NERAYAGuides for people who keep boats
Answers to the questions boat owners actually ask — checked against manufacturer manuals, official rules and insurance guidance before publishing, with every source listed. Written by Neraya; the questions come from real owners.
Boat winterizing, start to spring
Winterization, storage, real costs and regional timing for the US and Northern Europe — plus the free checklist.
OPEN THE SERIES → GUIDE LIVE NOWWhat is a boat history report?
What a report contains, where its data lives, what it costs, when it's worth it — the HIN, the free USCG checks and the NMVTIS myth, all sourced.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWWhat should be on a boat safety checklist?
Required gear by boat length, pre-departure checks, what quietly expires and the free Vessel Safety Check — the sourced checklist for US and Nordic waters.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWWhat does a marine surveyor check on a boat?
The pre-purchase survey decoded: what the surveyor checks system by system, what it costs from published rates, and which findings should change the deal.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWWhat is a boat logbook?
Two records under one word — the ship's log and the maintenance log: what goes in, what the law requires, and how records prove care to buyers, surveyors and insurers.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWCan you live on a boat full-time?
What the liveaboard decision really takes: marina programs, legal address, insurance, winter.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWWhat a boat really costs per year
The full annual ledger with published levels — slip, insurance, maintenance, fuel, depreciation.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWHow boat ownership transfers
The paperwork chain: bill of sale, title, registration, tax — and the seller-liability trap.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWWhy is my boat's gelcoat cracking?
Crack triage by pattern — cosmetic crazing vs load-path stress — with sourced ratios, cure times, kit prices and the honest repair-vs-pay line.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWHow much does a boat cost?
Real 2026 prices by class, new and used — and everything the sticker leaves out: tax, trailer, survey, delivery.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWWhat is a float plan?
What it must contain, who holds it, and what they do if you're overdue — official forms, real rescues, free templates.
READ THE GUIDE → GUIDE LIVE NOWOutboard maintenance, by interval
Five OEM schedules decoded — flush, 20-hour first service, the 100-hour beat, the impeller truth — with published prices.
READ THE GUIDE →More guides are in research now — chosen from the questions owners ask most, on the water and on the forums. The next ones cover mooring buoys and buying a used boat.