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• Learn to Read a Chart Paper charts? How quaint. But when the power fails, it's good to know that you can read them. Train at home with Starpath Chart Trainer software ($80; Landfall Navigation, 800/941-2219).
• Help Someone in Distress It's satisfying to come to the rescue. Just be sure you know what you're doing or the Coasties will have to rescue two boats instead of one. Our bible is Marine Salvage by George H. Reid ($23.50; Sheridan House).
• Raft Up It's like being in a rocking bungalow colony. Great for the kids. Helps to form long-time friendships, too. The boat nearest the center should be the one with the hook-and it had better be substantial. Best to set two anchors at a 45-degree angle.
• Join a Yacht Club Become a member and make a whole lot of new friends. Don't know which to join? Go to www.yachtclub.com and see who's who. It features a select list of the top 10, in case you're fussy.
• Quit a Yacht Club Become an ex-member, keep the friends, and save the dues. Put the extra cash into the fuel tanks and leave the marina more often.
• Get Divorced and Keep the Boat Let her have the house, the kids, and the retirement fund, but do not let her have the boat. The National Center for Health Statistics says almost 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. So the numbers favor sheltering your boat, preferably in the prenup.
• Become an Ace Navigator Have you tried leaving a trail of bread crumbs to find your way back to the marina but found fat seagulls instead? Learning by doing is best. Take on-water classes with the Florida Cruising School (800/262-7939).
• Know the Secrets of GPS Leave the ranks of those who lump GPS operation in the same category as programming a VCR. It's a great tool when you finally understand all it can do. Manufacturers offer videos, which are better than manuals, to help.
• Dock Like a Pro How satisfying it is when you back in perfectly against a crosswind and running tide-and someone is there to see it. No problem with twins, but with a single screw, remember the old adage "right back to port"-a right-handed prop (most are) will push the stern to port when backing.
• Enter a Predicted Log Contest The ultimate proof that you know your boat so well is that you can bring it around a predetermined course within a preset time. Join the folks who excel at North American Cruiser Association (209/462-2986).
• Trailer to the Ocean If you've been on fresh water only, you owe it to yourself to see the sea. It's big and blue and goes up and down a lot. It also leaves a gritty scale all over the deck, topsides, and trailer. Yuck. Maybe saltwater boaters should trailer to lakes.
