The Mariner's Blog

Beginner's Guide to Navigating a Boat
  • 28 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
Beginner's Guide to Navigating a Boat

Navigating a boat is nothing like driving a car. On the water, there are no road signs, no lane markings, and no pavement to follow. Fog, darkness,...

Why Does the Ocean Appear in Different Colors Around the World?
  • 28 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
Why Does the Ocean Appear in Different Colors Around the World?

Anyone who has traveled by sea or along a coastline has noticed that the ocean does not look the same everywhere. Open Atlantic waters off the cont...

What Is A Nautical Chart? Everything You Need to Know
  • 28 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
What Is A Nautical Chart? Everything You Need to Know

A nautical chart is the single most important document aboard any vessel. Unlike a road map, which shows highways and intersections, a nautical cha...

The Complete Marine Binoculars Guide for Boaters and Sailors
  • 27 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
The Complete Marine Binoculars Guide for Boaters and Sailors

A good pair of marine binoculars is one of the most practical tools aboard any vessel. Whether identifying a distant buoy in haze, reading the name...

What Is Nautical Freeboard? A Guide
  • 27 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
What Is Nautical Freeboard? A Guide

Every vessel floating on water has a measurement that directly indicates how safe that vessel is in its current loaded condition. Freeboard, the ve...

Magnetic Variation vs Deviation: What Every Navigator Must Know
  • 26 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
Magnetic Variation vs Deviation: What Every Navigator Must Know

A magnetic compass does not point to true north. Two separate errors, variation and deviation, pull the compass needle away from the direction show...

What Is GMDSS? Full Breakdown of the Maritime Distress and Safety System
  • 26 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
What Is GMDSS? Full Breakdown of the Maritime Distress and Safety System

Before GMDSS existed, a vessel in distress had to rely on a nearby ship monitoring the same radio frequency at the right moment. The Global Maritim...

How to Navigate Fog at Sea: Safety Tips and Procedures
  • 25 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
How to Navigate Fog at Sea: Safety Tips and Procedures

Fog can reduce visibility from miles to meters in a matter of minutes. Unlike a storm, which announces itself with wind and waves, fog arrives quie...

UNCLOS: The Law of the Sea Convention Explained
  • 25 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
UNCLOS: The Law of the Sea Convention Explained

Every maritime zone on a nautical chart, from territorial waters to the high seas, exists because of a single international treaty. The United Nati...

What Is AIS and How Does It Work? A Guide
  • 22 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
What Is AIS and How Does It Work? A Complete Guide

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is one of the most important pieces of navigation equipment aboard any commercial vessel. AIS broadcasts ...

The History of Lighthouses in the United States
  • 8 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
The History of Lighthouses in the United States

For more than 300 years, lighthouses have guided vessels along the American coastline, through narrow harbor approaches, and past dangerous shoals....

COLREGS: International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
  • 6 may 2026
  • Charles Hays
COLREGS: International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

On the open ocean, there are no traffic lights, lane markings, or stop signs. Two vessels approaching each other in a busy shipping lane need a sha...