A fresh paint job and custom cockpit can hide serious issues. Old screwed-down teak decks often leak, and the real story is inside - water damage to hulls and ...

Hurricane-damaged boats can become financial black holes. The cost of materials like teak is driven by shipping and taxes—so repairs are often far cheaper in ...

A boat listing with no real photos is never a good sign. This 1971 Little Harbor looks more like a project someone gave up on than a vessel ready to sail. ...

It’s not enough to have a ditch bag—you need to be able to reach it instantly, in the dark, under stress, and possibly through smoke. Where you store it, and ...

Most buyers approach boats with the wrong framework. Unlike cars, there’s no mileage benchmark, no universal build standard, and no simple depreciation curve. ...

In a lithium fire scenario, there’s no fighting it—only reacting. These fires generate their own oxygen and escalate instantly, turning the cabin into an ...

Is Robert Perry actually the greatest cruising boat designer of all time, or is the "Perry Legend" just clever marketing from the Taiwan boat era? Today, I am ...

Boats from the late 1970s can be exceptional—but they come with specific risks tied to material changes during the oil crisis era. Osmosis issues aren’t ...

A lot of sailors delay leaving because they’re waiting for everything to be perfect—but that moment never comes. Offshore experience is built by going, not by ...

Systems fail—and when they do, your crew needs to be able to operate without them. Training under stripped-down conditions builds the instincts and confidence ...

Even minor, unseen damage to a lithium battery can lead to internal failure—especially in a marine environment where impact and water exposure are common. Once ...

Not all used boats are equal—and it often comes down to the owner. From minimal maintenance to full bluewater refits, understanding who owned the boat before ...

Some boats stand out for their unconventional design—but that uniqueness can become a major limitation offshore. If a vessel can’t be easily serviced or ...

🏆 AWARD NEWS: Be The Captain is officially a finalist for the Eric Hoffer First Horizon and Foreword INDIES Awards! Grab your award-nominated copy here: ...

Being a captain isn’t about certification—it’s about mindset. The responsibility begins the moment you decide to take people out, and your crew will look to ...

The first few days offshore are when fatigue is at its worst—and when decision-making breaks down. Without proper rest and watch structure, even experienced ...

A well-maintained boat tells a clear story. From upgraded rigging to structural decisions like removing teak decks, the details reveal whether a vessel has ...

June 10th, 2024. sv Theros leaves Halifax bound for the Azores. Three days later, 34 miles southwest of Sable Island — the graveyard of the Atlantic — their ...

From the southeast trades to the milk run, through the ITCZ — the doldrums — up through the northeast trades, and then into the westerlies at 35-40 degrees ...

Most people searching for the perfect bluewater sailboat will never see one like this. My book is about EXACTLY this kind of decision-making: 👉 ...

Motion breaks things. Fatigue makes you stupid. Stupidity feeds fear. Fear feeds panic. Offshore failures don't come in ones. They compound. Recognize the ...

3 weeks without food, 3 days without water. Most sailors have emergency water somewhere on the boat — but can you grab it in 5 seconds before you step off? 10 ...

It's cheaper. It's also a different chemistry — one that burns at 2,000° and generates its own oxygen. Your extinguisher is irrelevant. Your exit becomes the ...

On June 10th, 2024, SV Theros left Halifax bound for the Azores. Three days later, their AIS signal went dark 34 miles southwest of Sable Island. Four weeks ...