If you have to leave your boat, are you confident all is well aboard? You can be with the Roam Device, an affordable and easy remote boat monitor system.

Summary

John Herlig from The Boat Galley team recently installed the Roam marine monitor hub on his 1967 Rawson 30 sailboat, currently anchored in Florida while he is away from the boat. He found the installation and setup of the Roam device faster and easier than expected.

The device monitors vital boat systems and connects to a cell network to send data to the cloud. Users can access data from an app on their phone.

The price is affordable at around $350 if you order directly from RoadDevices.com. Monitoring costs $60 a year. (See a special offer from Roam in the links below.)

John was able to set up his unit quickly and installed it in his battery locker. Basic features include GPS monitoring, a high water alarm, cabin temperature and humidity, and battery voltage. You can add additional monitors if you wish, but John's needs were simple.

He has two favorite features of the unit: 1) remote battery monitoring and 2) GPS location to track the boat's swing at anchor. The battery monitoring feature gives John peace of mind after an earlier event where his flooded lead cell batteries went dry in the heat and humidity and stopped charging. If the batteries drop below a set charge, the system sends an alarm, even if the app is not open on your phone.

The GPS location tracker creates position dots that populate every time it takes a reading, about every three minutes. You can use historical datasets to see if your boat has moved from its expected position.

John plans to set up the bilge alarm sensors when he returns to his boat again. The system can also monitor if a hatch is open, if humidity is high, or the state of the shore power connection.

He found it easy and affordable. To learn more check out the transcript or listen to the full podcast.

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Links (Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that The Boat Galley Podcast earns from qualifying purchases; some other links may be affiliate links):

Roam Devices - https://roamdevices.com

John Herlig's website - https://avedelmar.com

Today's episode is sponsored by Roam Devices. Their Marine Monitor is a premium boat monitoring system that allows you to stay informed with what's happening on your boat while you’re ashore for just $349 and $5 per month. Never be caught off guard by a failing battery or burnt-out bilge pump —Your boat will text you as soon as anything starts going wrong! The Roam Devices app shows a real-time view of your boat’s status and location with an awesome built in remote anchor alarm. RoamDevices.com - never worry about your boat from afar again. Use coupon code BOATGALLEY for an exclusive 5% discount.

Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7

Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig

I'm frequently asked for the best marine weather apps. Cruising the Florida coast and Bahamas, I've found a few favorites.

Summary

Apps are helpful. But don't forget to look out the hatch to see what's happening in your area.

If you need more information, here's what we relied on while cruising Florida and the Bahamas.

Windy is great for a color-coded, big-picture view of the wind, wave, and rain forecasts. The motion feature shows changes over the hours and days. We've found Windy pretty accurate. It does require internet access to use.

Radar programs come and go. So I can’t recommend a specific one. I prefer ones that show how fast the storm cells are moving and in what direction.

Everything Hurricane Tracker offers is available on the (US) National Hurricane Center website. What Hurricane Tracker does brilliantly is to make the information easy to access. This is critical if you either have slow internet or pay by data used.

For each storm (and Invest and Potential Storm), Hurricane Tracker has all the NHC maps, satellite images, and the official forecasts and analysis. It’s quick and easy to tap or click from one to another. Its ease of use is why I'm willing to pay for lifetime access.

Marine Weather Center is the “proper” name for what most East Coast and Caribbean cruisers call “Chris Parker’s weather.”

Chris and his staff are full-time marine forecasters for this area and provide subscription forecasts by SSB and email. Subscribe via SSB to talk with him during his designated times for your location. But we use email for time to digest the information.

Chris is a former cruiser who understands weather as it applies to boats. And he's trained other forecasters to do the same. Forecasts are quite accurate. They tend to err on the side of caution.

To read and for cost information for the apps or information about apps for other cruising grounds, visit Favorite Weather Apps or listen to the complete podcast.

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Links:

Windy - https://www.windy.com (also avaialable for iOS and Android)

Hurricane Tracker - http://www.hurrtracker.com/Main/web-app.html

Marine Weather Center - https://www.mwxc.com/signup.php

The Boat Galley podcast is sponsored by FastSeas.com. Plan your next passage using FastSeas.com. Whether you are after speed or comfort, FastSeas will find the optimum route to your destination. FastSeas - making weather routing simple. Use coupon code GALLEY for an exclusive 10% discount.

Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7

Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig

Some cruisers think galley straps are a great safety item. I disagree. Here's why.

Summary

An important feature of a well-designed cruising boat galley is safety for the cook--ensuring they aren't tossed around the boat in rough seas. Many cruisers think galley straps solve the problem. But I believe they can make things worse--particularly the ones I saw on my friend's boat.

What are the major issues?

1) Straps confine the cook in front of fire and hot pans with no ability to move away.

2)Straps don't help if you need access to other areas like lockers or the sink.

3) You need two hands to clip yourself in, making it difficult when you need something elsewhere in the galley.

But other options might work for you, depending on your galley shape.

In a U-shaped galley, a strap across the opening can keep you from being thrown too far without confining you against the stove. L-shaped galleys might benefit from a diagonal strap. And in a long galley, a strap along the length might help.

I prefer other methods of wedging myself in while cooking. But if you go for a galley strap, keep these concerns in mindto keep yourself safe. For more details, listen to the full podcast. Or check out Is a Galley Strap a Good Idea? for more information and photographs.

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Links:

Catalina 34 Project Page - http://www.c34.org/projects/projects-galley-safety-strap.html

Today’s episode of The Boat Galley Podcast is sponsored by MantusMarine.com, maker of the Mantus anchor, now available in models with and without a roll bar. Proven to set reliably in the most challenging bottoms, the Mantus anchor digs like no other, making anchoring safer and boating more enjoyable. Mantus Marine brings to market practical, durable and affordable marine products, including: anchoring gear, scuba diving accessories, and rechargeable waterproof headlamp for hands-free lighting and solar charging Navigation light. Visit MantusMarine.com and see for yourself!

Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7

Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig

Preparing for surgery when you live on a boat? Then we have some tips to help from when my husband Dave had a hip replacement while we were living aboard Barefoot Gal.

Summary

So how do you make arrangements when you live on a boat full time and have to schedule a surgical procedure?

There are three components important to consider:

1) How long will it take for you to recover from your procedure? You need to get a realistic assessment from your doctor. And remember, when you're asking questions, they may not understand what it's like to live on a boat.

2) Where is the safest place to keep the boat during recovery. Dave's surgery fell right during hurricane season. So hauling the boat and putting it on the hard was the best choice for us.

3) Can your emergency plan handle all the expenses? For us, this meant hauling and storing the boat. We also rented an apartment for several months (3 months longer than the doctor predicted). And we had to put items in storage.

Luckily, we had time to make a plan for Dave's surgery. But if you have a large enough emergency fund, even an emergency should be okay.

Listen to the complete podcast for more details or check out Managing Surgery When You Live on a Boat.

Subscribe to the Boat Galley Newsletter! - https://theboatgalley.com/newsletter-signup-2

Links:

Quick Reference Cruising Guides - https://products.theboatgalley.com/collections/quick-reference-guides

Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7

Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig