One of the first things boaters learn: “Red, Right, Returning.”

When you’re coming back from open water (aka returning), keep the red buoys on your right (starboard) side.

Bonus: Green buoys have odd numbers, reds have evens. Yes, it’s a whole system—and yes, we think it’s kinda fun.

A nautical mile equals 1.1508 statute miles—or about 6,076 feet. It’s based on the Earth’s circumference, which makes it way more helpful for navigation. Your speed in knots? That’s nautical miles per hour.

So when someone says you only have “5 miles to go,” you might wanna ask: “Land miles or real miles?” 😏

On a boat, ropes have jobs—and names to match. A rope becomes a line once it’s put to work. Need to raise a sail? That’s a halyard. Docking? Grab the dock lines. Just a random coil of rope doing nothing? Okay, that one might still be a rope. 😉

Ever wonder where the word scuttlebutt (aka gossip) came from? ⛵

Back in the day, sailors would gather around the ship’s water barrel—called a scuttlebutt—to drink and chat. It was basically the nautical version of a water cooler. Naturally, the chit-chat turned into rumors, jokes, and tall tales… and the name stuck!

So next time someone shares some marina “scuttlebutt,” you’ll know: it’s got salty roots. 🧂⚓

Want more weird trivia and cruiser goodies? Stay tuned—there’s more where that came from.