by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) It’s almost spring boat sale time! On-line and in person, every major marine retailer is gearing up for spring commissioning seasons. So it’s time to pull out all that boat gear to see what still works, what got moldy in that box in the garage, and what expired. When you’re […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) If you’ve read our articles on boat buying, then you’ve heard me jumping up and down about surveys and why you should almost always get one. I’m a huge fan of a professional survey by an accredited surveyor. But they are expensive and time-consuming, and there is a temptation to […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Fractional ownership is the idea that you buy a stake in a boat to share with someone else, then you share ownership expenses and usage of the boat. It’s not a new concept – friends and family have been sharing ownerships as partners for years. What is newer is the […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Buying a boat is fun and exciting. You’ve done your search, you’ve found your true love, made an offer, done a survey, and you’re just about to sign on the dotted line and transfer the payment. In a moment, she’ll be yours. But are you ready? There’s a fair amount […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) This is a very subjective list, and my list will be nothing like yours unless you have a similar boat and a similar lifestyle and way of using your boat. For context, I’ve been cruising full time and living aboard my boat since 2012, though we’ve owned her for fifteen […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) We did our first offshore international passage as part of the Salty Dawg Rally from Hampton, VA to the British Virgin islands. We planned to do a different rally, but we learned about this one and decided it suited us better. But what is a “rally,” and why might you […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) It’s a fun question to answer, because it makes you think about how you intend to use your boat and what your plans are. Questions like this great ways to pass time over the winter, when you’re cooped up and cold and thinking about what you want to do when […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) Read Part I, Part II, and Part III of buying a used boat. For the last part of what you look at when you are shopping for a used boat, we’re going to get into the electrical and electronic systems. There’s a lot to look for, and like the other […]
by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor) While getting there is half the fun of sailing, once you’re there the other half is getting off the boat and seeing the cool place you’ve sailed to. The more popular boating destinations have dinghy docks to encourage boaters to come on shore and see the sights and visit shops […]
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 […]
