Dear OCC members and other readers,
As many of you likely know, one of our own, John Harries, has a unique web site I would like to encourage you to join. I do not endorse things lightly or often, but I hope you will give Attainable Adventures Cruising at http://www.morganscloud.com/ a consideration. Part of the website is available to anyone, but joining, for about $20 per year, will open up a motherlode of knowledge, and is an investment that will garner many returns for anybody who ventures on the water.* A quick overview of membership is here: https://www.morganscloud.com/about-online-books/.
The AAC web site, which has been evolving for a number of years, is in my opinion by far the most thoughtful, best informed source of information relevant to the recreational mariner. It is the finest place (by a good margin) to encounter the best in sailing/boating practices, particularly offshore practices. The thrust of AAC is for offshore voyaging, but the content is valuable for anyone who ventures away from the dock on any type of boat and any body of water. This is done in a format where articles are written by one of 5 writers; the membership then can comment (a blend of old style writing of articles with the instant interaction and feedback available through the internet). There is usually a lively back and forth enriching the original article. Not only are the writers thoughtful, experienced and diligent, but the quality and experience of the readers/commentators is far above average. This is a forum where many participants have “been there and done that”, and are willing to share hard earned knowledge. The tone of the discussions is also excellent, a reflection of the moderator, John Harries,
If I have convinced you to explore AAC, you need not read further; you will discover for yourself the following short list of benefits (not in any particular order) one can acquire from AAC membership:
In general, there has been an article and discussion on most aspects of sailing/boating. From procedures for doing things (e.g. best/safest/easiest method for handling a pole for winging out a jib) to specific product endorsements or warnings (anchors, drogues, stoves). There are also destination articles, the Eastern Caribbean for example, where there is not only a description of what one will likely find if you cruise there, but also thoughtful reflections relevant to the cruising community. These are all easily available on one site with a search engine to help locate specifics.
Larger topics (such as collecting weather information offshore or battery management) are combined in online books, easily downloadable from the site to be absorbed at leisure. My count has there being 29 of these online books to date, all of which are listed here: https://www.morganscloud.com/aac-book-club/.