The Wire
Stories from across the boating world.
Walkthroughs, boat show coverage, and the guides that make owning a boat easier, reported by the Nautical Network team.
CaptainsSeptember 22, 2026
Hiring a Captain for the Southbound Run: Getting Your Boat to Florida
Why October and November are crunch season for delivery captains, how the southbound run works, what drives delivery cost, and what to have ready before the lines come off.
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CaptainsSeptember 7, 2026
Hiring a Delivery Captain: When It Makes Sense and How to Do It Right
When a professional delivery beats moving the boat yourself, what a good captain will ask you for before leaving the dock, and how a clean handoff works on both ends.
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CaptainsSeptember 6, 2026
USCG Captain's Licenses in Plain Words: OUPV vs Master
What a six-pack license actually allows, what a Master adds, how tonnage works, and the sea time behind each, straight from the Coast Guard's own rules.
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CaptainsSeptember 5, 2026
Do You Need a Captain Aboard? What Insurers Ask of New Owners Moving Up
Why carriers sometimes require a licensed captain for owners stepping up in size, how owner training days work, and how to turn a requirement into real skill.
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CaptainsSeptember 4, 2026
So You Want to Be a Charter Captain: The Realistic Path
The real sequence from deckhand to paid captain: logging sea time the Coast Guard accepts, the exam, the drug testing consortium, and where the first jobs actually are.
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