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The side discussion about where to put the VHF got me thinking about how boats used to be organised around the chart table. That was where all the navigation was done, where the old sounder used to be, the VHF set was installed, where the Decca was, which was followed by the GPS. If there was a...

I’m looking around for a new chartplotter and wondering whether to opt for a touchscreen only version or a hybrid touchscreen/buttons one. It will be used under the sprayhood so will not get direct rain on it. My gut feeling says to retain the buttons for more accurate placing of waypoints etc...

My trusty Raymarine C 120 plotter has been struggling since I had my chart (UK + Netherlands) updated a couple of weeks ago. The updated charts were put on a CF 2 Gb, just like the previous version. Since the update the plotter has crashed every couple of hours: the chart freezes although the...

Due to the continuing pandemic, Oostende voor Anker has been postponed to 2022. Statement released by the organisation. Oostende voor Anker - Maritiem Evenement van de Noodzee

The traditional argument against over-reliance on electronic navigation is of course that it can fail for any number of reasons and you have to be able to get home safely by traditional navigation. I am not disputing that. But I am intrigued to know how high that risk really is. I can remember...

I have posted this on the East Coast Forum, but it may be of interest to people who do not visit the ECF regularly, so I will duplicate it here’ For those of you who post-Corona want to sail to the continental fleshpots, here is an update. Yachts coming from the U.K. (or any other third...

For those of you who post-Corona want to sail to the continental fleshpots, here is an update. Yachts coming from the U.K. (or any other third country) and sailing to Belgium (or any other Schengen country) are required to register online before arrival and to notify border police when they...

My Johnson 750 gph bilge pump switches on when it detects water, but does not switch off automatically. The auto switch is an electronic one, not a float switch. There do not seem to be any moving parts. Is there anything that can be serviced, or is it just a throwaway item? It can be replaced...

A question that arose as a result of the Contessa 32 thread. That rehashed all the arguments we have read so many times about seakeeping qualities in a storm versus being slow, wet, cramped etc. It is all very well having a boat that survived the Fastnet storm in the hands of a full and...

Beneteau has announced it will be cutting up to 1390 jobs, one sixth of its workforc, due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. It will be closing, selling or putting into hibernation 5 of its 24 manufacturing sites in France, Slovenia and the USA. So far this year sales are down 16...

Has PocketGrib changed or is it a glitch? When I download a new gribfile I only get 48 hours worth of data, not the 8 days I used to get. I have of course checked the download parameters and everything is still as it was. I am sure all was still normal last time I opened the app, but I haven’t...

The recent storms have taken their toll on the entrance channel. A sandbank has formed extending from the Western pier almost across the entire channel, which according to the NtM is LAT +1. It will be dredged in the coming weeks but progress is dependent on the weather. For the time being I...

My saloon table is showing the traces of 20 years of use, one or two deeper scratches, varnish worn thin in in some places. It is teak with a satin finish. Seeing Concerto’s presentation on his restoration has made me wonder how best to restore my table to its original state. Do I have to take...

I am borrowing Daydream Believer's suggestion in another thread, as it has made me think and I do not want to hijack the other thread I have a pair of bolt croppers aboard (as I`m sure many of us do) in the event of dismasting. But I have never used them in anger and frankly have some doubts...

Is the water from a domestic tumble dryer pure enough to use to top up lead-acid batteries, or does it contain too many impurities?

We have just returned from a seven week round trip from Belgium to the west coast of Norway. Favourable winds both on the outward and homebound legs and great scenery in the fjords, so quite pleased. The weather had some room for improvement, but nothing you would not expect there. For those of...

Our summer cruise is taking us to Norway. We will be leaving from Belgium, and the general idea is to head up the Dutch coast to either IJmuiden or Den Helder and from there almost due North to the Stavanger region. As the wind along the Norwegian coast is often NW, we will try to stay to the...

A long shot, I know, but here goes: One of the light switches on my Starlight 39 has stopped working. I would like to replace it with something as close as possible to the original, but in Belgium where I live, I can't find anything remotely similar. The boat was built by Rival Bowman in 1999...

The PRV on my water heater has developed an annoying leak, which causes the pump to cycle far too often. Any ideas what I could do? Would soaking it in vinegar help? Or should I just condemn and replace it? If so, can I use a spare that I buy at the plumbers?

Tonight two RIB’s collided on the river Schelde in Antwerp. 18 people were thrown into the water. They were picked up by a ferry who happened to be nearby and a couple of other boats. 3 people suffered serious injuries, 15 others were hypothermic. The two RIB’s were carrying people from a Dutch...