The Boat Life Knowledge Base
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The Florida Keys are America’s tropical island paradise. Islands that promise island life that you can drive to, without ever setting foot on a boat. Of course, boaters like to boat there, too. Home to the continental US’s only living…
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Boater’s Guide to The Bahamas
During the depths of winter, nothing warms the cockles of your heart like being on a sandbar in The Bahamas, sipping a cold Kalik, and laughing about those poor saps up north. But The Bahamas are a boater’s paradise year-round.…
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Boater’s Guide to Chesapeake Bay
While you can get to major cities such as Norfolk, Annapolis, Washington DC, and Baltimore during a Chesapeake Bay cruise, the charm lies in its laid-back, country-lane feel. In the Chesapeake Bay, you can play on a sandbar, taste fresh…
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Is It Safe to Drink Boat Tank Water? — The Complicated Matter of Drinking Water on a Boat
Many boaters are concerned with the water quality coming from their boat water tanks, and with good reason. Getting a waterborne illness on a boat is too easy, and questionable water is everywhere. It’s hard to have confidence in a…
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Boaters, Don’t Run A-Foul of Fishing Gear
Here’s a topic that we’ve had to learn about through trial and error. While I have some fishing experience, the different gear we’ve encountered along the US East Coast has been shrouded in mystery. Navigating a cruising boat means sharing…
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Provisioning Your Boat Pantry — What To Buy So You Can Cook (Nearly) Anything (Nearly) Anywhere
Living on a boat and being a cook, I have become a master at recipe substitutions. Back when I lived land life, I’d find a recipe I wanted to make, hop in the car, drive to the supermarket, buy every…
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Trelino Composting Toilet Review — A Boater’s Take on a New Marine Composting Toilet
Disclaimer: Trelino provided us with an Evo M composting toilet to try. What follows is our honest take on this toilet for use on our sailboat. If you’ve ever engaged me in a conversation about toilets (and really, why haven’t…
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2024 Bahamas Pet Travel Requirements and Updates for Boaters
Getting your pet permission to come to the Bahamas has always been a bit of a hassle for boaters. As with crossing any international border, you must get permission from the appropriate authorities and complete all the paperwork to ensure…
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AIS vs. Radar — Real World Boater Perspectives From Cruising
If you’re outfitting a new-to-you boat or thinking about going cruising, you may find yourself having to choose between AIS or radar. There is a lot of information on the topic, including advice from experts more knowledgeable than yours. However,…
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Should We Take the Dismal Swamp Canal? The ICW’s Alternate Route Explained
Every year, we ask the same question: should we take the Dismal Swamp or Virginia Cut? We’ve made the trip up and down the ICW a dozen or more times now, and on each trip, we weigh the pros and…
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