Bluewater Briefs Library
The NAVOPLAN Bluewater Briefs Library contains practical guidance for aspiring cruisers, boat buyers, owner-operators, and offshore passagemakers.
Briefs are organized by cruising phase and topic, covering vessel selection, acquisition, passage planning, navigation, weather, maintenance, safety, destinations, and life aboard.
Whether you are exploring the dream, purchasing a vessel, preparing for departure, or managing a vessel underway, the library provides structured guidance built around real-world cruising decisions.
Exploration
Cruising Lifestyle
- Comfort Thresholds for Cruising Couples and Families
- Cruising as a Couple: Decision Friction Points
- Lifestyle Reality Check
- Step-by-Step Plan for Moving From Home to Boat
Financing & Insurance
Mission Design
- Choosing Your Cruising Grounds
- Cost of Cruising in the First Year
- Cruising Goals: Adventure, Comfort, or Mobility
- Cruising Timeline Planning
- Pathways to Circumnavigation
Readiness Assessment
Acquisition
Documentation & Importation
Financing & Insurance
Pre-Purchase Due Diligence
- Boat Buying Red Flags
- How to Read a Marine Survey
- Pre-Purchase Maintenance Dossier
- Survey and Sea Trial Playbook
Refit & Commissioning
Vessel Selection
Helm
Auxiliary Craft
Crew & Liveaboard Life
Crew Management
Family Cruising
Destinations & Regulations
Clearance & Customs
Maintenance & Reliability
Field Repairs
Maintenance
Planning & Records
Preventive Maintenance
- Canvas and Brightwork Care
- Corrosion Control for Cruising Boats
- Oil Analysis and Trend Watching
- Seasonal Maintenance Planning
Navigation & Piloting
Coastal Piloting
- Anchorage Arrival Navigation
- Coastal Piloting
- Compass Errors and Practical Corrections
- Parallel Indexing for Small Craft
- Piloting at Night Near Shore
- Using Pilot Books and Sailing Directions
Collision Avoidance
Electronic Navigation
- Chartplotter Route Safety Settings
- Electronic Navigation 101
- Low-Visibility Navigation
- Radar Tuning and Interpretation
- Waypoint Discipline and Route Review
Paper Navigation
Passage Making
Anchoring & Mooring
Docking & Close Quarters
Heavy Weather
Sail Handling Underway
Underway Management
- Fuel Management Underway
- Motion Management Underway
- Motorsailing Strategy
- Offshore Communications Routine
- Passage Debriefs That Improve the Next Leg
- Provisioning for Passage
- Underway Decision Gates
Voyage Planning
- Approach Planning Before Landfall
- Bridge Clearance and Restricted Openings
- Coastal Hop Planning for Short Crews
- Emergency Bailout Planning
- Passage Planning Basics
- Passage Planning for Coastal Cruising
- Passage Planning for Offshore Crossings
- Passage Planning for Trawlers and Powerboats
- Shakedown Cruises That Actually Matter
- Trade-Wind Passage Strategy
Watchstanding
Weather & Routing
- Coastal Weather Tactics
- Crossing the Gulf Stream Safely
- Determining the Best Time to Depart
- Passage Planning Around Seasonal Risk
- Tides and Currents Essentials
- Waves for Mariners
- Weather Deterioration En Route
- Weather Literacy for Beginners
- Weather Routing Services: When to Use Them
Rigging & Sail Handling
Emergency Rigging
Running Rigging
Sail Handling
Sail Inventory
Standing Rigging
- Catamaran Sail Plans
- Masts and Spars
- Reefing Systems
- Rig Inspection and Maintenance
- Standing Rigging
Underway Trim
Safety & Emergency
Abandon Ship
Communications & Signaling
Emergency Propulsion
Fire
Flooding & Damage Control
- Bilge Systems and Flood Control
- Damage Control Kit
- Flooding Control
- Grounding Response and Refloat Planning
MOB
Medical
Prevention & Preparedness
- Gas and Diesel Safety
- Grounding Prevention
- Safety Culture and Checklists
- Safety and Emergency Program
Security
Vessel Systems
Communications
- Boat Internet and Remote Work Afloat
- Communication Failures
- Communication: VHF and DSC in Practice
- Communications Systems at Sea
- Electronics Selection Roadmap
- Navigation and Electronics Architecture
Electrical
- Battery Technology: AGM vs LiFePO4
- Boat Electrical Systems for Cruisers
- Charging Failure Underway
- Charging Systems and Inverters
- Corrosion and Bonding
- Electrical Shorts and Burning Smells
- Electrical Systems Overview
- Generator Systems and Safe Use
- Shore Power and Galvanic Protection
- Solar and Energy Budgeting
HVAC
Hull & Steering
- Autopilot Setup and Tuning
- Deck and Handling Gear
- Hull and Structural Systems
- Rudder Configurations
- Steering Anomalies
- Steering Systems
- Thrusters: Selection, Use, and Limits
Propulsion
- Cooling System Failures Underway
- Diesel Engine Reliability Basics
- Engine Room Orientation
- Propulsion and Powertrain
- Propulsion and Transmission Care
- Running Gear and Shaft Health
- Vibration Diagnostics