Wowie! What a blast we just had cruising the Tennessee River! Spectacular fall colors, wide-open waters and a 90-foot lock to keep a little challenge in our spirit. When the GPS hiccuped, we traced our route on the paper charts close at hand. Our next adventure has us zooming out into the Atlantic from Charleston Read More
Okay, imagine this: You’ve just pulled into a marina after a long day on the water, and because the last marina’s Wi-Fi was nonexistent, you have emails that have been waiting two days to send. Now you’re tied up and powered up, you reach for that well-deserved refreshing beverage and your iPad, you sit back, Read More
For many of us our boats represent a sense of adventure hard to duplicate elsewhere in our lives. We purchased them with dreams of cruising to distant harbors and exploring waters far from home. Or many have purchased their boats to become their homes, freeing themselves of a permanent address. So what happens to the dream of cruising when you receive a letter from Read More
Imagine being out on the water with family and friends and having a scary encounter with a large ship or tugboat. Not only can this ruin your day, it can severely compromise the confidence of your crew. As a ship pilot on the Chesapeake Bay for 41 years, I have had numerous close encounters with recreational boat traffic. Most of Read More
If you’ve ever sipped a beverage while sitting in a waterside restaurant then you’ve probably witnessed some awesome docking … sometimes in a can’t-look-away-from-the-wreck awesome. To avoid being the star of a Youtube video you will want to use these docking tricks and tips, many of which only require a bit of practice. Docking Neophytes As with Read More
When purchasing a boat, beyond buying a material object you are buying into a lifestyle. With just a little bit of studying, it’s easy to see that different types of boats lend themselves to different uses. But to buy the “right boat,” you have to think about this in reverse order. In other words, particular types of Read More
Not since Elvis Presley crooned an ode to his dinghy, “Love My Tender,” has the world shown so much affection to our lonesome ship-to-shore transportation. Okay, so maybe I didn’t fully understand the lyrics to that song, but our often abused and rarely waxed little boats are a very important part of our cruising lives, Read More
Many owners out there have either been down this road before or are about to head that way at some stage … the dreaded boat refit! It is absolutely understandable why there might be some trepidation. The following hypothetical situation will provide you with some perspective and useful tips when refitting your vessel. SCENARIO Mr. Read More