Seamanship, in plain language.
Everything here was learned the wet way — aboard SV Cloud Nine, on a real ocean crossing. No fluff, no filler. Just the practices that keep boats and the people who love them connected.
The guides
Float Plans: What to Include, Who to Leave Them With, and Why
The one document that tells rescuers where to look. What goes in it, who gets it, when to file one, and how it differs from a passage plan.
Passage Planning: A Practical Guide for Sailors
The four-stage framework, what a passage plan should include, and an eight-section template you can copy for your next trip.
The Boat Logbook: What to Record, and Why Paper Logs Fail Offshore
What belongs in every log entry, why the hourly discipline still matters, and the four honest failure modes of the paper book.
How to Start a Sailing Blog (from the Boat)
What to write, how to publish over Iridium or Starlink, and the offshore test that picks your platform for you.
Boat Safety Equipment: What Is Required, and What Actually Saves You
USCG minimums by boat size, the gear experienced sailors add beyond them, and the expiry dates everyone forgets.
Sailing Across the Atlantic: How Long It Takes, Routes, and What It Asks of You
Two to three weeks on the trade-wind route — the two routes that matter, the boat question answered honestly, and the preparation stack.
Sailing to Hawaii from California: Time, Route, and the Trip Back
The most accessible true ocean passage in North America — and why the return trip is the half to plan for.
Choosing an Ocean-Crossing Boat: What Actually Matters
What bluewater really means, the honest answer on size, monohull vs cat — and why the refit matters more than the purchase.
Sailing Watch Schedules: Systems That Work at Sea
The systems crews actually sustain — 3/3, 4/8, the Swedish rotation — solo 20-minute discipline, and the handover that makes it all work.
Boat GPS Trackers: An Honest Comparison of What Actually Works
Cellular vs satellite vs marine monitoring, real 3-year costs with subscriptions, which networks work offshore, and the straight answer on AirTags.
Free tools
Float Plan Builder
Fill in your boat, crew, and route — print a complete float plan to leave with someone ashore. No account needed.
Safety Equipment Checker
Boat length plus where you sail — a printable required-and-recommended equipment list in thirty seconds.
More guides are on the way. In the meantime, product how-tos live at support.watchkeeper.me, and you can follow the boat these guides come from at the Cloud Nine Chronicles.