Three favorite offshore upgrades

Here are some thoughts about three projects or additions we made to Flyer prior to this trip that have made a big difference in our life offshore, particularly related to safety and comfort.

1. Solid handrails and weather cloths on the after outboard stanchions. This was a pretty simple aluminum and sewing project that has ultimately made the cockpit a safer, more protected place to be.
   • The aluminum portion of the project was done when Flyer was hauled out at CSR in February of 2024. Nick Rudnick and his team at Rudnick MFG were great partners in a bunch of aluminum work we’ve done on the boat, and this might have been one of the easier projects, which gives it a high impact rating! We simply welded a 1-1/4” aluminum pipe on top of the last two existing stanchions and the pushpit. They form a solid, grab-able length of rail that was slightly higher than the previous lifeline and substantially stiffer and stronger.
   • The sewing portion of the project was done in the weeks preceding our departure in July of 2025 by Kristen on our beloved Sailrite sewing machine. The cloths that are suspended between the lifelines and rails are known as ‘weather cloths’ and were popular in the 1970’s and 80’s in offshore racing and sailing, as they served to keep the cockpit more dry and less battered by wind. Unfortunately they’ve fallen out of fashion but as we aboard Flyer are in no beauty contests, we’ll do what’s safest and most functional! Traditionally weather cloths have been made of marine canvas, but we chose to use Phiphertex, a strong coated nylon mesh fabric that breaks most of the wind but maintains some permeability for both views and water. If we’re hit by a really big wave, the Phiphertex will let some of the water through, absorbing the impact and lessening the possibility that the weather cloth will be blown apart. Kristen even added some pockets for our genoa and staysail furling lines on the port side.
   • The combined impact of the rail and the weather cloth has made the cockpit feel much more cozy and secure for us, and even gave us the opportunity to add more solar power to the boat, which leads me to our next favorite addition:

2. More renewable energy sources. It cannot be stressed enough that more and diverse renewable energy sources are a must-have on an offshore sailboat. Flyer doesn’t have a generator, so when we’re sailing (and we don’t want the engine on) the boat requires some form of energy generation to keep up with our power demands. We lead a relatively modest energy existence on Flyer, but just the basics -navigation electronics, lights, watermaker, and refrigeration- require us to replenish energy that we use throughout the day and night. Flyer was originally built with only two sources of energy – a modest 200 watt solar array, and a SuperWind generator, neither of which were sufficient to supply enough energy for our needs. So in the past two years we’ve added the following:
   • Watt&Sea hydrogenerator- this thing is amazing. At speeds of 4 knots and above, we are able to generate a decent amount of electricity. When we reach 6 or more knots, it’s a wealth of wattage! Below is the power curve for the unit we have. With two different propellers (the 280mm and 240mm sizes) we can tailor the power output to our needs and speeds. And it will produce energy when other sources will not, particularly at night when going downwind, which is a pretty common situation for us!

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  • Additional solar power- When it comes to solar power generation on a cruising sailboat, there’s no limit to the amount that’s right. Solar can be the biggest workhorse of the renewable family, given that most of our time on the boat is not spent sailing but sitting at anchor, when the Watt&Sea won’t give us any power and the SuperWind is hopefully not too active (otherwise we might prefer to find a less windy anchorage!). In 2024 we replaced the meager 200w array on the arch with a new 430w panel, and the new aluminum grab rails gave us additional real-estate to relocate the 2x 100w panels from the arch, to give us tuneable/rotating panels. The ability to articulate their angle drastically improves their efficiency, and these panels have greatly improved our energy generation since we added them in May of 2025.
  • We also added an auxiliary solar panel attachment point at the base of the mast, capable of accepting up to 200w of additional portable solar panels. We currently have 2x 180W folding solar panels that we use either one at a time (when it’s really sunny) or in tandem (when it’s overcast) to boost our generation. While we conceived of this auxiliary system to be used only at anchor, we’ve found times when sailing offshore that it can be really helpful when we need more power, such as a very light-wind streak when our speeds are consistently below 4kts.

3. Cockpit-led preventer system. This is probably the most important safety upgrade we made to Flyer, and certainly the cheapest of them all. The preventer system is designed to pull the boom forward and keep it from gybing accidentally. Accidental gybes are one of the most common sources of offshore sailing tragedies, and research has proven over the years that a fixed, low-stretch preventer system is the best way to combat them. It required only two simple permanent additions to Flyer’s deck plan (a Lewmar rope clutch on either quarter) and a series of removable low-friction leads. I also spliced a more permanently mounted ‘strop’ made of SK-98 low-stretch braided line, that allows us to attach the preventer leads to the boom while the boom is beyond reach. It’s important to have the preventer rigged at the end of the boom since that is where the loads on the line will be the lowest, and you’ll also have the least chance of breaking the boom if it drags in the water. And having the clutches within reach of the cockpit is really convenient which ensures they will be used and adjusted frequently!