Seamanship

To navigate a bridge safely, know the rules and proceed with caution.

Boat owners will always argue the value of paper charts versus electronic versions. Pat Mundus discusses the pros and cons of both.

It’s high-season for hurricanes and fall Nor’easters. Is your boat ready for heavy winds and storms?

No amount of horsepower or gadgetry can compensate for seamanship skills, so it pays to get yours in order.

The Automatic Information System, also known as AIS, is a great navigation tool for boaters on the lookout for traffic on the water. But knowing its limitations is key to a safe voyage.

So, you’ve set the hook and are enjoying a quiet evening on deck when the anchor starts to drag. What’s next?

Running in fog can be challenging. Here’s how to safely handle it the next time the thick stuff rolls in.

There’s nothing like hearing, “Nice job, skipper,” after skillfully docking your boat. Pat Mundus has some tips to make your next docking maneuver a success.

My unusual adventures aboard a beautiful 1930s-era power yacht

Knowing the individual components of your ground tackle system and how they each work is an essential first step in a peaceful night’s rest while at anchor.

Port and starboard may as well be up and down if you don’t know nautical lingo. Pat Mundus explains the importance of understanding the language of the sea.

Good communication is important in all walks of life, but it’s particularly  important on recreational boats, where the safety of passengers will depend on it.

Knowing how to properly deploy and set an anchor is the key to a good night’s sleep on the hook.

Test your knowledge with these Coast Guard license exam prep questions from the National Captain’s Institute captains.com

Test your knowledge with these Coast Guard license exam prep questions from the National Captain’s Institute captains.com

March 2006, British Columbia: The ferry Queen of the North was making a routine transit.

Maintaining a proper lookout involves constant adjustment based on the prevailing circumstances.

Test your knowledge with these Coast Guard license exam prep questions from the National Captain’s Institute .

The buccaneers and pirates of long ago stashed their loot in the oddest places.

Test your knowledge with these Coast Guard license exam prep questions from the National Captain’s Institute captains.com

Positive stability is a vessel’s tendency to resist capsizing. Negative stability? Not so much.

If your vessel has an EPIRB, you’re not alone in an emergency. Distress signals can be received and acted upon within minutes, typically taking less than an hour for your position to be known to within 3 miles. That’s almost a miracle for a $500 purchase.

The size of battery-charging equipment has grown to keep pace with larger and more sophisticated batteries.