You've decided you want to learn how to sail. Now you just need to choose a boat to learn how to sail in. There are a lot of choices, and several things you need to consider. There are several different kinds of sailboats to choose from. There are wet and dry beginner sailboats. There are also more advanced kinds such as catamaran sailboats, and there are cabin sailboats as well.

On Wet Beginner Sailboats, you can expect to get wet most of the time. You sit on the deck or on the floor. These boats are easier to manage so they are good for beginners. On Dry Beginner Sailboats, you will stay dry most of the time (in good weather). You sit on a seat or on the gunwhale. These boats make you feel relatively safe so they are good for beginners too. On Cabin Sailboats, you definitely stay dry. They can have a small cuddy for storage or a full size cabin for staying overnight in.

It is best for beginners to have a small simple boat. They require a lot less responsibility than bigger boats, and can be just as much fun. It is easier to learn the basics when there are fewer lines and sails. Small boats also have the advantage of being more responsive in light winds. Once you have learned the basics on small boats, you can apply the skills you've acquired to any size of boat.

You will want to begin on a boat that is rigged with one mast and one sail, since that will make it easier to focus on learning the fundamentals of sailing. A number of small boats are designed to perform well with just one sail.

You will also want a conventional single-hulled boat. Multihulled boats, such as catamarans and trimarans can be a bit too much for learners as they are more high performance boats. You will want to get a boat with a fiberglass hull. A fiberglass hull requires less maintenance than a wooden hull, and it is lightweight and fairly easy to repair.

You will want to buy a boat that is at least 12' for two adults, or at least 10' for two children. Make sure your boat is big enough for two people.

You will want a boat with a centerboard or daggerboard keel. Centerboard or daggerboard designed boats allow you to sail in shallow water. When you are sailing with the wind behind you, these keels can be pulled up for better performance. Leeboard keels will do the same thing, but they are more fussy because you have to change them with each tack

Sailing can be a lot of fun, when you have chosen the right boat for you. When you are beginning it is best to get a boat that is small (but big enough for two people) and simple (with one mast and one sail and a fiberglass hull) so that you can concentrate on learning the fundamentals of sailing. A small boat like this is more responsive in light winds. You will want a boat with a centerboard or daggerboard keel because they are less fussy than leeboard keels. Find the right boat and you will have many enjoyable sailing adventures. Have fun.

For reasons of accuracy, efficiency and security many computer network administrators chose to use an external NTP server to synchronize time clocks across their network. It is possible to get a time source from the Internet but these tend to be somewhat inaccurate and certainly a possible security threat. Therefore an external NTP server often simply just makes more sense.
 
Choosing what kind of external time reference you wish to synchronize your NTP server with may influence what kind you eventually buy. There are two options; a specialist radio transmission from a national physics lab or a GPS signal.
 
These are both very accurate time sources, they run less than a few nano seconds off ( a nano second is one billionth of a second) so will be able to provide any computer network with a very accurate timing source. Both do have advantages and disadvantages though.
 
Radio transmissions are based on some of the best atomic clocks in the world, but they are not available in all countries and obstacles as simple as a large hill, as well as unpredictable weather patterns, can block accurate and continuous reception.
 
GPS signals are available anywhere in the world and may be a nano second or so more accurate than radio transmissions. The only problem is that a receiver must have a continuous clear view of the sky to receive an accurate time signal. This can be a real challenge for networks that are located in urban office blocks.
 
There are external NTP servers available that can be programmed to receive both a GPS and a radio signal so that if the reception of one fails the backup source is immediately switched on, avoiding a loss of precious seconds of synchronization.

You have probably heard of the two satellite radio companies, Sirius Radio and XM Satellite Radio, but you may not know a lot about them such as how much each costs or what radio talent is available on each. Many people are tired of listening to regular AM and FM radio stations for several reasons. It may be that they are tired of being bombarded with commercials. It may be that they do not like the programming available to them. On the other hand, it may simply be that they are in a rural area and tired of losing their radio signal all the time. Regardless of the reason, many consumers are turning to satellite radio as a viable alternative to regular radio stations.

Both companies are able to offer you static free radio due to satellites. XM (based in Washington D.C.) has two and Sirius (based in New York) has three satellites across the United States. Both companies offer users commercial free radio. Sirius offers over 125 channels and XM offers 160 different channels. There are dedicated channels for genres of music such as jazz, folk, country and pop for diehard fans. One cool feature of satellite radio is you can see the name of the artist playing as well as the song title. So never again do you have to spend time wondering just who sang that song you just heard! There are also channels for local weather and traffic, sports, comedy, women's issues, talk shows, even old time radio shows. Soon, you may be able to see video as well as hear audio on your satellite radios.

There are also celebrity shows for both satellite radio companies. Martha Stewart recently signed a deal to launch a 24-hour radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. And most everyone has heard that Howard Stern is on Sirius as well - uncensored. Having gotten in trouble with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for his radio talk show, he decided to jump to the uncensored airways of satellite radio. Since his show started, the Sirius subscriber base has increased by at least 2.7 million. If have satellite radio and want to hear National Public Radio (NPR), you will have to subscribe to Sirius as they are the only one offering NPR. But XM is not to be left behind by Sirius. XM signed Snoop Doggy Dog, but the big coop is Oprah. In September of 2006, XM users will be able to tune in to Oprah & Friends. The new channel will offer broadcasts of The Oprah Winfrey Show, O, the Oprah Magazine and programming on fitness, health and self improvement.

All this sounds great, but what do you actually need to be able to receive satellite radio? You will need either a Sirius or an XM radio. This does not necessarily have to be a radio only for use in your car either. There are also home radios available today and there are even radios you can use both at home and in your car. The price for a basic radio offered by both Sirius and XM is as low as .99. You will also need to subscribe to a service. Both Sirius and XM charge .95 a month for you to receive satellite signals on your radio. However, if you have several cars with satellite radios, you can save by choosing the family plan available from both companies.

Just how popular is satellite radio becoming? In March of 2005, Hyundai announced that it would be the first automaker to put satellite radios in all of its models sold in the United States. Each Hyundai, including the popular Sonata, Santa Fe, and Elantra models, will come equipped with an XM satellite radio. When this was announced, shares in XM's parent company rose by more than 8 percent. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz also announced in March 2005 that Sirius radios would be a dealer-installed option on some of their models.

So which satellite radio should you choose? That depends on you. You should check out the stations available by visiting each company on the web before making a decision. Both offer radios at comparable prices, so it really comes down to what you want to hear. Are you a Stern fan? Then you have to go with Sirius. But if you love Oprah, you can only hear her on XM. Regardless of which one you choose, you will no doubt be very pleased with the services and reception of satellite radio.