Cruising Life

New Z-Triton, a Fun Bike, Boat and RV

By Peter Janssen on February 23, 2022 Cruising Life

Here is the product of a fertile mind. Take a look at the new Z-Triton, a combination bike/boat/RV, all rolled into one unique vehicle. It’s made by a Latvian startup named Zeltoni, which says one of its founding principles is that its “work and projects simply have to be fun and bring joy.” With the Z-Triton, you can explore the world on land and on the water, and have a place to sleep along the way. It has two 250-watt electric motors, a Li-ion battery pack and solar panels on the roof to provide energy. In the bike mode, you…

Coast Guard Rescues Man Bitten by Shark Off Bimini

By Peter Janssen on February 23, 2022 Cruising Life

Here’s the Coast Guard story about how they rescued a man bitten by a shark near Bimini. See the video below: MIAMI —The Coast Guard rescued a 51-year-old man, Monday, after he was bitten by a shark while fishing aboard a vessel near Bimini, Bahamas. A Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew arrived on scene, hoisted the man and transferred him to awaiting emergency medical technicians at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami reportedly in stable condition. An Air Station Miami HC-144 airplane and crew assisted with communications efforts with the Dolphin aircrew. The motor vessel Shear…

Fjord Launches Owner-Friendly 53XL Flagship

By Peter Janssen on February 23, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Fjord just launched its new 53XL flagship, a 34-knot luxurious T-top cruiser designed for relaxing and entertaining on board. It also offers a high degree of customization, on both the main deck and the accommodations deck, for a production boat. Starting in the 1950s, Fjords were originally built in Norway, but Hanse Yachts bought the company in 2007, and they’re now built in Germany. But the basic looks remain the same, with a plumb bow, minimalist post-modern lines, and a low profile. The wide teak side decks are both safe and user-friendly. It’s easy to move from one end of…

ALVA Introduces Solar/Electric 60 Coupe

By Peter Janssen on February 21, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

ALVA Yachts, the new German builder, just introduced its new Ocean Eco 60 Coupe, an electric-solar cruiser with a low profile and transatlantic range. ALVA Yachts was started in 2020 by Mathias May and Holger Henn, veterans of Pica Yachts, where they made more than 40 all-electric sail and power boats. ALVA, in turn, has already made 50-, 60- and 90-foot electric yachts, including an Ocean Eco 60 Explorer with a flybridge. The new 60 Coupe is a lower-profile version of that boat. It is scheduled to start production later this year. The 60 Coupe is driven by two 250kW…

NMMA Announces Winners of Innovation Awards

By Peter Janssen on February 21, 2022 Cruising Life

The National Marine Manufacturers Association just announced the winners of its annual Innovation Awards at a breakfast during the Miami boat show. The awards recognize companies that produce new and innovative products. The winners were chosen by a panel of even judges from Boating Writers International, including Ben Stein, Zuzana Prochazka, Alan Jones, Lenny Rudow, Gary Reich, Frank Lanier, and Ryan Gullang. They considered practicality, cost-effectiveness and innovation in 14 categories. The winners are: Cabin Cruisers, Motor Yachts, Trawlers: Azimut Yachts Grande Trideck (pictured above). Center Console/Walkaround Fishing Boats: Pursuit Boats, S 428 Sport. Consumer Electronics, Mobile Applications and Software: Raymarine…

Ferretti Group Uses AI To Avoid Collisions

By Peter Janssen on February 20, 2022 Cruising Life

During the Miami boat show, the Ferretti Group announced that it will offer an innovative “Watchit” system on all its boats, a new technology that combines artificial intelligence with state-of-the-art sensors to avoid collisions at sea. Watchit is a new system patented by Aqua Marine Tech, an Israeli company that develops advanced high-tech solutions for saving lives at sea. On boats, the idea is that Watchit warns captains of dangers ahead. The Watchit system processes data from existing onboard sensors along with data from charts, using AI and automatic learning algorithms to constantly assess the risk of collisions and to…

Mercury Announces First Electric Outboard

By Peter Janssen on February 20, 2022 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Mercury just announced at the big Miami show that it’s building its first-ever, all-electric outboard engine, and it will be ready for delivery in 2023. The new engine, called Avator, is the first in a range of five other models that will be announced later this year. It represents a major innovation for Mercury, and a step toward the future of electric power. Indeed, Chris Drees, the president of Mercury Marine, says the company wants to achieve an 80 percent reduction in outboard emissions by 2025, with Avators playing a large part toward reaching that goal. At the other end…

Ship With New VWs and Porsches Catches Fire

By Peter Janssen on February 19, 2022 Cruising Life

If you ordered a new Porsche, Audi, VW or even a Bentley or Lamborghini lately, you may have to wait a while. Last week, a 650-foot cargo ship named Felicity Ace carrying 3,965 cars from the Volkswagen Group in Germany to the United States caught fire about 90 nm southwest of the Azores. As the fire spread, the 22 members of the crew abandoned ship. (You can see a video of their rescue below.) The Felicity Ace was on its way from the Port of Emden on the North Sea, where Volkswagen has a factory, to Davisville, Rhode Island. It…

Yachts, Charters, Easy Targets for Cybercrime

By Peter Janssen on February 16, 2022 Cruising Life

Large yachts and charter yachts are increasingly vulnerable to attack from cyber criminals, a cyber-security expert warns, while new regulations require large vessels to prove that they have cyber protections on board. The new regulations, intended to fight the growing cyber threat, come from the International Maritime Organization (IMO); they went into effect on January 1. The IMO now requires vessels to prove they have taken cyber-security precautions. The regulations apply only to vessels over 500 tons, but cyber experts warn that the threat applies to much smaller private yachts, and charter yachts in particular. Cyber attacks on yachts increased…

Coast Guard: New Rules for Fire Extinguishers

By Peter Janssen on February 15, 2022 Cruising Life

The Coast Guard has new rules for disposable fire extinguishers on your boat, starting April 20. Extinguishers now must have a 12-year expiration date stamped on the bottom, and they must meet a new Underwriter Laboratory classification to be carried on certain boats, depending on the model year. Read an explanation here from BoatUS: ANNAPOLIS, Md., Feb. 15, 2022 – A rite of passage for every boater is the annual spring commissioning. Newly added to the boat owners to-do list this spring will be to check all disposable (non-rechargeable) fire extinguisher dates of manufacture, as well as the label for…

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