Sailing Sophisticated Lady · Off-grid family life on the water
Live Aboard.Test Everything.Share what works.
Longest-running sailing YouTube channel · family off-grid on Sophisticated Lady — a 51-foot Jeanneau exploring the Caribbean and South & Central America.
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Occasional updates from aboard Sophisticated Lady. No spam.
Family. Boat. Real tests.
Captain Rick, Maddalena (Maddy), and Riccardo (Ricci) live aboard the 51-foot Jeanneau Sophisticated Lady, sailing the Caribbean and South & Central America — sharing what works for off-grid life, without the fluff.
Jump OnboardLast refit — what changed
First row: the signature look upgrades on Sophisticated Lady — mermaid hull art, SeaView radar tower, and BougeRV solar on the new hardtops. Second row: the core systems underneath — Raymarine electronics, the Highfield tender, and Redodo at the heart of the power bank. Third row: Victron power management, CROMOX + Mantus ground tackle, and the communications stack (SSB, VHF, AIS, Starlink, Yacht Sense).
Mermaid Hull Graphic
New blue mermaid / wave art on the sides — the boat’s signature from the waterline up.Open systems page →
Seaview Radar Tower
New SeaView tower on the hardtop — radar and antennas cleanly up where they belong.Open systems page →
BougeRV Solar on New Hardtops
Full panel array across the new hardtop — serious off-grid power, not a token strip.Open systems page →
Raymarine Electronics
Nav station stack — dual Axiom MFDs (chart + radar), RMK-10 keypad, and twin i70s.Open systems page →
Highfield Tender
Highfield Sport 390 tender — BougeRV solar bimini, plus the Carbon 380 tender concept film and design presentation.Open systems page →
Redodo Batteries
Main house bank: Redodo 24V 200Ah lithium, series-parallel for 48V — about 30 kWh under the floor.Open systems page →
Victron Power Management
Mostly Victron house electrical — Cerbo GX + SmartSolar MPPTs in the panel shot, plus 48V Quattro (5 kW class) and VRM monitoring. Quattro not in this photo.Open systems page →
CROMOX + Mantus Marine
125 lb Mantus M1 SS primary + 55 lb Mantus M2 SS secondary, with CROMOX stainless chain.Open systems page →
Communications
ICOM IC-M803 SSB, MA-510TR AIS, IC-M510 VHF, YachtSense Link, IC-M94D handhelds, and Starlink on the SeaView tower — close-ups on the page.Open systems page →