Practical notes from the bridge
Calm, practical writing for yacht owners, from Captain Juan Carlos Castro II. Choose a category, or read on.
Seasonal notes and timely observations from the water, kept to what is useful and verifiable.
The Coast Guard has closed part of Key West’s Main Shipping Channel to non-participants on three race days this week. Here is what that means, and how I plan around events like it.
Read the article →Within a single week this October, Coast Guard crews in the Florida Keys brought boaters home from three separate incidents. What went right in each one is worth a few minutes of any owner’s time.
Read the article →The calendar is winding down, but the work is not. A calm, practical look at post-season inspection and how to plan for next year while the weather is quiet.
Read the article →Calm, practical diagnosis of the problems owners meet most — and when to hand them to a professional.
A freshwater pump that will not rest is rarely a mystery. It is usually an empty tank, a small leak, lost accumulator air, or a switch that never opens — and each one can be checked in a calm order.
Read the article →A dragging anchor is rarely bad luck. It is usually the bottom, the scope, the set or the gear, and each one can be checked calmly before the wind decides for you.
Read the article →A bilge pump that starts and stops on its own is telling you something. Here is how I work out whether it is harmless, annoying or urgent, in the order I would check it.
Read the article →The questions owners bring to me before they hire a captain, answered plainly.
The questions owners bring to me before a yacht delivery, answered plainly: preparation, weather, crew, paperwork, insurance and what to expect while the yacht is underway.
Read the article →The questions buyers bring to me before a yacht sea trial, answered plainly: what to watch, what to listen for, and how the trial fits with the survey.
Read the article →The questions I hear most often from owners considering a captain, answered plainly, plus an invitation to share your own story.
Read the article →
