Cruising 101: Must-Have Gear We Actually Use on Board

A no-fluff guide to essential sailboat equipment for full-time liveaboards

Setting Sail Without the Clutter

When we first started preparing for full-time cruising, we had no idea what we actually needed. YouTube made it look easy—just buy a boat, slap a solar panel on it, and go. Meanwhile, every sailing forum, association, and outfitting list told us we’d need ten pages of gear and a marina-sized budget.

Somewhere between “a dream and a dollar” and “you need three backup autopilots and will die without a windvane” lies the sweet spot.

Our boat broker, Max Shaw at Yacht Sales West, was a cruiser himself and guided us toward a boat that was already set up for life aboard. Lucky for us, Raicilla, our Fast Passage 39, came pretty well outfitted. But after more than three years sailing full-time through Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Central America, we’ve built a clear picture of what’s truly essential—and what we’d skip if we did it again.

How We Choose Gear That Works at Sea

We’re not minimalists, but we’re also not interested in stuffing our floating home with gear we never use. Every piece of equipment on board has to earn its keep. Here’s what we consider:

• Cost – Can we afford it and replace it easily?

• Availability – Can we find parts or repair it in remote places?

• Durability – Will it survive the tropics?

• Power draw – Will it drain our battery bank?

• Space – Is it worth the room it takes up?

And most importantly: Does it actually make boat life better?

Yes. Those extra surfboards 100% make life better.

Navigation & Safety Gear for Cruising Sailboats

AIS (Send + Receive)

We sail offshore and near busy commercial ports often, so AIS is a must. Our send-and-receive unit lets us see other ships and ensures they can see us. It was a game-changer coming down the foggy U.S. West Coast—especially when the fishing boats had theirs turned on.

In Mexico, it’s mostly cruisers using AIS, but hey—we also love it for comparing our speed to theirs. Competitive much? Maybe.

Marine Radar

At first, I (Jaclyn) thought radar was overkill. Now? We won’t cruise without it. It’s incredibly useful when entering anchorages at night—especially when half the fleet doesn’t bother turning on their anchor lights (thanks, friends!).

Our radar isn’t top of the line, and it doesn’t always pick up squalls, but in bad weather and at night, it helps us orient to land and avoid problems.

Power & Charging Systems for Liveaboards

LiFePO4 Battery Bank (1100Ah)

Raicilla came with 400Ah of lithium batteries—we quickly upgraded to 1100Ah and haven’t looked back. Lithium is a game-changer: lightweight, long-lasting, and tolerant of deep discharge. During the hotter months, when we’re running the air conditioner and the watermaker, we regularly run our batteries down low. And that’s fine.

High-Efficiency Solar Panels (1100W)

A big battery bank means nothing if you can’t charge it. We replaced the boat’s old 400W panels with two 550W bifacial panels. Our new 1100W solar system powers everything we need—even the espresso machine.

Comfort & Liveaboard Necessities

Watermaker

Between swimming, rinsing off, cooking, drinking, and doing laundry—we go through a lot of water. Having a watermaker means we don’t have to haul jugs from shore or plan our route around water availability. It’s one of the best upgrades we have.

Bean Bag Chairs

Sounds silly. Works like magic. Our cockpit isn’t exactly spacious, and there’s not much deck space to sprawl. But two marine-grade bean bags mold to the bow, cockpit, or even below for a sea berth while underway. Game. Changer.

Everyone loves the beanbags

Boat Tools & Maintenance Essentials

Headlamp with Red Light

From midnight bilge checks to tight engine compartments, a good headlamp is essential. The red light feature is perfect for night sailing, and hands-free lighting just makes life easier.

Grabber Tool (“Pinchers”)

We drop things. A lot. The number of screws, tools, and zip ties we’ve rescued from the bilge thanks to our little claw tool is… embarrassing.

Disposable Tools

We left Canada with a nice tool set. Now? Everything’s rusty. We’ve accepted that tools don’t last in the tropics and we buy cheap, functional replacements as needed.

Remote Work & Connectivity Aboard

Starlink Internet

We work online while cruising, so Starlink has been a lifesaver. Reliable, fast internet—even in remote anchorages—lets us earn a living, check weather, and stream Netflix when it rains.

One Luxury We Refuse to Live Without

Espresso Machine

We tried the minimalist coffee life with a pour-over and Aeropress. That lasted five minutes. The Jura espresso machine takes up a ton of galley space and power, but it makes our mornings. The only downside? Constantly hunting for decent coffee beans.

The Real MVP

What We Bought… and Regret

Sextant

We had dreams of learning celestial navigation offshore. The reality? It’s collecting dust in the V-berth. Maybe someday, but probably not.

Expensive Bottom Paint

We splurged on high-end hard paint thinking it would solve all our fouling issues. It didn’t. It’s a little easier to clean, sure—but next time we’re going local and cheap.

Not worth the money we spent on this paint

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Final Advice for Budget-Minded Cruisers

If we were starting from scratch, this would be our core list. Forget the fancy gadgets and endless YouTube checklists—this is the stuff that actually earns its keep every single day.

Your boat doesn’t need to be perfect to start cruising. It just needs to float, sail, and keep you safe.

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