Category: Cruising
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Over the past years, we’ve about a lot of boat electronics, like what’s an MMSI and what do you need DSC for. We’ve touched upon the Automatic Information System (AIS) briefly, but never discussed it extensively. Now it’s time for that deep dive. Because AIS an important tool for any […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, iNavX: How To, Interviews, Navigation, News, Reviews, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- No Comments
- Tags: AIS, transceiver, transponder
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, northern boaters have their boats entombed in shrink wrap and are bracing for the cold. But there are still parts of the country where you never put the boat away, and there are a lot of Americans out there cruising the world year round. […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, Navigation, Reviews, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- No Comments
- Tags: american holiday, thanksgiving, thanksgiving on a boat
Everything Boaters Need to Know about VHF Radios, Licensing & MMSI Numbers
October 10th, 2024 by team
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) If you ask a long time sailor, they may tell you about the olden days when you had to get a VHF license for your boat before you could talk on your radio. I’m old enough to remember that, but the rules have changed and recreational boaters in U.S. waters. […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, iNavX: How To, Navigation, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- 2 Comments
- Tags: mmsi, radio, vhf, vhf radio
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) The other day I was reading about navigation and charts, and I came across a detailed bit of information about chart labeling that I was completely unfamiliar with. I’ve used charts for years of course, and started with paper. I thought I knew them well. But here was this silly […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, iNavX: How To, Navigation, Reviews, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- 2 Comments
- Tags: Charts, nautical charts, noaa, raster, raster charts, vector, vector charts
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Recreational boaters often wonder about licensing, training, and what you need to buy or operate a boat. And the terminology over it can be confusing, and the rules and regulations differ by country. For private U.S. boaters in domestic waters operating their own vessels with family and friends on board, […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, iNavX, Navigation, News, Reviews, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- 4 Comments
- Tags: Boat License, Captain, Captain's License, License
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) It’s been said that the two happiest days in a boat owner’s life are the day they buy a new boat, and the day they sell it. I can’t say I agree that’s always true. True confession time: the last time I sold a boat, I was bawling like a […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, Navigation, Reviews, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- No Comments
- Tags: boat purchase, buying a boat, selling a boat
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) To sail successfully, you need to observe with great care. You need to identify what the wind and the water are telling you and then find a way to execute, to reach whatever goal you’ve set, be that simply making it home or winning a race. Diane Greene Sailors live […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, iNavX: How To, Navigation, News, Reviews, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- No Comments
- Tags: coriolis, forecasts, fronts, heat and flow, Wind
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Most beginning boaters have heard the “Red, Right, Returning” rule, which tells you how to pass certain markers to avoid the dangers they’re keeping you off of. It’s a handy rule, and easy to remember, and will serve you well sailing in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and any other […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, Navigation, News, Reviews, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- 8 Comments
- Tags: IALA, navigation, navigation aids
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) It’s hard to believe we’re already past the Fourth of July. It feels like we were just taking off the shrink wrap up in the cooler climes. But don’t despair, even though it may feel like summer is on the wane, there’s plenty of time left for some spectacular weekend […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, Navigation, Reviews, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- No Comments
- Tags: boat engine, boat safety, boat systems, engine
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Over the last couple of months, we’ve talked about air pressure systems and weather fronts. Now, it’s time to pull some of that together to learn more about reading synoptic weather charts. These charts are the data that meteorologists use to come up with forecasts, and we can use them […]
- Posted in Blog, Boat Care, Boating Tips, Cruising, Fishing, iNavX, News, Sailing, Sailing Tips
- No Comments
- Tags: synoptic, synoptic chart, synoptic weather, weather, weather fronts, weather systems