What Does Spring “Equinox” Mean?

on February 27, 2022

The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night”—aequus (equal) and nox (night). The Spring equinox means the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world.  With the Spring equinox, we enjoy an increasing amount of sunlight hours, with earlier dawns and later sunsets! What Happens on the March Equinox? On the March equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south to north. It’s called the “celestial” equator because it’s an imaginary line in the sky above […]

VALENTINE’S DAY

on February 13, 2022

Valentine’s Day, it’s history and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We know that February is celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church The Catholic church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus. One legend speaks that Valentine […]

COMPASSES

on February 6, 2022

Many boaters think that, in these days of modern electronic-charting aids, compasses are no longer needed. Compasses, used on boats for centuries, work because a permanently magnetized needle always points to north. Irrespective of the position of the boat. A compass is needed more now than ever. A magnetic compass requires no electricity to operate. It accurately could be the one piece of equipment that will still operate on your boat when the you-know-what hits […]