Life at sea isn’t all about the relentless pursuit of adventure, sometimes it’s about relaxing, and kicking back with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee as you gently bob up and down on the waves. The question is therefore, what it the best means of getting the hot water to make said tea or coffee in the first place?! Well assuming you’ve got a stove in your galley you can … [Read more...]

The humble horn is an often overlooked part of a boat’s safety critical systems, yet having a means of making an adequate audible warning signal is not only a requirement under both international and local maritime laws; it’s also prudent if you care about your own personal safety as well as that of your passengers/crew. Many boats come shop fitted with a fairly puny and … [Read more...]

Buying a used boat is of course a great way to get into the activity without making a massive financial commitment. Whether you’re selling a boat or buying one, it’s worth knowing what will affect the price you can buy/sell it for. By far the most contentious and most widely discussed issue around the subject of second hand boats is ‘engine hours’. More often than not a … [Read more...]

Off the top of my head there are 3 ways of propelling a boat, either through the use of a conventional propeller, an impeller (or ‘jet drive’), and aircraft style propellers typically found on flat bottomed air boats used in marshlands where below waterline propulsion is impractical. For most of us the choice will come down to propellers or jet drives, with props generally … [Read more...]

Keeping your boat clean is important, partly for pride reasons, and partly to keep the thing, well, ship shape (for lack of a better word.) Whether it’s scraping the barnacles from your dingy or shampooing the carpets on board your superyacht, valet and detailing work shouldn’t be overlooked as part of the upkeep of your boat if you want to get the best out of your … [Read more...]