Category: Cruising

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  Read Part I, Part II, and Part IV of buying a used boat. Next in our series on checks for buying a new-to-you boat, we’ll delve into some of the boat’s comfort systems. Your survey should check all these systems in some detail. But when you view the boat you […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  We loved sailing with our kids. I enjoyed my time racing, but the most special memories I have on our boats through the years are the places – even the more ordinary ones – that we went as a family. But not every kid takes too sailing, so I’ve got […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)  One of the weirdest summers in memory is drawing to a close. With the pandemic, we tossed all our usual summer activities and plans in the air to land where they would. Many people took to boating with their families as a good way to get some social distance from […]

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)  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 […]

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 […]