Ocean Navigator - January/February 2020

In this issue

In this issue's special section on Yacht Security we look at the various options for boat security and monitoring systems. Voyagers have more expensive gear than ever aboard their boats and are increasingly looking to secure their vessels from intruders, both when they are aboard and when they are ashore. In our first story we look at the types of alarm and monitoring systems available. In our second story we get a first hand account of a voyaging couple's search for a vessel security system. We also learn about the features of the system they finally decided on and describe how they installed it themselves. In our power voyaging column we examine oil analysis. ABYC master technician Steve D'Antonio discusses the importance of oil analysis done right for letting you know what's happening with your engine. In our Ocean Voyaging section we have a story on dodging lightning - the third part of a series on the biggest challenges a voyaging couple faced in their 50,000 miles. Ellen Massey Leonard describes her encounters with the threat of lightning and what she and her husband did to prepare their boat for a possible strike. In a story on the marine environment we have an examination of the ubiquitous nature of plastic trash in the world's oceans and what individual sailors can do about it. In part ten of our celestial navigation series, we look at how to take and reduce sights of the four navigational planets: Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn and we provide a step-by-step guide to star and planet sight reduction. Plus, the nav problem and much more.

Chatter Chartroom

Circumnavigator sets sail to fight plastics

9 mins

Oil analysis is an invaluable tool, but often misinterpreted

I once read an article in a major boating magazine entitled “Oil Analysis Made Simple.”

5 mins

Dodging lightning

Developing a healthy respect for this scary phenomenon

9 mins

Surveying Boat Security

Important considerations to keep in mind when comparing security systems

6 mins

Taking boat security seriously

A voyaging couple decides to invest in a high-end vessel protection setup

10 mins

Ship or sail?

A cruising couple faces their toughest decision in 12 years of world voyaging

9 mins

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Ocean Navigator Magazine Description:

Ocean Navigator magazine is for voyagers, both power and sail, who want to know more about their boats, their gear and the techniques to make them better voyagers. Whether you are crossing oceans or making coastwise passages, Ocean Navigator will help and inspire you.

Our editorial offices are located in Portland, Maine, but we cover voyaging topics for sailors and power voyagers from the Southern Ocean to the North Sea, from South Pacific atolls to rocky coasts and the Great Lakes.