There’s nothing quite like Thanksgiving on a boat. With fewer boats on the water, vivid fall foliage and pumpkins lattes in the crisp fall air, the boat is a relaxing way to spend a Thanksgiving long weekend. Preparing Thanksgiving dinner on a boat can be tricky in a small boat galley, but if you keep things simple, you can have a delicious feast. We tend to think bigger is better, or the more complicated the recipe is the better it…
The new year is a time for fresh starts. Warm weather cruising will be here in no time and it’s time to start planning for the upcoming seasons. Here’s 6 ideas of things to think about: 1 – Make a List of New Cruising Destinations You Want to Try There never seems to be enough warm weather days to explore all the boating destinations. Make a list of the destinations you want to go to this year and make a…
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! I can’t believe it’s been 10 months since I started Coastapus! It’s been an amazing experience to share my west coast boating life thoughts and tips with all of you. Thank you to all of you, and for your comments and social media shares. I look forward to continue sharing in 2018! The top 10 most popular posts this year: #1 Cougar Annie #2 Gifts for the Yachtie in Your Life #3 The Ultimate…
Shopping for a boater this holiday season? Here’s 15 great gift ideas that would make any yachtie happy. 1 – Hot Water Bottle Get it from Amazon A hot water bottle to preheat your you bed or to cozy up to is a must for winter cruising. 2 – Beer Sling Get if from Amazon Whether you’re taking the tender to shore to watch the sunset or going on a hike, the beer sling is a great way…
Over the years when I’ve told people I’m going out on my boat for Thanksgiving, they give me a look like I’m crazy and that I’ll be having a subpar Thanksgiving. Festive dinners on the boat are no different than what people choose to do at home. Some people like rustic informal, some choose microwave meals, while others like formal, …why would people think just because you’re on a boat it would be any different? Whatever suits your style, a…
When we bought our first racer/cruiser years ago, I took the approach of glamping for the galley. I upgraded from our backpack cookware and dinnerware, and bought melamine dishes more for car camping. To me this seemed normal. When I searched online for boat dinnerware, I found endless types of plastic plates and glassware. After upgrading to a more comfortable cruise boat a couple years later, I didn’t want to just bring my dishes across, I felt I wanted nicer…
As much fun as it is to play “which bag is the dirty clothes bag on a sailboat”, this year I’m opting out. When browsing for spring ideas to declutter and streamline my house, I ran across cute fabric laundry bags. Why don’t I have something like that for the boat? After years of using a fabric grocery store bag to store dirty laundry, quite often using the identical bag that my husband happens to also use for clean clothes,…
Owning a sailboat has changed my whole shopping experience. It doesn’t matter what I’m out shopping for, hunting for a particular item or merely window browsing, I now find myself constantly on the lookout for things that would be great on the sailboat. Maybe I like a challenge, but it doesn’t matter where I am, I now look at everything differently. Last year when getting ready for the annual sailing trip to Desolation Sound, I was browsing in the flower…
This tool is a must for any boat, it’s really a staple for any proper boat bar! I stumbled onto this tool when I was browsing for stocking stuffers the other year and thought it was a brilliant boat find. This tool is called Bar10der and it’s 10 tools in one! The tool has a muddler, reamer, channel knife, jigger, zester, knife, stirrer, strainer, corkscrew and a bottle opener. It’s a small compact tool that allows you save space in your…
I’m a sucker for good heated blanket. For years I’ve had them around the house at home, but I never thought to bring one down to the boat. They are fantastic on the boat! There are countless options out there on the market for whatever size or shape you fancy. The first time we brought one down to the boat for a winter cruise I can’t tell you how much I loved hopping into the aft cabin that night and…