Two seaside towns that embody New England’s quintessential beauty and charm go toe to toe. Who wins in the Martha’s Vineyard vs Nantucket showdown? Beaches Martha’s Vineyard Carved by glaciers millions of years ago, the epic Aquinnah Cliffs line the half-mile stretch of pristine coastline that makes up Moshup Beach – a prime destination for sunning Read More
There are very few recreational activities that involve as many different fields of knowledge as boating. From navigation and rules of the road to weather forecasting and vessel operations, boating education is critical and robust. Seamanship skills, handling the boat safely along with keeping all of the boat’s systems maintained and running trouble-free are just Read More
Whether it’s a day cruise to anchor and picnic off your favorite island or the start of a blue-water passage, boaters watch the weather intently to know if it’s going to be a safe and enjoyable day on the water. Fortunately, there is more weather information available today than ever before, but a certain amount Read More
Welcome to Panama, also known as the path between the seas. Not only does this beautiful country boast miles of beaches on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, pristine islands, fertile highlands, lush nature, historic landmarks and indigenous tribes, but it has a thriving, vibrant, cosmopolitan city and, of course, the Panama Canal, which recently Read More
Properly maintaining a boat can be a daunting task, yet most boat owners keep up with the major items fairly well. It’s the small less obvious items that tend to get overlooked. One particular small item left unattended can have disastrous consequences — the thru-hull, seacock, sea water strainer assembly. For as long as boat Read More
The captain’s ability to know where on Earth the yacht is at all times is the essence of navigation. Situational awareness, a key trait of a competent captain, means understanding how the wind, current and sea are affecting the planned route and the vessel’s ETA. Once navigators know where their vessel is leaving from (the Read More
A walk down the aisles of any marine store will present a boater with more chemicals for cleaning, protecting and lubricating than one could ever imagine. Many of these products work well, and many are as worthless as snake oil with their exaggerated claims. It is also probably not a coincidence that cleaning and maintenance Read More
If you’re MacGyver, all you need to keep your boat running is a Swiss Army Knife, some wire and duct tape, but lacking that resourcefulness, it is best to keep a good set of spare parts aboard the boat. Like so many things in boating, how a boat will be used drives many of the Read More
You’ve had a great first season with your new boat! You cruised to wonderful destinations, met fabulous boating friends and managed to find deep water … most of the time. Now you need to start thinking about boatyards, but how do you choose one? Going into a boatyard is not like dropping your car off at Read More
The success of a project aboard your boat depends on a combination of understanding the systems and working with the right boating tools. So a good place to begin our first “Smart Boater” column will be in the boating toolbox. Having the right tools aboard could mean the difference between going boating or staying tied Read More