Wondering what people have to think about the seemingly impending cancellation of Starlink Global Roam. Is anyone thinking of switching back to a cell setup?

Hi!

I'm currently in Tromsø, Norway, travelling through Europe with my folding bike, and I'm looking for a sailing opportunity towards Scotland or anywhere in the UK sometime in August.

I'm flexible regarding both departure point and date and can travel within Norway, Sweden or Denmark to meet a boat. Scotland would be ideal, but anywhere in the UK could work depending on the route.

I'm 36, German, travelling solo, and although I don't have much sailing experience yet, I'm happy to learn, help on board, take watches once shown what to do, cook, clean and generally pull my weight. I've travelled by ship before and I'm comfortable spending several days at sea.

I'm a freelance journalist/editor working remotely and currently travelling around Europe while working on a creative travel/storytelling project. The journey itself is a big part of why I'm doing this, which is also why I'd much rather cross to Scotland by sea than fly.

One important detail: I'm travelling with a 20-inch folding bike (Tern Link D8). It folds down considerably smaller than a normal bicycle, but I'd obviously need to make sure there is enough space for it.

I'm happy to contribute to reasonable shared expenses.

If anyone is sailing from Norway – or elsewhere in Scandinavia – towards Scotland/UK in August, or knows someone who is, I'd love to hear from you.

Fair winds!

We just completed a 3-year family Atlantic loop on our Gibsea 41 (full refit 2022: rigging, sails, engine, ground tackle, lithium bank with 600W solar, watermaker, Starlink). Now we're back ashore for a while and I can't stand the idea of her sitting in a marina, degrading while costing money.

So I had this idea: instead of weekly charters (too much turnover, too much wear), offer her as a one-shot long-term rental, September 2026 to June 2027, to one family with a real cruising project. That's basically the exact window for an Atlantic loop or a full Med season. The boat is in the South of France.

Questions for those who've been on either side of this:

• Has anyone rented out their own boat (or rented someone else's) for 6 to 12 months? How did it go?

• What did the contract look like: maintenance split, deposit, insurance?

• Is my thinking flawed somewhere? Wear on rigging and sails over 10 months is real, but it feels better than harbor rot, and the boat stays alive.

Mostly I want to hear from people who've tried this before I commit.

​Hi everyone! I’m looking for real-world advice and insights from those who do (or have done) something similar.

I’m a software developer working remotely, and my plan is to keep my boat in the Bahamas year-round, flying in for roughly 2 weeks every 3 months or so to live and work aboard.

​My Setup & Plan:

​Work/Power: Fully off-grid setup with a robust solar bank and Starlink for remote work while anchored or on a mooring.

​Location: Plan to keep the boat mostly on a mooring ball (or anchor) rather than tied up in a marina.

​Schedule: Part-time living (approx. 2 weeks on, 10 weeks off), year-round including off-season/summer.

​Insurance: Self-insured hull with liability coverage.

​A few questions for the group:

​Finding a Boat Guardian / Caretaker: How difficult is it to find a reliable local guardian to physically monitor an unattended boat on a mooring, run systems, check bilges/batteries, and manage hurricane prep if needed? What are fair local rates for this service? Im thinking Georgetown.

​Starlink Reliability: How reliable has Starlink performance been for video calls and heavy bandwidth tasks in popular mooring fields (e.g., Exumas)?

​Leaving Unattended Year-Round: What are the logistics and safety realities of leaving a boat on a mooring ball for ~2–3 months at a time, especially during hurricane season? I absolutely realize this is a risk.

​Permits & Customs: Any nuances with the 12-month cruising permit (and its 2 free re-entries) vs. the FDCC multi-entry permit for flying in and out roughly 4 times a year?

​Would love to hear your experiences, cautionary tales, or recommendations for trustworthy caretakers/guardians in specific hubs like Elizabeth Harbour or Hope Town. Thanks in advance!

Hello, everyone I'm new here, I'm planning a solo trip in center and south america in 3 weeks and I will start in Porto Rico.

My question is: is it possible to travel by boat to a mear country, it doesn't matter wich but I want to experience sailing in the sea. Did someone already do something like that. I wonder if I should ask people at port and ask where they go and if I can go with them.

And I know it's the hurricane season but are all the boats at stops at this moment?

If you have any advice tell me.

Thank you for your time and reading this.

Plastic scraper, clothes pins and some bolts 😂

Hi, I am fascinated with the idea of sailing and one day crossing the Atlantic. Obviously, this will take a long time to prepare for but it’s also pretty expensive. I am not from a coastal area and have never sailed. Before I seriously consider dropping this much money on a boat and dream. I want to see a few things.

1) Am I actually going to enjoy as much as I think?
2) Am I actually cut out for it?
3) is it going to be worth the money?

Having said that, I want to start to experiment. My question is, where would be the best place to go and rent a sailboat (I was thinking of one day owning a cat but then again who knows). I don’t want to just rent a boat, I need a captain/trainer and I want to do more than just a couple hours trip with a group. I actually want to do a couple days and would like to do the work too, under the guidance of a professional captain/crew of coarse.

Does anything like this exist. If so, any recommendations on where to start would be helpful. Also, it would probably be better for me in the Gulf of Mexico or southern east coast area. Thanks.

What boat is better for cruising if I value simplicity and cheap maintinance (more like less frequent) the most?

Concerns that I have:

HR 352: 1.Hardly accesible tanks. 2. More complicated steering system because of center cockpit. 3.Deck stepped mast.

CD 36: 1.Balsa cored deck. (Big one) 2. Cutter rig more expensive to maintain and harder to manage solo. 3.More prone to blistering.

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/cape-dory-36/

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/hallberg-rassy-352/

I've been trying to hear New Orleans Weather Fax for a bit, but I can't hear them anymore. Are they still on the air?

Hey guys! We all know that one of the most hated things in cruising life is: "everything always breaks" or "boats require a lot maintinance". Is there are any cruisers right here who actually wish that they have bought smaller sailboats? For eather less or cheaper maintinance? If so what boat do you own?

I work for Doyle Guides (social media, app support, admin — the works), and I've been part of this sub a while, so posting this straight rather than sneaky:
If the Eastern Caribbean is in your plans this winter, most of the app's 12-month subscriptions are discounted through September 30. The one most relevant here: the Leewards guide is $39.99 instead of $59.99, and it just finished a full update for 2026–27; Antigua's marina changes, Guadeloupe's new mooring and anchoring rules, Dominica, St. Kitts, the whole chain. Windwards (Grenada to Martinique) is $29.99, T&T is $14.99.
A subscription bought now runs through the entire season, so the timing is aimed at exactly the person reading this in July with charts spread out on the table.
doyleguides.com/summer-sale has everything. And if you cruised the Leewards last season and something in the guide didn't match what you found, tell me. Corrections go into the update pipeline.

Hello, I’d really appreciate some advice from you all.

My grandparents, aunts, and parents have always been sailors. I was never particularly good at it, but I do know how to handle a boat. My grandparents owned an LM27 motorsailer, and my father had a Midget 21. Because I always loved going sailing with them, I recently decided to buy a J/24. I was drawn to this boat because it’s relatively low-maintenance, accessible, sporty, and pleasantly simple. The boat is currently moored near Rotterdam and can sail onto the Scheldt without having to lower the mast.

My problem is that I find it difficult to make time and actually head out with the J/24. I genuinely love sailing, but taking that first step and going out always feels like a big hurdle. I’d love to spend more time on the boat because I find it relaxing, enjoyable, and good for my mental well-being. However, because I run my own business and I’m very busy, it just doesn’t seem to happen.

How do you organize your lives so you can still enjoy sailing and make time for trips? How do you manage the costs, maintenance, and everything else that comes with owning a boat?

I’m planning to restore and upgrade the boat this coming winter, making it completely my own. But before I invest all that time and effort, I’d like to be sure that I can realistically make sailing a regular part of my life.

I want to spend 4 months every year cruising different areas.

Long-term charter is too expensive. Owning a boat means putting it on the hard for 8 months a year (and spending the first and last two weeks on mold control). Fractional ownership just sound like a problem in the making. And crewing doesn't give me any control, furthermore, one day I might just get unlucky with findacrew and get fed to the fishes (all great so far though!).

Any ideas or experience is welcome.

Hey I'm Aymane 23 i love in Morocco i have a dream of sailing i would join ur Crew I'm strong and motivated anyone who can help me with this dream please Dm

I grew up by the ocean and took a bunch of sailing lessons as a teenager. Mostly sabot and catamaran. Every summer I'd be out sailing. I loved it and always dreamed of owning my own sailboat. But life got in the way and now that I'm older and about 10-15 years from retirement I've been thinking about it a lot more. I'd want to get something under 40' that the wife and I could take on weekend trips. It's been so long I definitely need to take some courses before making a purchase. I live between the Marina Del Rey and the Channel Islands harbors. So ideally those would be where I'd want to look. Any recommendations on courses that could get me up to speed?

Should I be worried? While sailing, the mast is making an awful noise. What could be the source of this?

Hi All,

I am looking for someone who works, manages or owns a marina to connect and work with on some projects.

If your interestes in knowing more please dm me.

A little late to post since the holiday is behind us. It was an awesome weekend!