May | 2018 | BruceBeard.com

A Retrospective

As the summer is winding down, I can’t help but think back over our adventures this past season and remark that our best cruising was during the early spring, when we had cool, crisp refreshing (although not always dry) weather, few crowds, anchorages to ourselves, and generally happy vibe everywhere we went. This is so different from high-season-mid summer that I really want to share the perspective.

Memorial Day on Block Island

Our first trip was a four-day run to Block Island for Memorial Day weekend. While weekends on Block Island are a hectic affair during the summer, late May is always a different story. We left on Saturday May 26 with a mixed forecast, happy to be off the dock and cruising once again. Continue reading Spring Cruising in New England – Part 1 →

So, you want heat…

When we ordered our American Tug 395, we were aware that the boat comes from the factory with two different versions of climate control. “West coast boats” are delivered with a single small air conditioning unit that includes reverse cycle heating capability, plus a separate Webasto diesel hot air furnace. “East coast boats” come with three air conditioning units that have reverse cycle heat, but no diesel heating system. Both boats also include a pair of King electric heating units. As we intend to take our boat south, the additional air conditioning capacity of the East Coast boats was something we need. However, we also cruise in some pretty cold and damp conditions, so heat is important to us. Continue reading Got Heat? →

All things fun (and tasty) in the life of the Beards