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Boating Articles by Tom

Starting with the little two-person inflatable raft I had as my very first boat, I have always loved the freedom and the feeling of being out on the water. With my father's help, I added a hard plywood floor to that little inflatable, and that was the beginning of a long chain of boats I have owned, loved, maintained, modified, fixed, enjoyed, and scared myself to death on over the past few decades.
A lot of boating time is spent fixing boats, maintaining boats, and upgrading boats with new boating equipment to suit our specific tastes and needs. Lots of salespeople at stores that sell marine boating supplies and boating accessories have learned to recognize me over the years. I have spent my share of time and money working on just about anything you could name on a boat, and made plenty of mistakes. I'm here to share the lessons learned.

Sailing the Edge of Hurricane Irene in Hobie Adventure Island

August 28, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Sailing Shell Creek to Punta Gorda On the Winds of Irene Launching In Shell Creek A nearby tropical weather system that is not a threat always causes great sailing weather, and today was no exception. After a morning look at Hurricane … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Kayaking, Sailing Tagged With: hurricane, Hobie, Adventure Island, Charlotte Harbor, trimaran

Remembering The Thunderboats

August 24, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

The Day The Thunderboats Died Miss Budweister to be Sold, and Remembering Piston Powered Unlimited Hydroplanes The Miss Budweiser Hydroplane, shown here on display at Muscle Car City, was recently listed for auction on eBay. We saw … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Powerboating, Boating Fun Tagged With: Thunderboats

Caught By Another Thunderstorm

August 14, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Launching At Ponce Park Afternoon Sail Ends With Thunderstorm It started out so nice! Our plan for the afternoon of August 6, 2011, was to take an evening sail on Charlotte Harbor from 5 pm until about 7, leaving plenty of time to get the boat … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sailing Tagged With: Sun Cat, Charlotte Harbor, thunderstorm

Boating Safety Equipment

July 12, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Sunscreen, a VHF radio, a paddle and an anchor, along with a small emergency toolkit/first aid kit, can save your bacon. can save your bacon.

Required By Tom: Minimum Required Boating Safety Equipment The boating gear that could save your life   The laws require certain equipment to be carried aboard boats, depending on the size and intended use of the vessel. These minimum … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boating Equipment, Boating Safety Tagged With: emergency, small boats, safety equipment

Installing a Boomkicker® K0750 on a Com-Pac Sun Cat

July 12, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Sun Cat Cattitude Catboat Willie and I went over to Laishley Park Marina to help our friend Craig put his new Boomkicker® K0750 on his Com-Pac Sun Cat, Cattitude. I had previously installed a couple of Boomkicker 400s on Precision 185 sailboats, so … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sailing, Boat Repairs & Upgrades Tagged With: small boats, Sun Cat, boomkicker

Cortez Florida Small Craft Festival

July 8, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Visiting the Florida Gulf Coast Traditional Small Craft Festival FISH Boatworks and Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez, FL Cortez Traditional Small Craft Festival Fleet At Docks The historic fishing village of Cortez, FL is clinging … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boat Building, Boating Fun Tagged With: small boats

How I became infected with Boatbuilding Disease

April 29, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Highland LassI have always watched with interest the efforts of home boat builders as they create and customize their own craft, often over a very long period of time. Some of the boats are incredibly beautiful and I can't believe they actually … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boat Building Tagged With: boat building

Swimming With Humpback Whales – Day 5 & End

April 27, 2011 By Tom 1 Comment

Red Clouds In Morning Thursday started out with the underside of high clouds painted red by the sun. The breeze was still blowing, but not quite as hard as on previous days. The persistent wind made me wish we were allowed to bring our sailing … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boating Fun Tagged With: whale watching, Conscious Breath Adventures, humpback whales

Swimming With Humpback Whales – Days 3 and 4

April 27, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Tuesday Sunrise We woke up Tuesday to strong winds, above the 25 knot wind limit set for Silver Bank whale watch operators. The weather delay meant a leisurely breakfast watching for whales around the mooring area. The coral heads scattered around … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boating Fun Tagged With: whale watching, Conscious Breath Adventures

Swimming With Humpback Whales – Day 2

April 27, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Blazing Sunrise Monday morning we had lots of whales around the mooring area as we were sipping coffee on deck before breakfast. One was pec slapping just beyond the Turks & Caicos Explorer II, moored next to us, then put on a display of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boating Fun Tagged With: whale watching, Conscious Breath Adventures

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Popular

  • The Perfect Solo Mast-Raising System for Small Sailboats
  • How to Dock an Outboard or Sterndrive Powerboat in 3 Easy Pictures
  • Small Outboard Engine Tilt and Trim: Theory and Practice
  • Tying Boats to Docks Using Springlines
  • Deep V, Shallow V, or Variable Deadrise Hull Performance
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About Tom

Starting with the little two-person inflatable raft I had as my very first boat, I have always loved the freedom and the feeling of being out on the water. With my father's help, I added a hard plywood floor to that little inflatable, and that was the beginning of a long chain of boats I have owned, loved, maintained, modified, fixed, enjoyed, and scared myself to death on over the past few decades. [Read More …]

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  • General (37)
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    • Tropical Fruiting (1)
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        • Pflueger Spinning Reels
        • Quantum Spinning Reels
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    • Rod & Reel Combos
      • Abu Garcia Rod & Reel Combos
      • Baitcast Rod & Reel Combos
      • Okuma Rod & Reel Combos
      • Quantum Rod & Reel Combos
      • Shakespeare Rod & Reel Combos
      • Spinning Rod & Reel Combos
      • Ugly Stik Rod & Reel Combos
    • Tackle Boxes & Bags
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  • KeelGuard Keel Protectors
  • Marine Electronics
    • Autopilots
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    • EPIRBs
    • Fishfinders
    • Fixed-Mount VHF Radios
    • Handheld GPS Units
    • Handheld VHF Radios
  • Pelican Waterproof Marine Boxes
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    • Inflatable PFDs
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    • Survival PFDs
    • Survival Suits & Immersion Suits
    • PFDs for Infants
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    • PFDs for Dogs
    • Throwable (Type IV) PFDs
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    • Aluminum Propellers
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