Even though we have another polar vortex headed our way, it may not feel like it but spring is right around the corner. I don’t care what that rodent in Pennsylvania says, it’s time to get the boat ready for the season! This year will see a LOT of newContinue Reading
With COVID-19 running rampant across the lands, people have been adjusting to the new realities of travel and vacationing. Taking those 5 hour plane flights to go see Grandma, or boarding a cruise ship to be packed in with 1000 of your closest friends for the next 5-7 day’s doesn’tContinue Reading
This winter is supposed to be pretty harsh. Of course, we’ve all heard that one before, but it does get damn cold this time of year. Your boat likely has a reverse-cycle heat pump HVAC system. These systems require the water temperature to be at least 42°F in order toContinue Reading
Every year on September 19, folks all over the world celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day (ITLAPD). This holiday was created in 1995 by John Baur (Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy), of Albany, Oregon, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in theContinue Reading
Once again it’s that time of year, and we have a storm headed up the east coast towards us now. Even though Isaias (who names these?!?) looks to be a wussy little tropical storm by the time it gets here, it seems like now is a good time to goContinue Reading
Boating in general has always been a social outlet. Seeing a 20-boat raft-up at Belmont Bay was pretty common. But in the days of the dreaded COVID and Social Distancing, we’ve had to get a bit more creative about how we get together! Recently the folks, in Belmont Bay especially,Continue Reading
By now everyone had heard that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland’s Governor Hogan has issued a Stay at Home Order for the entire state of Maryland. Unfortunately, much of the Potomac is part of Maryland, leading most people to think they can’t go boating. Wrong! The good newsContinue Reading
You’ve had it happen. You depart for a nice 3-day weekend on the Bay. Upon return, you pass the power lines off Quantico and notice the river looks like coffee (with cream). It is full of trees, logs, escaped dinghies and other propeller-bending pleasures. You reach the Occoquan River,Continue Reading
Frustrated with forecasts that turn out to have been wrong? Maybe they weren’t, Captain… After the freighter El Faro sank on October 1 2015 in Hurricane Joaquin, the NTSB noted that, among other factors contributing to the loss, that the Captain “had relied on outdated weather information from a commercialContinue Reading
In every chatroom, forum, and Facebook group, there’s always a common question – ” What are the best smartphone apps for boating?” Well here’s the ones that I think are the most important: Navionics BoatingThis is a chart-plotter app, and one of the best out there. It is constantly beingContinue Reading