Read our most recent articles about how to live out of your Boat full-time.
In most states, vehicles that drive on public highways and roads are licensed to do so by the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) or equivalent. Unfortunately, every state has its own set of laws governing precisely what needs a title and tag and when. Below you will find a table …
Do Boat Trailers Have Titles and Tags in My State? Read More »
Understanding some of the basics is fundamental to understanding all the latest trends and most exciting technologies in boat design. For all their variations and quirks, boat hulls come in only three forms. Here’s a look at the various types, along with a closer look at the most misunderstood—the semi …
Boat power systems vary greatly depending on how the owner uses the boat. Therefore, it is tough to figure out your boat’s system as a new boater. However, taking a look at your entire system will give you a leg up should the day come when you need to figure …
How to Jump a Boat Battery – Boat Battery Basics Read More »
Boats come in all shapes and sizes, so you might be wondering what fuel do boats use. The answer is as varied as all the different boats on the water—it depends! Most small private boats have either gas or diesel engines. Figuring out which one you should use is an …
Whether you’re at the helm of your inflatable tender, a center console fishing boat, or a decked-out express cruiser, go-fast boats aren’t much fun unless they go fast! And if your boat won’t plane out, you can’t go fast. There are a lot of reasons why a boat won’t plane, …
If you’re a dreamer like me—and it seems that all boaters are!—then you might spend a lot of time looking at used boats. One of the things you might look at and compare is the number of hours on the engine. If so, you need to know how many hours …
Boat keys are considerably less complex than car keys. That’s good news because if you’re trying to replace a lost boat key, it shouldn’t be too hard to do. Given the precarious nature of everything that comes near the water, you should take special precautions not to lose your keys. …
Boat Key Replacement: What To Do If You Lose Your Boat Keys Read More »
Since humans began building ships and sailing the Seven Seas, barnacles on boats have been causing problems. Even today, with all our modern technologies and fancy materials, preventing and removing barnacles on boat bottoms costs the shipping industry millions of dollars annually. What’s up with these creepy critters, anyway? Are …
Operating a marine engine in your boat is a little different than a car. A boat engine uses seawater to cool itself, whereas a car uses coolant and the air passing over the radiator. It sounds like a minor difference, but it means there are some extra steps in running …
You can learn a lot about boat lights if you just think about what they are for and what they are doing. On the highway at night, a car has lights that you can identify instantly. What is the difference between bright white lights and red ones? What about flashing …
In different countries, cars steer on different sides of the road. For example, in the U.S., cars drive on the left, and the driver’s seat is on the left-hand side. In the U.K., cars drive on the right, and the driver’s seat is on the right-hand side. However, you might …
If you run your boat in water that is too shallow, you will run aground. This simple fact is obvious to even non-boaters. But what a complex concept! How do you know how shallow your boat can go? How do you even know how deep the water is where you …
Minimum Water Depth for Boat — All About Boat Draft Read More »
Why measure sails? Sailmaking is a complex discipline that blends elements of science and art. Perhaps you want to get a new set of sails made for your older boat, or perhaps you have a new to your boat with no sails to work from. However you attack the problem, …
Sailboats are a little bit like airplanes in some ways. Their sails work like wings, sure. But they also cannot be stopped. If you want to come to a stop in a car, you can stomp on the brakes. If you are in a powerboat, you can kill power to …
Winter is coming! If you are a boat owner, it’s time to learn how to winterize a boat motor. Winterizing an outboard motor will keep the motor safe from damage caused by freezing conditions. It will also keep your motor in top condition so you can enjoy spring boating. How …
Boating laws vary from state to state, but generally, most places require boaters to have some amount of education. So if you’re wondering do you need a captains license for personal boat, the answer is generally no. But, do you need a license to drive a boat? The answer to …
Sea Ray is one of the best-known brands of powerboats on the market. The company has been in business for many years and has produced many different models. As a result, there are many Sea Rays out on the water. For the most part, the brand makes what are called …
Sailboats are designed to harness the wind and travel where ever they want to go, right? But many people don’t realize that many modern sailboats are also motorboats—they’ve got sails for sailing and engine power for motoring. Why? Let’s take a closer look. Do Sailboats Have Engines? The answer is …
If you’re new to sailing, you might be wondering what the best sailing wind speed is. It seems like an easy question, but the question strikes at the heart of the things that go into sailing a boat and being a good skipper. Of course, there is no one perfect …
Picking the size of your first boat is one of the hardest choices you’ll ever have to make, at least in the world of boating. With limited boating experience, how can you possibly know how much is enough and when enough becomes too much? Of course, you want to have …
What exactly is a yacht, anyway? Does it have to be a motor boat? But what about large sailing yachts? The term is confusing because it is used differently in different places. Sometimes, it’s a term only reserved for large motor yachts with multiple crew member teams. Here is a …
There are a lot of different sailboats in the world. In fact, they’ve been making sailboats for thousands of years. And over that time, mankind and naval architects (okay, mostly the naval architects!) have learned a thing or two. If you’re wondering what makes one sailboat different from another, consider …
One of the first sailing fundamentals you learn with you’re new to the world of sailing is the idea of sailing a boat into the wind. Sailboats can sail in the direction of the wind, but they do so by making a zig zag course made up of a series …
Here’s another one of those terms that sounds simple to define but is actually a bit more complicated. Most people know that the helm is the place from which the skipper steers the boat, but did you know that it is also the name of the steering wheel itself? What …
What comes to mind when you think of a speed boat? Obviously, it’s fast. But is it big enough to sleep on? Is it the guy on your local lake who’s tricked out his pontoon? Or is it a gleaming bootlegger running the famous Poker Run in a 50-foot Cigarette …
What could be more romantic or inspiring than living on a sailboat? Maybe you dream of traveling and “sailing off into the sunset.” Or maybe you dig the sailing lifestyle and are looking to join a community of like-minded people. For some, it has been a lifelong dream. Or perhaps …
If your boat is looking a little tired, you might think a fresh coat of gel coat or paint will spruce it up a bit. But re gelcoating a boat is no small job—it usually involves spraying the finish after removing all of the fixtures and preparing and fairing the …
Sailboat keels are more complex than many people give them credit for. Most people intuitively realize that the weight of the heavy keel keeps the sailboat upright and counters the force of the wind against the sails. But the keel does a lot more than that. For example, did you …
You’ve probably heard that one of the best reasons to get a catamaran is because they’re fast. After all, there’s a race any time there are two sailboats on the same waterway. But like all things in boating, speed is a relative term. Catamarans seem fast to those coming from …
Anchoring is a complex art form that requires knowing a bit of the theory and then practicing every chance you get. Unfortunately, most boaters know little about the subject until they take off on their first big voyage. Even still, many travelers spend most of their time tied to docks. …
