Category: Navigation
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Racing your sailboat is not only fun, but it’s a great way to make new friends and sharpen your sailing skills. You’ll learn better helm skills, sail trim, reading the wind, minding currents, and a lot of other parts of sailing you may not pay as much attention to when […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) A good boat name speaks to you, and it fits the boat. Coming up with something original, fitting, and maybe even clever can be harder than you think. Your boat and how you use it are a personality, and it needs to fit the boat. And since you’re going to […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) If you’ve ever equipped your boat to go offshore, you know you’re supposed to have an EPIRB on board. But can you use a PLB instead? Why might you want a PLB or other beacon device in your life jacket? How to use and maintain them? Technological development has given […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) It’s often said that a boat is a hole in the water where you dump money. If you’ve ever paid for a surprise repair bill or filled the tank on an offshore sport fisher, you’ve felt it. But even small boats can cost a lot to keep running. With the […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Up front, I’m going to confess to a cheat – the cruising grounds of Maine are far too extensive and varied to cover in the few hundred words we have for this blog every month. So we’re going to give you a taste to entice into thinking about taking a […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) When people in southern New England talk about the “Cape and Islands” they’re referring to the southern shore of Cape Cod and its offshore islands – Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Cuttyhunk, and the rest of the Elizabeth Islands. Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound offer some fantastic cruising grounds, with some very […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Ah, the boat’s finally in the water and you’re on the edge of summer. Time to load up the boat with food, friends and family and head out for a day on the water. Pick a far-off spot and head for the sunset drinks on the first trip of the […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) As winter fades and we get ready for commissioning season, there are still a few more wintry days and nights when we can work on our boats. The off season is a good time to play with lines and learn new knots, and in the northeast you’ve got a few […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) It’s March, and we’re almost there! We’ve endured frost, snow, slush and freezing temperatures, and warm weather is hinting like the faint red of new buds in the trees. It’s getting warm enough to work under the winter cover without dressing like you’re running the Iditarod, and you may even […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Few things are more aggravating that an engine which just won’t start, or one that starts and stalls. Whether you’re pulling on your dinghies outboard while your kids wait their towels and gear for a ride to the beach, or cranking your diesel trying to get your sailboat off the […]
