Author Peter Janssen

Cruising Life
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Metaverse Mega-Yacht Sells for $650,000

Here’s a first, at least as far as I know. A digital mega-yacht just sold for $650,000, making it the most expensive NFT (non-fungible token) sold in Sandbox’s virtual world. The Sun reports that the Metaflower Super Mega Yacht sold for 149 ether (about $650,000) in a transaction on Sandbox, one of the leading metaverse games. The yacht was sold by Republic Realm, a metaverse developer; the sale made the Metaflower the most expensive NFT on Sandbox. The yacht is part of Sandbox’s Fantasy Collection of luxury NFT’s, which includes private islands, speedboats and jet skis. The Fantasy Collection provides…

Boat Reviews
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Highfield Launches 30-Foot Flagship RIB

Highfield Boats, the world’s largest maker of aluminum-hulled RIBs, just launched its largest boat yet, the almost-30-foot Sport 900 that can hold 15 passengers and hit a top speed of 60 mph. The all-new Sport 900 has an unusual 26-degree deadrise at the transom so the large RIB can cut through offshore waters. The company says it is designed for use as tender or a high-end day and picnic boat. It is the top of Highfield’s Sport series, which starts at 9’ 8.” The new Highfield represents the growing popularity of RIBs. Tom Watson, the general manager of Highfield Boats…

Charter
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Phuket Opens Again for Cruising, Charters

Phuket, the largest island in Thailand and one of the world’s most exotic cruising and charter destinations, is open again. And the Moorings charter base there also is open, with sail and power charters available. With a heavy reliance on tourism, Thailand’s economy took a big hit during the worst of the pandemic, and the country was off-limits to a lot of foreign travelers. There are still protocols (see the Thai embassy link below), but the Thai government adopted a separate plan called the Phuket Sandbox that has allowed vaccinated international travelers to visit the island. It’s easy to get…

Boat Reviews
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Hacker-Craft Adding New Evolution Series

Hacker-Craft, the iconic builder of mahogany boats on Lake George, New York, is starting a new line called the Evolution Collection, designed to represent growth and forward momentum. Erin Badcock, the company’s CEO, wrote me that “Hacker-Craft has been focusing on our brand, building on our legacy, while continuing to grow and innovate.” The new Evolution Collection, with three different models, represents that direction. Ever since 1908, Hacker-Craft has built boats with classic lines and meticulous craftsmanship. For almost 100 years, they have defined the Golden Age of yachting. Now the company wants the Evolution Collection to define a new…

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Saves 95-foot Yacht in Mona Passage

Two ships and a helicopter from the Coast Guard saved a 95-foot yacht from sinking in the Mona Passage, about 26 nm west of Rincon, Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard says that the yacht, Current Sea from Fort Lauderdale, reported it was taking on water and the bow was riding low in the water. The captain of the yacht transmitted a Mayday call at 8:54 a.m., which was received by the Coast Guard in San Juan. The bow was damaged when the anchor reportedly came loose and punctured the hull in two areas. The bilge was flooding. The Coast Guard…

Cruising Life
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Boat Sinks, Two Aussies Fight Off Crocodile

Two Australian fishermen survived for three days in the outback after their boat capsized and they were attacked by a crocodile. They ended up drinking their own urine for fluid until they were rescued by a passing fishing boat. The men, 32- and 33-years old, were on a fishing trip on a remote section of the Daly River, about 60 miles south of Darwin in the Northern Territory. Their boat hit a submerged object, they don’t know what, and they were thrown into the water. Almost immediately, they were attacked by a crocodile. This part of the river is known…

Boat Reviews
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New Okean 80: Space, Light, Innovation

The prize-winning, head-turning Okean 80 just made its U.S. debut at the Fort Lauderdale show. The flagship of the Okean fleet, the 80 was joined by a 50 Fly, the Brazilian builder’s first boat that was launched in 2017, and a 55. The 80, with an unusual and innovative open plan, where balconies expand from the salon and aft cockpit and a wall of glass surrounds the main deck, won the Revelation of the Year award at the World Yachts Trophies in Cannes last year. With an almost plumb bow, modern lines and luxurious fit and finish and furnishings, the…

Cruising Life
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Icom Launches New SSB at METS Show

Icom just unveiled its new state-of-the-art SSB at the big METS marine trade show in Amsterdam. Designed for offshore cruising, the new Icom IC-M804 provides long-range MF and HF radio communications designed to keep you safe anywhere in the world. The new Icom has a DSC radio that scans six distress signals, a distress call button and an integrated GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) providing global coverage through a constellation of satellites. The Icom conforms to the latest European and international standards. SSB radios have been used in offshore vessels for generations. (When Eric Schweikardt, the photographer, and I drove…

Cruising Life
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Why You Need AIS. A Primer

Here’s a good primer about why you should have AIS on your boat, from America’s Boating Compass and the US Power Squadrons: AIS, or Automatic Identification System, can make your boating safer. Consider the following scenario: You have an AIS system on your boat. You are on watch, 20 miles off the coast, sailing in hazy conditions. An AIS alarm sounds on your chart plotter. Upon scanning the horizon, you see nothing. When you return to your display, you see a target 5 miles ahead traveling at 23 knots and heading toward you. The AIS information data box shows that…

Cruising Life
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Cruisers Find 7-Foot Python on Board

A seven-foot-long Burmese python apparently hitched a ride on a 42-foot boat from Indian Key in the Florida Keys to Marco Island, on the Gulf coast of Florida, about 90 miles away.  One of the people on board found the snake when she opened the door to the head after the boat was tied up at a transient slip at Rose Marina on Marco Island. It was coiled up in the shower. The Marco Island police responded and took a picture of the snake coiled around an officer’s forearm (see above). They then transferred it to a local wildlife handler.…

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