Category: Blog

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Read Part I, Part III, and Part IV of buying a used boat. Back in July we started a series on things to look for when buying a used boat. We touched on a few easy checks you can make the first time you look at a boat. Some of […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Jacklines and tethers can save your life. But used incorrectly, they won’t work and can even cause harm. So what’s the proper way to use jacklines and tethers? Jacklines need to be installed with enough tension in a position that won’t let you go overboard, and a tether should always […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Midway through the summer…the “Spring Commissioning” work list is a distant memory, and we’re still denying that “Fall decommissioning” will ever happen. But it’s been a few…er…weeks or months since we’ve done all those spring prep items and we’re well into the season and using the boat. What have we […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Read Part II, Part III, and Part IV of buying a used boat. There are a lot of things to look for when you’re buying a used boat. This started out as “Five things to check…” but we decided we didn’t want to get boxed in by a numbered list […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Now and then, I open the knot book to look up something for a specific application. I’ve come to it with questions like “what’s the best way to tie this slippery piece of uncovered Spectra to this anchor chain so it never slips” or some other specialized knot. But for […]

Small outboards give us the freedom to roam away from the dock and past the mooring field. Unless you’re booked into a slip, an engine that won’t start puts a major crimp in your plans, whether you’re headed out for a weekend or living on the hook. With minimal tools and experience, what are some […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  My iNavX Experience We’re introducing a new occasional feature on the iNavX blog – interviews and discussions with real users. We hope sharing their iNavX stories will give you new ideas about how our software can be used. When I mentioned I’d be writing for iNavX to a friend of […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Back in January we talked about how to anchor your boat for a good night’s sleep. But anchoring out is more than just dropping the hook so you’re set for the night. In most places, the odds are good you won’t be alone. So how can you be a good […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Sailing offshore at night connects you to the sea in your surroundings in a way that’s hard to explain. The universe contracts to just the boat as visibility drops, and you rely on your other senses. The slap of the waves, the whisper of the wind, or the gentle huff […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Had enough group video chats, baking, reading, series binging, and looking at your walls yet? Maybe it’s time to think about some place fun to celebrate the end of the lockdowns and border closings. What could be better than palm trees, warm weather, and sailing? Caribbean Sailing Who hasn’t thought […]