiobook is much easier to follow along than GOT, and much more story driven than the droll 300 year Targaryen history “Fire and Blood” Marten just released. So if you’re like me, and can’t wait for Martin to hurry up and release GOT’s Winds of Winter, this may help quench your thirst in the meantime. 

For Lazy Beach Reads or Listens

You saw the movie. You might not admit it to your friends, but you totally saw the movie. And on the off chance you didn’t… Good. Because the book is so much better! And the audiobook is even better than that. I won’t dive too deep into the premise, but Crazy Rich Asians is essentially a globalized version of the age-old story—secretly rich boy falls in love with a modest (and brainy) middle-class girl. He brings her home to meet the fam, where she shockingly discovered how crazy rich they are (and how crazy mean they are). Insert the conniving and disapproving mother, the comical friend, and collection of jealous mean girls, Crazy Rich Asians, checks all the right boxes. And while it’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times, Crazy Rich Asians’ unique and very entertaining spin makes the clichéd story more fun and entertaining than you’d expect. As sailors (and travelers) you’ll also get an interesting peek into the city of Singapore, a place I think we’d all like to sail someday. If you like the first book, don’t forget to listen to China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems next!

Somewhere between Almost Famous and The Doors, this gripping novel is a coming of age story about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, ultimately revealing the mystery behind their infamous breakup. It’s the perfect classic rock story epitomizing the clashes, music, passion, and drama inherent in each of our favorite rock bands and frontmen (or frontwoman in this case). Daisy Jones & the Six will transport you back to the Sunset Strip in the ’60s and a nation gripped by a budding new sound. Reese Witherspoon said it best, “It’s sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll, people!!” She loved the book (and audiobook) so much, she is turning it into a TV series! The audiobook is narrated by actress Jennifer Beals (of Flashdance fame) and is perfectly timed with a string of new rock and roll biopics hitting book stands and theatres. 

A Weird One Worth A Listen

To Feel Inspired

From the best-selling author of Blink and The Tipping Point comes a new book that challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages. Why does the little guy with seemingly nothing going for him, still sometimes win? Three thousand years ago, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then, the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David’s victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn’t have won. Or should he have? In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks. For any sailor about to head out on a big (or even little) crossing, Gladwell’s stories of the little guy—like a boat heaving against the might of an ocean storm—are inspiring, insightful, and entertaining in a way that only Malcolm Gladwell can be. (Which is why he narrates it too!) 

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