Best Blogs For Boaters John Konrad Total Views: 123 January 13, 2010 Too early to start thinking about the boating season? Well gCaptain does have loyal readers in Argentina, Australia and South Africa but, yes, it is entirely too early and gCaptain doesn’t even cover recreational boating but lessons can be learned from all that share the waterways. This is especially true of marine electronics. Why? Most of the electronic gear on the bridge of a commercial ship requires approvals from countless regulatory bodies to assure that it’s safe for navigational use. These approvals take time and require that innovative ideas are tested prior to implementation but the makers of electronics for boats don’t have these hurdles. If a new idea is presented to them they can implement it in the very next product cycle. The result is many cool and interesting ideas that will be seen on ships in the not too distant future. So, to keep your eye on the future of electronics and to better understand the mindset of the average boater, we have asked Mad Mariner contributor (and friend!) Tim Flanagan to share with us his favorite boating blogs. —————————————— Got Blog? By Tim Flanagan It’s a new year, and I’m feeling thankful and thoughtful. For the last three years or so, my life has been a lot less stable than it was when I worked at Microsoft (“The Mothership”, as we call it). Despite the uncertainty, though, in many ways this has been a very rewarding time for me, as well. Navagear, in particular, has been the source of much in the way of intangible rewards, particularly new and valuable friendships. This blog means a lot to me, and I’ve been thinking about what makes it worthwhile, both to me and to my readers. I’ve been managing editor for Navagear since early 2007, and in that time I’ve seen lots of boating blogs launch. Some never really get started; I’m responsible for a few of those myself, so I understand how this happens. Some establish themselves and build a following, but th