General Boating Articles

When docked or anchored, all power boats and sailboats must be tied to hold them in position. It is most important to not only use the correct knots, but also use the right length and size of rope. For example, the diameter of your line should be larger for larger boats and smaller for smaller boats. Use 3/8” nylon for boats up to the low 20’s, 1/2” nylon for low 20’s to high 30’s and 5/8” nylon for 40’ plus.

Have you thought of everything for your next boating holiday? Chances are, you probably haven't. The list is so long, I don't know of anyone who hasn't forgotten something.

BUT, there are a few important details that most boaters overlook, that could make the difference between an enjoyable holiday and a frustrating, stressful one!

Carly and her husband George were thoroughly enjoying their afternoon trip along the waterway aboard their 30’ cruiser with their friends. Calm water, warm temperatures and a light cooling breeze had created perfect boating conditions.

As always when boating, they decided a little food was in order, so Carly offered to go below for “some snacks”. Somehow, we all enjoy eating while underway.

After our recent glorious boating holiday in the Bahamas aboard a 41' Symbol Motor Yacht, we prepared for the crossing from West End, Grand Bahama Island, to Lake Worth, Florida. It's a stretch of approximately 60 miles and we had a chart plotter so it should have been a "piece of cake". However...

At some point, all boats need to be refurbished, upgraded or refitted with new products and accessories. For those who are considering any of these, here are some money saving tips.

When your canvas needs replacing, you have a great opportunity to improve the canvas over what was there before. I have a list of things for you to consider when installing new canvas or replacing your worn canvas to help you accomplish this. Just ask your marina canvas people to incorporate the following features to end up with a superior canvas job.

Working in galley sinks takes some practice. Most are small single bowls--some round, some square, some deep and others shallow. Mastering this comes with time and practice and a few tips as well.

A relatively new feature to consider before you just buy another VHF radio is to consider getting one with a remote microphone (all the features of the radio are located on the microphone including a readout). These models of radio have a hard wired microphone that can be located convenient to your helm with the main unit mounted somewhere out of the way.

"On your mark. Get Set. Go!" Is your boat going to be ready as soon as the season starts? Summer is not far away and there are a number of things you can do in the next couple of months to prepare your boat for the season. One is checking your flares and, if they need replacing, there are some things you should know.

Scott sent an email with an interesting challenge. We have boated for years with our dog but never encountered Scott's challenge because we didn't have an aft cabin cruiser then. We just used muscle each time the dog wanted on or off the boat. His question follows:

How do I get my dog from the Platform to the Aft Deck on my Aft Cabin Cruiser?