Category: iNavX

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Years ago, when I was first learning to race sailboats, one of the top sailors in our fleet took a deep swing in towards shore during a race. I stayed out in the middle of the bay, because I liked the wind where I was and thought it would hold […]

Electricity Part III Read Part I and Part II by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) One of the biggest battles at the end of the 19th century was the choice of power type for distribution as electricity became more common in household and business use. The “Current Wars” featured Thomas Edison championing direct current against alternating […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Back in January in an earlier installment of our “Boating for Beginners” series, we talked about going to your first boat show. And specifically, we strongly suggested you avoid buying a boat before you really know what you wanted to use it for. There are a lot of different boats […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Last year, we started talking about aids to navigation and discussed lateral marks and the coloring, shape, and sounds used to identify them. Lateral marks are the most common marks you will find in your local waters, but there are many other aids and marks you may come across to […]

Part II in our Series of Power and Electricity by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) In our first Electricity Basics article, we talked about the key formulas used to how electricity behaves. It was a lot of theory, and a bit of math, but it’s the fundamental information you need to learn how to work with […]

by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Are you still itching to head somewhere warm for the winter and aren’t up for as trip offshore? South Florida has some excellent waters south of Miami worth a trip, though how you get there and how you get around may take a little planning. Whether you come by land […]

Picture this: You’re out on the water, the sun is shining, the waves are gently rocking your boat, and then—bam! Someone takes a nasty spill, slices their hand on a fishing hook, or worse, starts feeling woozy from too much sun. Suddenly, you’re not just the captain, you’re also the medic. Boating is all fun […]

Stepping onto a boat for the first time can feel like walking into a foreign country where everyone speaks a different language. You might hear phrases like “grab that line on the starboard side” or “watch the boom!” and have no idea what they mean. Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Every seasoned sailor was once a […]

By B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Many people think about crossing oceans or circumnavigating as the ideal boating adventure. Loading supplies on the boat for a long haul offshore, nonstop sailing and powering through all sorts of conditions with days spent out of sight of land. But that’s not for everyone. And far from the only […]

By B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) If you’re thinking of getting into boating, here’s the next installment in our Boating for Beginners series. Last month, we started out with the important question “So, you think you want to own a boat?” This is the second in the series, and we’re going to encourage you to get […]