[Travis Turgeon]

Hi Roger, welcome to the forum!

Excellent questions, and something I know a bit about, so I’ll try to help as much as I can.

I dive with a Sony A73, so it’s actually the same in terms of the housing and compatibility – it’s just not the resolution model that you have. While I don’t have a ton of experience diving with DSLR setups, I’ve seen plenty of them being used underwater…They’re MASSIVE! Of course, the mirrorless setups aren’t exactly small, but compared to a DSLR, the entire setup seems much more manageable.

The nice thing about the Sony Alpha series is they do really well in low light conditions – although I don’t think the R series has the same capabilities as the standard 24MP A73 camera body, as the extra resolution brings down the low light capabilities. Either way, I think the Sony A-series cameras are top-notch for taking stills underwater.

You may have to do some research to get some tangible comparisons between your exact camera models. I know someone who was diving with a 5dIII – and they loved it…took really nice stills as well. From my understanding, the white balance can be a bit better on the higher-end DSLRs – they’re just a bit easier to balance against sand, scuba tanks, or something similar. For me, I just use a white slate. I rebalance every 5-10 meters as the light availability changes. You can, of course, adjust the white balance in post – but nobody likes to spend the time to correct every single one of their images.

Overall, I don’t think you’re in a bad position either way. Both setups have their pros and cons, but ultimately – especially if you’ll be traveling with your dive equipment – size is going to make a world of difference.

I hope that helps a bit, and keep an eye out for any future responses from other dive photographers. Good luck!

Cheers!

[Travis Turgeon]

Hi Patrick, welcome to the #BoatLife forum. Thanks for joining us!

Buying a boat online can be a tricky endeavor, but there are certain things you can do to approach the process in a way that lets you navigate the process successfully.

One of the first things you need to consider is “where” you’ll be buying your boat online. You have several options. When buying a used boat, you can buy from a private seller, through a dealership, or an online broker. Regardless of which outlet you choose, you’ll want to do some things before, during, and after the purchase. All of this information can be found on the #BoatLife “Boat Buying Guide” here: https://www.hashtagboatlife.com/buy-boat-for-sale/ – although I’ll outline everything briefly in my response.

– Boat Inspection: From the hull to the electric systems, you want to be sure that there isn’t something hidden that will end up costing you big money after your purchase.

– Checking the boat for Incumbrance and Liens: This step safeguards you from potential financial loss or repossession issues.

– Complete a legal sales contract: Ensure that all terms and conditions are stated clearly in the contract, and have the contract looked at by a lawyer before completing it.

You can certainly look into brands and models of boats to check for general reviews, but remember that each boat will have its own issues and flaws when buying used. Boat surveys are a great way to navigate this, and you can arrange them before or after a purchase. While this may add to initial costs, it’s important to ensure you don’t run into bigger issues after you buy the boat.

Check out the guide that I linked to above to better understand the whole process, and don’t hesitate to reach out with more questions. I hope this helps!

All the best, cheers!

[Travis Turgeon]

Hi Jennifer. Welcome to the forum, and thank’s for contributing!

First off, congratulations on preparing for future journeys by sail! Trying to plan sailing with your pets can be tough, especially when doing it for the first time. The good news is, you definitely aren’t the first to take your pet with you on a big journey, and there are a ton of resources and first-hand advice to help you prepare and feel good about your upcoming adventures.

To address your questions specifically:

– It can be tough to get your pets the exercise they want while making big week+ passages, and it’s one of the toughest parts for them when it comes to the cruising lifestyle. Most people will do their best to get their pets the most exercise as possible before the journey and prepare an area below deck that the pets can let loose a bit. This may be an entire room or just in the open living space. Either way, preparing toys and activities that they can play with will be important. You should also set aside enough personal time with them so that they don’t feel neglected. If the weather permits, you can take them on deck to have a little bit more open space. Just be sure that they are equipped with a harness and/or lifejacket in case of an emergency.

– When it comes to relieving themselves on board, your best bet will be to install an artificial grass pad somewhere on the boat. These are small mats made of artificial grass to make it feel more natural to do their business. You should train them on the grass pad before the journey to avoid any potential problems while in transit. Some choose to use two pads – one on the boat deck for fair weather scenarios and one below deck for every other time.

– About getting sick: the best way to prepare is to stock up on medications before departure. Stock everything from stomach meds to heartworm medication and everything in between. While you likely won’t use most of it, it’s better to be prepared for what might happen than not have something when you need it.

– Lastly, pet passports and entry requirements for different countries vary by location, but you can easily find the requirements for each location online or with the immigration department. Generally speaking, the biggest requirements will be based on vaccinations.

I hope this was helpful, and be sure to check back in from time to time to see what else our community has to offer!

Cheers!

[Travis Turgeon]

Hi Johann, thanks for contributing to the forum!

We’re still in the beginning stages of building the #BoatLife community, but I’ll be happy to help answer some of your questions.

It sounds like you’ll be using the dinghy pretty heavily. That’s great! Having a dinghy as a secondary vessel to your small sailboat is going to open up a ton of opportunities – especially for those things like fishing, provisioning, and diving. However, with such a potentially heavy workload, I think you’ve at least narrowed down the “type” of dinghy you should be looking for.

RIB dinghies are going to be a perfect companion to your ALLIED PRINCESS 36 – Rigid Inflatable Boats offer the best of both worlds. The hard-bodied hull makes for a stable and damage-resistant body, while the inflatable tubes add optimal stability. The one thing you’ll want to consider is your storage options. RIBs can’t be deflated and rolled up, so you’ll need to store it one of a few ways:

– Dinghy Davits
– Towed (Inshore only)
– Lashed Upside-Down on the Boat Deck

As far as the outboard motor goes, a RIB dinghy will generally support a wide range of outboard motors due to its strong build. Many choose to equip their 10-12 foot RIBs with a 10-15 horsepower outboard, and that gets them around just fine. For more capability, you can obviously opt for a stronger outboard – somewhere in the 20-50 horsepower range – although it’s not common that you’ll need the added power. The larger engines are also a bigger pain to transport, and the process of deploying and retrieving the dinghy can become troublesome. If you do choose a bigger outboard, be sure that you have a solution in place for mobility.

For more information about purchasing a dinghy, you can reference an article we wrote here: https://www.hashtagboatlife.com/choosing-a-dinghy/

All the best in your future endeavors on the water! Check back in from time to time to check for new content!

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