The Unsung Hero of Every Voyage: The Shore Captain
Every offshore voyage has an often-overlooked crew member: the Shore Captain. Discover why having a trusted person ashore can be just as important as the equipment and expertise on board.
We Know Boats
We Know Boats
The 75% Rule in Offshore Sailing
Offshore sailing is about performance, endurance and making smart decisions. During the day, you often push the boat and crew close to their maximum potential. But when night falls, the game changes. That is when the 75% rule comes into play.
Black Swans, Baby-Stays and Why the Yogi Is No More
Why is the 'Yogi' no more? It wasn't a lack of technology, but perhaps too much of the wrong kind. Dive into the mathematical 'Black Rabbits' of Fibonacci and the engineering trade-offs that determine who survives the 'impossible' scenario at sea.
Price drop in Boat Sales
Over more than 50 years in and around yachts as a sailing school owner, surveyor and purchase advisor I have seen many market cycles, many negotiations, and unfortunately also many expensive mistakes. One subject that continues to fascinate me is…
A Bucket of Flowers and Cutting-Edge Watermakers
This experiment revealed a fundamental principle: if there is a semi-permeable membrane and a difference in the concentration of substances, water will naturally move from the low-concentration side to the high-concentration side on its own.
Ambulance, Binary Stars and Saving Lives at Sea
What does a screaming ambulance on a city street have in common with a pair of stars dancing in deep space? More than you’d think. Discover how the Doppler Effect connects the cosmos to the cockpit, and why this simple shift in frequency is the unsung hero of maritime safety.
David Ricardo, One Ale and Göta Canal
A foreigner would not immediately distinguish a Swedish newspaper from a Danish one. The two languages are very close to each other. What differs dramatically is the pronunciation. In times of military rivalry it was said that a spy could be exposed by a single word dropped in a bar.
Boat Flag Registration – simple?
Registering a boat under a flag might feel like a simple administrative checkbox, but the "devil is in the details."
In the maritime world of 2026, a flag is no longer just a piece of colored fabric at the stern; it is a complex intersection of technical rigor, geopolitical maneuvering and digital safety.
A Cup of Tea on Everest – and What It Explains About Your Boat
A boat propeller is designed to work with liquid water - relying on its density, mass and viscosity to transmit force. When cavitation occurs, part of that water becomes vapor. Vapor behaves very differently: it has far less mass and viscosity, meaning it cannot transmit a load effectively.
VHF DSC – why digital reaches further
While getting your SRC, you probably saw the handbook stating that DSC alerts (Distress, Urgency, Safety, Routine) on Channel 70 are more likely to be received than voice calls on Channel 16. Here is why - and why not
Bow Thruster Installation on Elan 40
As part of the owner’s retirement plan, this early-2000s Elan 40 underwent several important upgrades, including a new engine and the installation of a bow thruster. What follows is a step-by-step overview of the installation process, excluding electrical work and…
A Crouching Tiger, Morse Code and Why Rhythm Speaks Louder
Why does the human brain process rhythm more reliably than speech under stress? Dive into the fascinating intersection of neuroscience and nautical history to see how Morse code anticipated data compression and became the most resilient language ever used at sea.
Engine-free transom – how it works
Increasing onboard space is a major industry trend, with unfolding freeboards now appearing on many modern vessels. However, the traditional layout of outboard-powered boats has remained largely unchallenged; the most desirable area of the boat – the stern – is…
A Radar Reflector, an orchestra and a missing ship
Why your boat is Noise, not Music: Radar Reflectors Explained with physics, coherence and orchestra analogy.
Albin Vega: 60-Year Anniversary and Variable Pitch That Didn’t Scale
Albin Vega is a small Swedish cruising sailboat built from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, designed by Per Brohäll and built by Albin Marin. It became one of the most successful fiberglass sailboats of its time, with about 3,400 boats built.
Jules Verne, Tuomas Vohlonen and the Nodding Needle
From Jules Verne’s disturbed needle to Tuomas Vohlonen’s steadying liquid, the compass tells a deeper story than simple direction. It is a thousand-year-old instrument still shaped by physics, moving poles, and the hidden balance between north and south.
VHF Alphabet, Love Story, and Why William Is Not on the List
"There is a quiet irony in the fact that Romeo and Juliet - born from a literary masterpiece of miscommunication - are the stars of an alphabet designed to prevent it. Dive into the history of the International Radiotelephony Phonetic Alphabet.
Cristiansø – a tiny Danish outpost
Few nautical miles northeast of Bornholm, the Ertholmene archipelago - three small islands, only two inhabited - feels like Denmark’s smallest and most charming “real” destination: a fortified rock, a compact harbour and just enough services to make a stop comfortable without losing that remote-island edge.
Old Jokes, Paper Charts and Navigating the Hall of Mirrors
Have you ever found yourself in that "magical" situation - sailing in open water, far from any navigational hazards, only to have your chart plotter insist you are currently driving down a windy road toward your ex’s house? It is a disorienting, almost surreal experience.
Morse code 88 “Love and Kisses”
Morse code 88 is a friendly shorthand used by radio operators and sailors to mean “Love and Kisses”.
How Geometry Beat Power, Maritime Rivalry and the Fresnel Lens
Light is limited. Technology has caps. But human insight is boundless. Learn how the Fresnel lens used concentric rings and 'unique light signatures' to transform lighthouses from simple beacons into precision-engineered lifesavers.
Jonmeri 40 – Proven Finnish Cruiser to take you anywhere
The Jonmeri 40 is a solidly built Finnish cruising yacht, designed to handle the demanding conditions of Northern waters while offering excellent comfort for longer stays onboard.
Teak deck repair after a fire onboard
Teak deck repair after a fire onboard: causes, step-by-step restoration and practical insights from a real boat repair case.