This was really good. Saw it twice….. loved the rational behind your decisions.

I just want to say - this cruising tips series you’ve done is SO helpful and well done that even though I watched this one when it was released I’m going back and watching a lot of them again as we prepare to make the big jump into boat ownership. So thanks again for the work you guys put into these, it’s appreciated

Great list !!! Had to save this vlog for future reference. Thanks, David.

Great advice. One more upgrade: you also need a companion like Amy to support you around the world.

Enjoyed this ! We have everything you mentioned here and we love our 65 Mantus!! Getting ready to cruise south next year! We added a diesel heater to our list!

Love the new format. Great info

Good to see some tech videos again. Nice new format. I bought my 85# Manta and AIS based on your suggestions several years ago.

Excellent video! very refreshing and to the point. Thank you.

Thanks for all this info. So helpful!

Excellent info from someone with experience.

Excellent advice David! Would love you to do more of this detailing some of the other upgrades (e.g., sails, standing and running rigging, trampolines), equipment (e.g., navigation, galley, fans), clothing (e.g., foulies, sun-protection), toys (e.g., dive and snorkel, photo/video/sound), etc. you have added and discarded along the way.

Super good info. Thanks for taking the time to make it.

Excellent information!

Really good information from your practical experience. Very interesting and well presented. 👍

great video. Thank you.

Agreed with the comments - really useful series

Well done and very useful!

Well done

Outstanding insight!

As usual, very useful.

Excellent as usual, well done author Amy

Thank you for the great information!

Excellent video thank you

Great advice, great list of recommendations but I can think of a couple more; one thing I would like to have are rungs on my mast so I can easily climb it, two a larger alternator, three a life raft and an i Com handheld transceiver AIS for when all else fails!

Thank you.

Very good information!

Great information, 👍

I think you missed high-quality batteries (Lithium) that should maybe have been included in your Solar section, nice selection of the 9 upgrades though, no one should be without any of these :-)

Hello, new to your channel. Great job on this post! Wholeheartedly agreed with your suggestions. Looking forward to watching more of your posts. Thanks

I have an 78kg new generation anchor on an 18 ton monohull, with 115m of chain. I am a weight weenie, but this is the one place where I will choose heavy. Many fishing and other boats do not have AIS so don't rely on it. Watchkeeping is more important than ever.

These are going to be a great series. I remember when the prop fell off. 😖

What a surprise, good to see you guys again. Hope all is well.

Hi Guys, Great advice as always. We (our family -4 of us from Oz) are embarking on the sailing life at the end of this year 2023 when our daughter finishes school. I am new to your channel and i love that you guys are just real!!! The information and experiences you share always seem to have no agenda, that's the sailing world i grew up around. The work you obviously put in to make these videos must be quite a lot, so thank you for your efforts, from what i have seen they are great. I will continue to watch your channel as we get ready for our journey. Any advice you have for us will be greatly appreciated. We have watched hundreds of youtube vids of other families & people doing this and we think yours is the most informative. Other channels seem to sell, sell, sell the how to do this full time. How to teach you, all the pit falls, but isn't that part of the learning / growing experience? I will gather as much information from other sailors out there like you guys and dive in. Congrats on a great channel...and hope we catch up out there one day...Cheers Aaron

Good list! I have the same 85# Mantus anchor and love it! I have been using a Kiwiprop (with Propspeed) with good results so you might want to check into that option.

OC Tender - best in the business

Great video David. I must admit that I am jealous of your beautiful enclosure. 😂 Even though we do have a full enclosure, it doesn’t compare to the one you designed for Starry Horizons.

Thanks 🦘

Good list. My list mirrors yours but adds a lithium bank and a good downwind sail setup (a reacher and a runner). Of course this assumes all the safety equipment is accounted for.

No fishing tips? Just kidding, love that you guys are back!

On the new models of folding props I have seen on the end nut with the wide washer has threaded holes in opposite sides with grub nuts so once tightened you use lock tight on the grub screws. This prevents the nuts turning as a second security feature. These are on Gori props. My friend has them and his older prop nut does not have these grub screws but the new one he bought does. He bought a new one as he lost the old as the nut was not correctly tightened

Featherstream Props are the best already 3 years under our boat and really 0.6 knots more speed

Looks to me like BWC (Blue Water Cruising) 101. Ever thought of a compilation of boating advice (like this one and more) as well as your "10 points on cruising ........") in 1 video with maybe an index on covered subjects for easy reference and quick access?

You need update the video & add Starlink to the list. Holy hell what a game changer. 1,100 mile offshore passage down the east coast this past week and didn’t lose connection once. A friend in the Salty Dog rally was able to stream NFL game 650 miles offshore. 👍🏻

Wise and eloquent! Like me. ;-)

At least one power winch a very nice addition as well.

Excellent summary and narrative - my only comment would be , I would add in there medical training/medications/ equipment and safety equipment / few ever talk about these 2 subjects , maybe you can consider to do a video just on these 2 subjects .

Great list we agree with your recs. One question - how do you keep your enclosure free of scratches? We have lots of scratching where we roll ours up. Is it user error? Do we have a sub-par quality material?

I very much liked your cockpit enclosure. Since we are taking delivery of our Balance 442 later this year I would like to ask about it. Who made it? I would like to get a similar looking one. Thanks.

⛵❤

not a bad video over all. If i remember right, ya'll are not new to sailing, like so many channels? or? anyhow, thank you

If you have a large cat compared to a big monohull are you more limited on marina locations that can pull you out of the water for 'emergency' maintenance?

a xiegu 12 volt ssb transceiver is under $500 on line

As always on Point David, We have 8 of the suggested upgrades just been hanging off Sat comms and waiting on Starlink, We have stayed Coastal so 4G Antenna on the mast and 4G router has been an essential tool as get comms 50KM off the coast and apologies but we totally copied you enclosure designs with the Scallops and for a day sail they are perfect and when on the hook for numerous days we roll them up completely. One Question have you added a second single line reef or a second reefing line back to the helm to save having to use the strop at the mast?

Lithium battery should be number one couchsailor approved 🤔😁👍 I'm assuming they don't come standard

🙂👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Interesting episode, although the list is kind of all stuff "we bought" for years. However, I expected a more realistic view. Consider you are looking for a used boat or just purchased one. Most advice is to not immediately buy all possible gadgets and upgrades you ever read or seen on YT as essential; instead, go out sailing, and your list of crucial upgrades will for sure change. For example, imagine that your list may be categorized as "must" and "nice" for the newly purchased boat. For the sake of simplicity, excluding any personal safety equipment, you were faced with which items to buy on a wish list. For example, you may go for a new anchor and rode, water-maker, or considered the AIS. I try to make the point, you actually don't have the option of picking 9 items. Instead, if I have, say $10,000, I have to choose between a few expensive things or a combination of cheaper items. Maybe your "nice" items have to wait a while. Thus, make an episode like, "what I would I think is essential if I have $10,000, or $25,000 - you see the order becomes significant. Which items picked will be a trade-off between different needs, and other things have to wait until more money Is available. I hope you got the more realistic scenario that most cruisers are faced with unless their economic situation is not an issue. Maybe you can share the order of your essential upgrades as a starter. Cheers.

I thought batteries would be on the list…or refrigeration, knowing capacity of either are issues from the factory. Great list though!

Since this seems to be aimed at novice boat owners I think you really should have explained the whole anchor watch thing a bit better......Anchor Watch, especially in a crowded anchorage, and in adverse conditions it is not only about you dragging it is also being aware of others dragging or swinging into you.

Can I get away with some combination of chain and rode? After X meters - the risk of the rode being on the ground is minimal - right? How much chain is enough?

How much chain do you carry?

are you talking about sailors that sail or parkers that park more than they sail?

If you install Oceanvolt Servoprops and replace the diesels, you can regenerate while sailing.

No Propellers is faster

OMW! What an ego on this kid! Silver spoon much?

How about a new number 1. Blue water, monohull only.