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NAVOPLAN Briefings: Daily Passage Intel
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Pre-Purchase Maintenance Dossier

Structured records that prove care, work quality, and compliance. Learn which documents to demand and how to validate serials, dates, and standards so your surv

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Survey & Sea Trial Playbook

Buyer/broker playbook for pre-purchase surveys and sea trials: pick an accredited surveyor, set contract terms, prep boat and haul-out, run instrumented trials,

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Weather Deterioration Enroute

Here’s a 250-character summary suitable for your Oracle APEX card: **Card Description:** Practical underway playbook for worsening weather: link forecasts w

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Vibration Diagnostics

Practical guide to diagnosing and fixing onboard vibration. Identify sources (prop, shaft, mounts, cavitation), run structured checks and measurements, and veri

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Vessel Risk Assessment Matrix

A practical framework to turn likelihood × consequence into clear go/hold/stop decisions. Build a 4×4/5×5 matrix, calibrate with evidence, tie rules to roles, a

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Transiting the Panama Canal

"Step-by-step guide for small craft transiting the Panama Canal, covering planning, fees, equipment, line handling, lock procedures, safety, and advisor coordin

Updated Sep 26, 2025

The Refit Triangle

Plan refits with the triangle in mind—scope, budget, time. Set one priority, one guardrail, one flex. Build a WBS, lock gates, fund contingencies, and phase com

Updated Sep 26, 2025

The 7/700 Standard

A practical baseline for bluewater self-sufficiency: operate seven days away from shore and cover ~700 nm between reliable fuel stops. Build conservative fuel/r

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Strategy for Minimal Budget Cruising

Field-tested playbook for small-budget cruising without sacrificing safety or joy. Define mission and monthly envelope, pick value-dense boats, build low-draw e

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Steering Anomalies

Diagnose and control steering anomalies underway. A safety-first workflow separates symptoms from root causes across mechanical, hydraulic, and electronic syste

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Stability & Comfort

Comprehensive handbook on vessel stability and comfort: explains hull-form effects, roll physics, and GM/RAO fundamentals. Covers passive (bilge keels, paravane

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Spares Philosophy

Turn parts hoarding into a risk-based spares system. Set mission and tiers, stock to consequence and lead time, link parts to equipment, track condition and loc

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Seasonal Maintenance Planning

Build a repeatable seasonal plan: prioritize safety systems, use checklists and logs, and budget time and cost. Covers winter layup, spring commissioning, midse

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Sail Care & Repair

Practical sail care for cruisers: inspect, clean, protect from UV, prevent chafe, make at-sea repairs, and know when to call a loft. Covers Dacron, laminates, n

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Running Gear & Shaft Health

Here’s a tightened, field-ready edit with clearer triggers, step-by-step SOPs, and a quick triage you can run underway. I kept your tone and structure, fixed th

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Refrigeration Failure

Troubleshoot BD35/BD50-based marine fridges underway: stabilize food, check power/LED codes, airflow/waterflow, and thermostat before refrigeration work. Diagno

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Pathways to Circumnavigation

Strategic overview of popular circumnavigation pathways, seasonal windows, and decision gates (Panama, Suez, Good Hope). Covers trades-route timing, pilot-chart

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Navigation & Electronics

Comprehensive guide to navigation and electronics for passagemaking: building a reliable stack of GNSS, radar, AIS, sensors, and MFDs with clean power and robus

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Mission Profile Worksheet

Structured worksheet to turn voyage intent into an executable plan: define objectives and windows, architect primary/contingency routes, verify vessel readiness

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Masts & Spars

Offshore-ready rig guide: prioritize reliability and inspectability; set repeatable rake/pre-bend and tensions; maintain, protect, and log; carry spares and jur

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Man-Overboard Prevention

TL;DR — Prevent > respond: clip in, wear PFDs w/ lights, rig inboard jackstays. First minute: shout/point, hit MOB, throw flotation. Approach on lee, secure & h

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Liferafts & Survival Craft

Match raft to area/crew; mount for one-person launch; service on schedule; drill painter/EPIRB/boarding; stream drogue & close canopy; ration water/heat; pair E

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Interior & Domestic

Practical guide to interior and domestic systems on cruising vessels: safe water and sanitation, galley fuel safety, efficient refrigeration, lighting and venti

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Grounding Prevention

Groundings are predictable—and preventable—when you build margin into every leg. Convert failure modes into controls: set a numeric UKC policy with dynamic allo

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Greenland

Greenland cruising guide: non-Schengen entry, visas may be required. Clearance with immigration, customs, port. Ports include Nuuk, Ilulissat, Sisimiut. Short s

Updated Sep 26, 2025

General Country Check In/Check Out Procedures

Before landfall, confirm ports of entry and any pre-arrival e-notices, then proceed directly to the designated arrival point. Present a tidy clearance pack and

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Fire Prevention & Suppression

Prevent, detect, suppress: design out ignition sources, manage combustibles, enforce LPG/electrical hygiene, and treat lithium packs conservatively. Fit loud sm

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Communication Failures

Stabilize, spin up an alternate path, then run the five-minute triage: voltage under TX, antenna/SWR integrity, config & GPS feed, placement, and device self-te

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Charging Failure Underway

Lose charging underway? This playbook walks you through immediate load-shedding, five-minute meter checks, and the most common alternator/regulator failure patt

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Catamaran Sail Plans

Build the inventory around a square-top main (3 reefs) and self-tacking jib, then add a furling Code 0/screecher for 5–15 kt and an asymmetric or Parasailor for

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Canada

Canada offers vast cruising from BC’s Inside Passage and Atlantic Canada to the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, and canals. On first landfall, report by phone to CBS

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Belize

Reef-protected cruising with shallow banks and coral cuts—plan daylight eyeball nav. Clear at Belize City, San Pedro, Placencia (and other POEs): fly Q, master

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Antigua & Barbuda

Antigua & Barbuda for cruisers: clear at English Harbour, Jolly Harbour, or St. John’s; fly Q on arrival. Expect cruising/port fees and possible overtime. Trade

Updated Sep 26, 2025

AIS & Radar Utilization

AIS tells you who and what; radar proves something is there. Learn to fuse them: chart overlays, Doppler/MARPA, guard zones, and CPA/TCPA calls. Tune each watch

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Paper Nav Refresher

Refresh practical paper-chart navigation: plan safe routes, convert true/magnetic/compass, compute set/drift & course to steer, plot DR/EP, take fixes/running f

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Brokerage Strategy

A practical playbook to buy or sell through a broker: define your mission brief and non-negotiables, pick a buy-side specialist, and source via MLS, off-market,

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Coastal Weather Tactics

Turn forecasts into decisions: anticipate with synoptic charts and tides/currents, then nowcast with buoys, radar/satellite, barometer, and what the water’s tel

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Collision Avoidance Culture

Build a collision-avoidance culture, not just COLREGs recall: brief the plan, set CPA/TCPA guardrails, keep a proactive lookout, and take early, unmistakable Ru

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Damage Control Kit

A purpose-built Damage Control Kit lets a small crew slow flooding fast and buy time to reach shelter. Stock soft/foam plugs, neoprene and a collision mat, unde

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Corrosion & Bonding

Keep underwater metals at the same potential with a clean, continuous bonding network tied to correctly sized anodes (aluminum for salt/brackish, zinc for salt,

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Anguilla

Anguilla for cruisers: clear in/out at Road Bay (Sandy Ground), then buy a cruising permit to visit other bays and marine-park moorings. Anchor in sand, mind no

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Charging Systems & Inverters

Build a predictable, standards-aware AC/DC charging system: alternator + smart regulator or A2B/DC-DC (with temp/current limiting for LiFePO₄), quality shore/so

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Electrical Shorts and Smells

Smell something electrical? This playbook shows how to act without feeding a fire—assign roles, de-energize suspect branches, ventilate smartly, and use IR/clam

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Gelcoat Repair & Color Match

Restore chips, scratches, and crazing with a repeatable workflow: diagnose, tint-to-match before catalyzing, overfill, fair through fine grits, then compound to

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Heel & Stability Management

Control heel to stay fast and safe: reef early, depower with traveler/outhaul/twist, shift crew weight, and choose modes that turn puffs into height without sta

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Hurricane Preparation

Hurricane prep: decide early—haul out, in-water, or relocate—then run the T-timeline. Strip windage, double long lines with chafe gear/fender boards, seal openi

Updated Sep 26, 2025

MOB Recovery Under Power

TL;DR (≤250 chars): Alarm–Point–Mark–Call. Upwind bow or side-on drift; keep casualty forward of prop. Neutral/engine off to recover via ladder/Lifesling/cradle

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Passage Planning (Coastal)

Coastal passage planning with APEM: appraise weather, tides, charts and notices; plan safe routes, tide gates and refuges; brief and execute with pilotage notes

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Watchstanding Basics

Practical watchstanding guide for small crews: continuous lookout, safe speed, collision risk assessment, bridge resource management, handovers, checklists, nig

Updated Sep 26, 2025

Fuel Management

Plan conservatively to arrive with a protected reserve, using real burn data and range math. Track fuel state with calibrated sensors and reconciled logs; adjus

Updated Sep 26, 2025