"We're initiating the hurricane protocol," he said. "We'll have your boat out by tomorrow morning." "OK, great, thanks," I said. And that's how the call from Your Survival Guy's boatyard went yesterday. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. If there's a chance this Cat 5 Hurricane Lee is going to make landfall, I don't want my boat in the water. Here's the backstory. Earlier this summer, my boatyard emailed Your Survival Guy with a hurricane and tropical storm boat hauling offer. For a fee, they would guarantee Tom Sawyer would be hauled, secured, and relaunched after the storm … [Read more...]

In New England this week, the weather is gorgeous. Summer's not over quite yet. There's still plenty of time to visit some of the best locations in states like Maine, where David Shribman recently traveled for a report in The Wall Street Journal. Shribman hit some of the state's best landmarks. He writes: In 1961, well before Billy Tower’s dream of a restaurant opened in the artsy New England town of Ogunquit, Perkins Cove was a working Maine harbor surrounded by a painters’ colony. Tower, a local fisherman who understood the lure of a spectacular view, had a vision: a high-toned seafood … [Read more...]

Thinning Out Paperwork Dear Survival Guy, “[I] am getting around to thinning out old tax papers (from 1995 on) and learned two things: 1) I had no real plan except for a consistent, albeit small, allocation to precious metals, and 2) I was venue shopping for a firm with a plan I could understand and agree with, i.e. you guys! Plus, I would note that it was a difficult time period. Have a good one, Dr. P Yellowstone Cutthroat Dear Survival Guy, Your article brought back a recent backcountry trip on horses. That’s the smile of a financially comfortable … [Read more...]

Your Survival Guy and Gal left Newport, RI, for a cruise down Rhode Island Sound Saturday with our destination Mattapoisett, MA, through Buzzards Bay. We took a hard left to swing into Westport, MA, to have some oysters and chowder. Approaching Westport, you have some beautiful coastline with Gooseberry Island off starboard side, then Horseneck Beach State Reservation, and off your port side are hidden ledges sitting like Jaws waiting to grab your hull. You’d never know there was a harbor inside, but once you thread the needle and throttle back, it’s a beautiful, long, winding, narrow, … [Read more...]

OK, if you’re a regular to www.yoursurvivalguy.com, then you know about surviving and thriving. Much to my chagrin, so much can be learned from my mistakes or mishaps. Is there anything more enjoyable? In this installment, I want to draw your attention to Your Survival Guy’s best insider’s guide to Rome. This is a tricky one because in just a handful of conversations on my first day back stateside, four out of five of you are either going to Rome, just got back, or have a cousin there. It’s not a secret. We live in a world where information is readily available. “Let me google that,” … [Read more...]

Happy Monday from New England. Your Survival Guy’s thin blood is adjusting to the cold, having just returned from a tropical island getaway to Key West. I’m here to report that the Conch Republic is alive and well. And notice it’s not a democracy. The Republic is where you go to get that neighborhood walkability without all the sensibilities. Tops on our list are lunches at Louie’s Backyard and the Thirsty Mermaid. Say hi to Patty at Louie’s and Ionela and Ava at Thirsty, and enjoy your cheeseburgers in paradise. Both are fab. And be sure to hit the waterfront at the Half Shell Raw Bar to … [Read more...]