Places
Learn everything you ever wanted to know about boating in Florida or Washington or New England. Sail the San Francisco Bay or the Chesapeake Bay. Ever thought of boating the canals of the U.K or visiting Oz or canoeing in Hawaii? Here’s your chance to plan your trip. Missing the Great Lakes? The North Channel of Lake Huron beckons.

History
Museum websites are treasure troves of historic boating information: make a virtual visit to The Mariners’ Museum in Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in Maryland, the Museum of America and the Sea (Mystic, Connecticut), the New Bedford Whaling Museum (Massachusetts), or the online museum at Seattle’s Center for Wooden Boats. Riverboat Dave is a must-read for anyone interested in riverboat history.

Fascinated by shipwrecks? Take a look at U.K. Wreck Diving, whether you dive wrecks or just like to read about them. Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Shipwrecks is fascinating, as are the resources available at Famous Shipwrecks Worldwide.

Parts, Repair, Salvage
Classic powerboat enthusiasts will appreciate OldBoats anytime they need a part or reliable antique boat information. BoatRepairs offers state-by-state listings for local dealers and repair shops. For DIY folks, DIYBoatOwner is a must-read; there are lots of technical tips on the site as well as promos for their print magazine. Sail on over to Boatbuilding.net or the Boat Doctor forums for more useful instruction. YachtSurvey is another winner, offering readers comprehensive information on boat maintenance and ownership.

Reviews, Comparisons, and Classifieds
Get a boat, peruse listings for boats, or find new and used boats at a variety of sites. If you’re still trying to decide what type of boat to get, BoatTest, Soundings, the buyer’s guide at Boating Life, or We Rate Boats are good places to start.

Navigation
Access the U.S. Naval Oceanography’s astronomical data, or use military nautical calculators. SmallBoatGPS is a user-friendly resource. BoatSafe offers an excellent explanation of navigation (including historical details) for kids; it’s an interesting read for anyone who is new to boat navigation.

Safety/Weather
Life vests are a must. Here’s how to choose a personal flotation device. Check for fair winds before you go at PassageWeather, and make some general predictions about current. If you use Windows, you can also get some free tide prediction software. NOAA’s Tides Online is a critical resource for all boaters. The National Data Buoy Center gives you current current information (that’s a pun, not a typo, people. Ok, moving on.)

Newbies
Learn how to tie a knot. (We’re not talking marriage.) If it’s rainy, here’s more knot tying for you to practice. You can also learn about types of boats, how sails work, and right-of-way rules.

Charters
Even if you don’t own your own boat, we’ve got resources for you. Charter a boat for a dream vacation at Taylor’d Yacht Charters, the Moorings, or Barefoot Yachts.

Armchair Travel
Can’t get out today? Watch some SailTube

Got any other suggestions? We’d love to hear about them in the comments.

While most cover a variety of boating-related topics, we’ve tried to group them as much as possible by their main focus. You’ll find information on restoring various boat models, the logistics of boat ownership, boating safety, and, of course, plenty of inspiration for your next journey.

Specific Boat Models and Renovation

Powerboat lovers should head on over to Big Bad Boat. O’Day22 presents information about renovating a 1974 O’Day 22 on a budget. Flicka20 and Schucker Boats are great resources as well. OceanShaker is a must-read for yacht lovers, as is the Sabre Yacht blog. Catamaran42 is another good read with lots of useful information, as is Element II. If houseboats are more your speed, take a look at The Houseboat Blog. Interested in something on a smaller scale? Sate your boat cravings with a collection of RC boats.

For those daring individuals who are looking for a truly complex DIY project, there’s the Wooden Boat Blog, where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about building wooden boats from scratch. Find more on boat building at Dave’s Boat or the Wooden Sailboat Blog. Eco-Boat is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in sustainability aboard.

Journeys and Destinations

Bill Springer’s sailing blog covers several destinations, many in the Northeast, but don’t miss his post on sailing in the Seychelles. Cruise from Chicago to Grenada with Scott and Sue, or travel the Pacific Northwest on the Katherine Jane. Read the amazing chronicle of 1000 Days at Sea. You can Sail Southern California or Puget Sound, or travel the world with John and Jean on their maritime adventure. Big Oceans lets you follow Nick as he sails solo from Holland to Australia. Get on the Mediterranean Fastrack, Get Lost on Purpose, or learn what Sailing the Northwest Passage is like.

The Quest for the Perfect Boat

One of the joys of boat ownership is the search for The One. You know it when you see it, and in the meantime you get to check out all sorts of great boats, just like Michael at The Perfect Sailboat Project. For more on buying and selling boats, check out the Boat Trader blog, an invaluable resource for anyone interested in finding the right new or used boat. Buy This Boat is a yacht broker’s blog that’s lots of fun to peruse.

Boating News

Don’t miss the latest news on boating, piracy, racing, and more at Sailboats and Sailing the World, the Boats.com blog, Torresen Sailing News, Harbour Exchange, Daily Boater, and the Yachting News blog. Discover Boating is great for newbies and veterans alike, as is Small Craft Advisor.

Weather and Safety

Marine Guard Security’s commercial blog on boat security and safety has some excellent information, as does the gCaptain Maritime blog. The New Boat Builders Boating Safety Blog is another valuable resource.

Inspiration

Some blogs indulge their audiences with gorgeous photos, thoughtful meditations on boating life, humorous takes on maritime adventures, or some combination. Not always easily categorized, they’re still well worth your attention. Messing About in Boats, Tugster, Sea Fever, and OldSalt1942 fall into this category.

If you’ve ever wanted to live on a boat—especially if you have young children and you’re wondering about the challenges of babies on boats—take a look at We Live on a Boat. (They do. In Canada, no less. Year-round. Brrr!) Want to learn how to live simply on a boat? Try Sailing Simplicity. Those interested in antique boats will spend hours on WoodyBoater. Boats Blog is a good way to discover new boating bloggers.

The Boat Name Blog is tons of fun—if you’ve ever wandered a marina and enjoyed checking out all the boat names, this one’s for you. Readers can suggest names for those who write in to the blog. A charming fundraiser for a small museum in Scotland involved paper boats sent from all over the world—take a look at them at the Paper Boats blog. The Old Salt blog reviews books, discusses maritime history, and reports on ship-related news.

Finally, you can start your own sailing blog over at Sailblogs.com. Then come back here and tell us about it!

As a boater there are a wide variety of issues, thoughts and ideas that you might have.  Such as getting your boat insured (this is probably how you first got here).  While we like to think that we’re a great reference site for you, we couldn’t possibly begin to address all the issues facing a boat owner.

I have a brother-in-law who has missed every single important family function that occurred on a weekend in the Summer for much of the past decade.  I’m talking vacations, weddings, baptisims… you name it.  When it comes to his boat and the lake, he cannot be interfered with.  ALL of his spare time is spent on the lake.  He barely has time to scour the internet to find some information that could help him out as a boat owner.  So with that said, we’ve taken  the time for you and have complied a nice list of 50 websites for Boat Owners.  We’ve broken them down into categories for you, I hope you enjoy.

NAMING YOUR BOAT

http://10000boatnames.com/

http://www.boatlettering.net/names.htm

http://www.namethatboat.com/

SAILBOAT ENTUHASISTS

http://www.sailtime.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailboat (Wiki Article)

http://www.sailboatshop.com/

http://sailmagazine.com/sail-buyers-guide/

BOAT SALES (RESALES)

http://www.ablboats.com/

http://www.boats.com/

http://www.boatxchange.com/

http://www.boatboss.com/

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Boats-/26429/i.html?_rdc=1

BOATING CLUBS

http://www.nauticaltoysboatclubs.com

http://freedomboatclub.com/

http://www.carefreeboats.com/ (Club for non-boat owners)

http://boatingclubs.org/

http://www.adventureboatclub.net/

http://www.discoverboating.com/boating/boatingclubs.aspx

http://www.ultimateboatclub.com/

BOATING LAWS

http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/course/boating/10_0.php (Broken Down by State)

http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/boating_laws.htm (Coast Guard Break Down)

http://boating.ncf.ca/linksgov.html (Canadian Boating Laws)

http://nasbla.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1 (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators)

BOAT SAFETY COURSES

http://www.boat-ed.com/ (Comprehensive List of Boating Courses by State)

http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/courses.htm (Coast Guard List)

http://www.boaterexam.com/

http://www.pwcsafetyschool.com/ (Personal Watercraft Safety Courses)

BOAT CARE TIPS

http://www.pwcsafetyschool.com/

http://waterski.about.com/od/boatmaintenancetips/Boat_Maintenance_Tips.htm (About.com article)

http:://www.basspro.com – Boat Care Article

http://www.ayarimahjoub.com/a365625-the-most-important-care-tips.cfm

BOAT ACCESSORIES

http://www.overtons.com/ (Definitive Boat Accessory Supplier)

http://www.americanmarinesupply.com/

http://www.bartswatersports.com/catalog.asp?C=25

http://www.boatbandit.com/

http://www.boatingstore.com/index.php?target=splash_catalogs

http://www.boatersworld.com/

POWERBOAT MANUFACTURERS WEBSITES

http://www.rbbi.com/links/boatmanufacturers.htm (About the most Comprehensive List one Could Compile… follow the links to find your Manufacturer)

BOAT LOANS

http://www.bankofamerica.com/- Largest provider of boat loans

http://www.eboatloans.com/

http://www.boatus.com/boatloans/

http://www.bestboatloan.com/

http://www.boatloans.net/

MISCELLANEOUS (Boat Clothing, Humor, Facts, etc.)

http://www.zazzle.com/boat+gifts?cg=103113243848843719\- Funny Boating Tee’s

http://marinesource.com/advertisers_directories/nautical_clothing.cfm – Nautical Clothing

http://www.overtons.com/site_section/apparel_section.shtml- THE manufacturer of sport boating clothes

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/special-features/2705-boat-jokes.html- Collection of Boat Jokes to keep you laughing

http://www.bassresource.com/fish/bass-fishing-tips.html- Bass Fishing tips

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/- Nautical Charts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU- Funny SNL Digital Short about the joy of boating… NSFW!!!

If you think that we’ve missed anything or have something that you’d like to include, please drop us a line at news@boatinsurance.org and give us your thoughts!

Fair winds and following seas!

All Images used under Creative Commons License.  Attributation:

LAKE BOAT – http://www.virtualdobrogea.com/images/new_images/lake_boat_w.jpg