Fenders

Round, square, angular?  All three, Captain!  The first have the advantage of taking up less space and remain in place, even in windy conditions.  The second are voluminous, but perfect for spreading the load on the hull - and sometimes hatches.  But if they’re not held in place, they can sometimes fly off and end up uselessly on the deck.  The third are ideal for the sugar scoops. 

Boom

Crossing the Atlantic - more specifically, heading for the Caribbean - means downwind sailing, which may entail frequent gybing.  To avoid the risk of breakages (gooseneck, battens and so on), the boom brake has many fans.  The use of a padeye at the gunwale allows the mainsheet to be attached with a better angle of pull, favoring good control of the mainsail leech, and easing the load on the vang…  Note: newer models, more inconspicuous and aesthetic, have been available for some years.

Getting ashore

Getting down onto the dock is easy with recent models that are equipped with a pivoting platform.  But otherwise?  You’ll need a passerelle if you’re going to be moored stern-to.  Folding (or not) in carbon fiber or a simple board (slatted, if possible, to make it non-slip) - there’s something for every budget!  If you are bows-to the dock, fit a ladder to your pulpit, or a cut down set of steps.

Antennas

GPS, Iridium, Wi-Fi, radar, and so on… there are antennas and radomes everywhere!  So, why not fix them all to a single mast, like a Christmas tree?  Ultimately less weight and windage!

Dinghy

Doc 76-05

Getting the dinghy and its heavy motor up on the davits: here’s one of the advantages with our catamarans…  But in the end, they’re better stowed in a locker and the outboard fixed somewhere secure!

Electric motors

One to two hours running time, no noise and zero pollution: electric outboards come into their own in a lagoon!  Providing you can charge the battery… which means having AC power on board.

Fishing

Offshore, there’s no lack of fish: fresh dorado or fresh tuna are a food lover’s delight.  So you’ll need all the gear for trailing a line set in place: rod holders and spools are useful additions to the pushpit.

Wi-Fi

There’s nothing worse than trying to contend with a Wi-Fi signal which is flitting between one and three bars.  Cunning DIY-ers have made signal amplifiers out of beer cans…  but a Wi-Fi signal booster in the rigging works every time!

Liferaft

Look after your raft!  It’ll be much better outside than in the bottom of a locker, for obvious ease of use in an emergency.  So long as it isn’t somewhere it can be knocked, or walked on: the solution if your multihull isn’t equipped with a proper housing for it, is a custom-made stowage position, integrated into the guardwires or on the pushpit.

Solar panels

Seen on just about every offshore racer and cruising sailboats.  Solar panels: they work!  Watch out for anything which puts them in the shade - even the mast or boom.  Ideally, they should be   mounted on an adjustable bracket so that they can be oriented perpendicular to the sun.

Hydrogenerator

This is the kit that everyone’s buying and fitting now!  Simple to install, very compact and robust, they offer excellent output for very little drag - which is why you see them on IMOCA boats now.  The only downside?  They won’t do anything for you at anchor!

Wind generator

Perfect in anchorages fanned by the tradewinds, but less effective on a transat for instance, sailing downwind when the apparent wind is much reduced.  Consider fitting one out of reach of the crew, and choose one of the quieter models!

Barbecue

Catching fish is great, but grilling them is even better!  But rather than overwhelm the saloon with the smell, cook outside!  A stainless barbecue, fixed to the pushpit, will guarantee you cordon bleu   meals…

Protection

Dorade vents and radomes can be very exposed when the headsail is flapping about.  This is often the case downwind, when it’s no longer filled, in the lee of the main.  And also when the swell is disturbing the sailplan.  A stainless protective frame will avoid breakages and limit chafe.

Kayak and paddle boards

In an anchorage there’s nothing better than exploring in the mangroves or discovering hidden beaches thanks to a kayak or paddle board.  The former is cumbersome on a monohull: they can only be stowed against the guardwires.  Once again, multihulls have the advantage, where they can be stowed on the davits - if the dinghy has been deflated…  A paddleboard takes up even less space… an inflatable model is perfect for long term cruising.

Small boat sailing

Carrying one or two sailing dinghies on board is not for all sailboats - although the inflatable and dismantleable Tiwal and others such as Smartkat, make a good case for it…  But on board a catamaran such as this Outremer 49, the kids can continue perfecting their tacking in their Optimists… the sabbatical year is off to a great start!

Staysail

Carrying a good sail for a breeze of a suitable cut and weight can give an undeniable gain in performance, and save the genoa for working in “all or nothing” mode.  The ideal way to reduce windage, weight aloft and for not hampering the genoa when tacking, is to have a removable stay on a snapshackle... but then a second furler fixed in place is tempting too!

Mainsail furler

Slab reefing for a mainsail has more than proved its worth… but the option to furl the mainsail is still attractive, especially for a short-handed crew, even if mechanical breakdowns remain a risk.  Roller-  furling for the boom is heavier (watch out for the gybe), but your main can keep a nice roach.

Comfort

There’s nothing wrong with making yourself feel good!  So why not have comfortable seats on the pulpits, not forgetting made to measure cushions… those on the Saba 50, shown here, are quite convincing.

Vane steering

It uses no power and helms all by itself day and night, given just a few knots of apparent wind.  Vane steering gear, adopted by circumnavigators 30 years ago, is today competing against autopilots, which have become more efficient and above all, cleverer.  They are also delicate and cumbersome… and not so well-suited to catamarans, where they have to be fitted completely off-center.  Their use is more justified on a trimaran.  You either love them or hate them…

Music

What about a little jazz, some heavy rock, a bit of dance music or a symphony?  Offshore, you’re not going to upset the neighbors!  Boatbuilders fit waterproof speakers, so turn it up!

Fuel

Tanks on modern cruising boats are big - 300, 400, 600 liters and more - but, if during the course of a long, 3 week crossing, the battery bank is demanding five hours of motoring per day, that’s more than 100 liters.  And with a consumption of 3 or 4 liters and hour, well, you’re going to need some jerryjugs.  If the lockers are full, they’re best lashed aft, where they’ll be least in the way.

Fruit

Load up on fresh fruit: there’s plenty of it in the Canaries…  To ensure optimum storage time, suspend them under them bimini or sprayhood in a net.  In free air which is generally in the shade, they can finish ripening gently, and stay delicious for at least ten days.

Mast head

In Las Palmas we found something better than the traditional bucket - hoisted on its own halyard - to hold tools and parts: this deep fabric bag practically eliminates the risk of the contents tipping out.

Bikes

Leaving a bicycle on deck during a transat it a sure fire way to render it useless, or as good as.  So go for a folding model, which can easily be found a place in a locker or a cabin.

Coffee

Are you fed up with instant coffee?  So fit an AC circuit and enjoy some of your home comforts - as seen (and tasted) over the past year on board Neel 45 La Caravelle…  But a word of warning if you go for capsules: difficult to get them delivered in the middle of the Atlantic.

LEDs

One of the easiest and most effective ways of reducing power consumption on board is to replace all your standard bulbs with LEDs - for the same amount of light, they use 5 to 10 times less energy!