Generic vs Type-Specific ECDIS Training
An officer can hold a valid ECDIS certificate and still be unfit to keep watch on the system in front of them. Here is why ECDIS training comes in two parts — and which one actually gets ships detained.
Edward Caine
What It’s Really Like to Live Aboard a Yacht for a Week
An honest account of what a week living aboard a sailing yacht is actually like — from the first sleepless night to sea legs, group dynamics, morning routines, and why most people book their next trip before they’ve finished the first.
Best Sailing Jackets: Waterproof Gear for Every Budget
A guide to the best sailing jackets available at every price point — from entry-level coastal gear to premium offshore kit. What to look for, which brands deliver, and how to make your jacket last.
Bow Thrusters and Stern Thrusters: How They Help Ships Maneuver
A thruster buys back control at the one speed a rudder cannot work. How they swing, translate, and rotate a ship, why they fade with speed, and where their limits lie.
Merchant Marine Career Paths
A map of the seafarer’s ladder: the three departments, the STCW levels from rating to senior officer, how to get your first ticket, and where a career at sea can lead.
How Tugboats Assist Ships
Small hulls, huge pull. How tugs push, pull, and escort big ships, what bollard pull and tug type really mean, and why girting is the danger that defines the job.
AIS Explained: What It Tells You, and What It Can’t
AIS hands you every ship’s name, course, and intentions before they come into sight. The trouble is how much of it is typed in by hand, and how far to trust it.
Understanding Ship Stability
The geometry that keeps a ship upright: the four points K, B, G, and M, the righting lever and GZ curve, stiff versus tender, and the faults that capsize ships.
Radar Basics
A working guide to marine radar: how it builds its picture, how to read motion and risk of collision from it, how to tune it, and where it goes blind.
Dead Reckoning vs GPS
They are not rivals. GPS gives where the ship is; dead reckoning gives where she should be. How the fix, DR, and estimated position fit, and why both still run today.