Great numbers of northerners are moving south, many of them boaters. Most are heading for Florida. Why Florida? Almost every family has a relative already living there. For the retiree, Florida offers not only low real estate taxes, but also has no state tax. For…
Posts published in “July 2023”
Ironically, scientists were exploring a section of the Pacific Ocean known as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) because it is believed to be rich in precious mineral depots. The Clarin-Cliperton Zone is a mineral-rich area of the ocean floor that measures approximately 2.3 million square miles…
Donning scuba gear, you don’t have to descend very far below the surface of Long Island Sound to discover some of its prettiest marine animals. In less than 20 feet, you can encounter large flower-like clusters of pink-hearted hydroids, swaying slowly back and forth in…
I jumped in the air, throwing the sheet off, almost knocking over the lantern that cast a dim light on the interior of the jungle hut. My friend, Captain Bill, and I had been trying to sleep despite the storm, the heat, and the mosquitoes.…
Each month, an interesting aspect of the world’s oldest continuous maritime service will be highlighted. The men and women of the United States Coast Guard follow in the fine tradition of the brave mariners who have served before them. As sentinels and saviors of the…
Every year around this time, the following “article” makes the rounds through various social media outlets:The USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) as a combat vessel carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months…
There’s another Canadian wildfire conspiring to make it difficult to get the boat done! More about that later. In the meantime we have been getting ready for our next trip up to the boat in Alexandria Bay. We are planning to bring her back to…
You’re going on your boat for a day of fishing with the crew, or perhaps a day with family and friends. What’s the best way to handle this on your vessel? Over the years I have observed many dos and don’ts when it comes to…
As of June 1, hurricane season is upon us. Almost without exception, we get the tail, shoulder or rump of one or two of the dozen or so that form up in the Atlantic between the Caribbean and Africa and bring so much destruction and…
The business of determining damages in a dispute can be quick and straightforward, or it can be a long, drawn-out process. It all depends on the expectations of the parties when they come to the table. This subject brings to mind a funny cartoon behind…