We did a major refit on our sailboat, and one of the key jobs was replacing the cutlass bearings — the parts that support the propeller shafts and keep vibrations low when the props spin. To do this, we hauled the boat out of the water, dropped the rudders, pulled the shafts, and used a heat gun to loosen the glue holding the old bearings in place. Once they slid out, we pressed in brand-new bearings, reinstalled everything, and got ready to launch again! It’s one of those behind-the-scenes jobs that makes a huge difference in how smooth and reliable the boat feels underway. Follow along for more sailboat refit projects, cruising life, and ocean adventures!

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When winter shows up, the build doesn’t slow down—it just gets… creative. With the cockpit shrink-wrapped, a single zippered doorway as our gateway to the cold, and our diesel heater pushing warm air wherever we need it, we’re keeping this project moving one day at a time. Today’s mission: getting our 600-pound diesel electric hybrid engine lifted just a few inches so we can prep the mounts beneath and lock everything in with fast-setting methacrylate. Working through winter is always an adventure. Do you push through the cold too? Or have a story from your own winter projects? Tell us below.

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I`m hungry and I cannot get back on my boat! The Tidal variation is only two meters, but I leave enough slack in the lines to accommodate fluctuations. Which is fine, except when the winds pick up when I go shopping for supper. It is also high tide, so the mooring lines are slackest. Not complaining, though. I consider it twenty minutes well spent from an exercise point of view. It helped work up an appetite.

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