Brian Calvert, surely one of the most experienced powerboat cruisers around, just wrote his Nine Year Report from his Selene 48 Further in the Philippines. It was a busy year on many fronts. He married his long-time first mate, Donna, (see picture above) in a local ceremony with 124 guests. They had a “soft start” to their charter business. And they decided to make their base in Coron, a diving mecca in Palawan in the center of the Philippines. “Coron, he wrote on furtheradventures.com/blog, “is simply my favorite place on earth – or at least the half I’ve seen.” A…
Magnetic North Pole Moving 31 Miles a Year. Scientists Rush To Update Charts
The magnetic North Pole is moving so fast that scientists are issuing an emergency update to maps used by electronic navigation systems. Magnetic north has crept from the coast of northern Canada a century ago to the middle of the Arctic Ocean now, and it’s moving at what scientists say is “an unusually high speed” of about 31 miles a year. As a result they are making an unprecedented early update of the World Magnetic Model, which fixes the pole and is responsible for the accuracy of GPS and all modern navigation on everything from nuclear submarines to your latest…
Three Fishermen Killed When Boat Pitch-Poles Trying To Cross a Stormy Bar in Oregon
Three commercial fishermen on an old wooden 42-foot crabbing boat were killed when they tried to cross the Yaquina Bay Bar near Newport, Oregon, at night in breaking seas even as a Coast Guard motor lifeboat tried to lead them to safety. In a harrowing account, the Coast Guard said it tried to warn Stephen Biernacki, 50, the skipper of the Mary B II crabbing boat that he was drifting outside the channel, exposing it to 16-foot breakers. The Mary B II was among a group of crab boats that tried to cross the bar about 10 at night to escape a…
Massive New Study: Ocean Temperatures Rising Faster Than Expected
Here’s a thorough and important story from The New York Times about a new scientific analysis showing that ocean temperatures are warming much faster (up to 40 percent faster) than had been previously predicted, with serious implications for marine life, sea levels and future hurricanes: Scientists say the world’s oceans are warming far more quickly than previously thought, a finding with dire implications for climate change because almost all the excess heat absorbed by the planet ends up stored in the waters. A new analysis, published Thursday in the journal Science, found that the oceans are heating up 40 percent faster…
New Search for Shackleton’s Endurance, Not Seen Since It Sank in the Antarctic in 1915
It’s one of the greatest sea stories of all time. How Ernest Shackleton, the British explorer, organized the survival and ultimate rescue of the 28-man crew on the Endurance after it was trapped in ice in Antarctica and sank in 1915. Now a team of British scientists is looking for the wreckage while carrying out climate change research there. The S.A. Agulhas II is now cruising toward the Larsen C Ice Shelf, the fourth largest in Antarctica. They hope to put an autonomous underwater vessel under the ice there to measure the shelf’s consistency and thickness. They also hope to find the…
New Fast Tactical T-40: Tough on the Outside, Luxurious on the Inside
Tactical Custom Boats has just delivered its first T-40 Adventure boat, powered by twin 627-hp Seven Marine outboards, to a new owner in the Pacific Northwest. The tough-looking, aluminum-hulled, go-anywhere new Tactical 40 with a luxurious interior (and a superyacht heritage) is said to cruise at 35 knots. A fast cruiser with an attitude, the new T-40 was designed by Greg Marshall in Victoria, B.C., who usually works with expedition cruisers and superyachts. For its part, Tactical is part of Platinum Marine, with a plant in Richmond, Vancouver. Platinum also owns Crescent Yachts, which builds luxury superyachts over 100 feet.…
New Report: “Human Error” When 528-foot Ferry Hit Anchored 964-foot Container Ship
If you’re wondering how a 528-foot ro-ro ferry hit an anchored 964-foot container ship in the Med last October, driving its bow into the container ship’s starboard hull so far that the two vessels remained tethered together for three days, the answer is easy. No one was paying attention. Indeed, an international investigation just said the collision was caused by “human error” involving officers from both ships. The accident occurred just before dawn on Sunday, October 7, about 17 miles north of Corsica. The Tunisian roll-on, roll-off ferry Ulysee, with a top speed of 19 knots, was underway from Genoa to…
Jeanneau To Launch New Owner-Friendly NC 37 Coastal Cruiser at Miami Show
The new Jeanneau NC 37, a one-level family cruiser with a hull designed by Michael Peters, will make its North American debut at the Miami International Boat Show starting Feb. 14. With its panoramic side windows, large sunroof and fully opening glass door aft, the new Jeanneau is a light-filled, French-styled coastal cruising boat that makes living on board easy underway or at anchor. You can step aboard from a large teak swim platform and enter the cockpit via a stainless steel gate on the starboard side of the transom. The cockpit is built for lounging, with a large L-shaped…
New Ocean-Crossing Leopard 51 PC: A Big, Fast, Family Cruiser or Charter Boat
A seakindly, large, long-range cruising boat, the new Leopard 51 PC comes in either a three- or four-cabin configuration, and is designed for either private or charter use. In either configuration, the Leopard 51, which is delivered on its own bottom from the Robertson & Caine yard in Cape Town, South Africa, is a fuel-efficient family cruiser with a nice turn of speed and enough interior volume to make a long cruise or charter enjoyable and comfortable. Designed by the Dutch firm of Simonis Voogd, the Leopard 51, with a beam of more than 25 feet, provides a stable platform…
Greenline Launching New 48 Coupe with Solar, Hybrid or Diesel Power
Greenline Yachts, the Slovenia builder that’s at the forefront of the electric- and hybrid- power revolution, is launching a new Greenline 48 Coupe at the Düsseldorf show in January; it will be introduced to the U.S. at the Miami show in February. The 48 Coupe is modeled after the company’s 48 Flybridge model, and comes after customers said they wanted a large coupe-style boat. Because of its coupe configuration, the new 48 has an array of 2.4kW solar panels on its cabintop, providing the equivalent power of a small generator running all the time. The solar panels provide enough power…
Front Street Shipyard Building Tough New Sea Blade X with Revolutionary Hull
This wicked-looking 36-foot center console with a revolutionary hull design is now under construction at the Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, Maine. The new SBX36, hull number one of the new Sea Blade X line from Navatek Ltd. of Honolulu, will be ready for sea trials in the spring. The Sea Blade X hull is built of fiberglass with a foam core; the boat has a T-Top and an inflatable Hypalon perimeter tube. The stepped V bottom hull, with outer sponsons for stability, was originally designed for the military, and is being used by law enforcement in Hawaii. The boat…
FLIR Launches New Raymarine Element, A Combo GPS and Sonar with Lifelike Images
FLIR has just introduced the Raymarine Element, a new, highly advanced generation of combined sonar and GPS displays. Element uses new sonar technology to provide lifelike images for fishing or navigating the bottom, with versatile mapping capabilities of its own on a user-friendly display. The new Element builds on Raymarine’s prize-winning Axiom navigation displays. It uses new patent-pending RealVision 3D sonar technology and new 3D bottom imagery to show a more precise location of fish and structural targets on the bottom. It also incorporates new patent-pending HyperVision 1.2 megahertz sonar technology with ultra-high Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse (CHIP) sonar…
New Crewsaver Life Jacket Has a Double-Halo Hood To Keep Water Out of the Mouth and Nose
Crewsaver, the British company, just introduced a revolutionary new life jacket with a halo-like hood that’s designed to keep water from entering a man overboard’s mouth or nose. The new spray hood also retains heat and enhances the man overboard’s visibility, making it easier to accomplish a safe recovery. The new jacket, called the Ergo-Fit+, was just introduced at the big METSTRADE show in Amsterdam. Crewsaver called it the next level in man overboard protection. It will be available in the worldwide market in March. The hood was inspired by developments the aviation industry. “We work closely with organizations across…
Yacht Controller and Garmin Join Forces. Yacht Controller Remote Now Appears on Garmin MFD Screens
Here’s another step to make your boating and cruising life easier. Garmin and Yacht Controller have joined forces to integrate the wireless Yacht Controller remote with compatible Garmin MFD displays. This means you can use the display to access the remote’s control panel while you’re docking or maneuvering your boat, without having to set up a dedicated Yacht Controller screen. Garmin and Yacht Controller announced the new partnership at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show at a media briefing with Jerry Berton, president of Yacht Controller, and Michael Range, Garmin’s Florida sales manager. Berton said that Yacht Controller is already…
Six of the Best Personal Survival Devices for Your Boat. Make Sure You Have One
There are few choices you make about your boat that are potentially more important than finding the right survival device, the personal locator beacon or MOB equipment that could save your life, or the life of anyone else on board. And there’s no reason to postpone getting one or more of these; they generally are the least costly piece of electronics on board, by a long shot. But what to buy? Here’s some advice from Marine Electronics Journal, which asked manufacturers to submit what they consider the best and brightest in their product line. The Journal published a review of…
Six Great Cruising Destinations for 2019
The start of a new year is always a good time to plan for cruises in the next 12 months. But where to go? Here’s a list of Six Top Spots To See in 2019 from Southern Boating, spread along the east coast from the southern Caribbean up to Nantucket. Take a look, and start planning your cruises for the year ahead. The six top spots, working from south to north: 1.Bonaire, Caribbean. Just 100 miles northwest of Venezuela, this pretty island with a Dutch heritage is part of the ABC group, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao. Outside the hurricane belt, Bonaire…
A Climate Crisis in the Galapagos Starts To Change Life There
Climate change, a combination of warming ocean water and the storms caused by El Niño, is threatening the unique sea and land life in the Galápagos Islands that inspired Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. As a result, life on the Galápagos is changing, often in ways that have not been seen before. The Galápagos, which lie 846 miles west of Ecuador, are at the intersection of three major ocean currents. They also are in the cross hairs of El Niño , one of the world’s most destructive patterns, which causes rapid and extreme ocean heating across the tropics…
19 of the Best Islands in the World To Visit in 2019
Wondering about what to do or where to go in the coming year? Or you just want to make an addition to your bucket list? Here’s a list of the 19 best beach and island destinations to visit in 2019, from the from Islands magazine. They’re all over the world, with some of the usual suspects, such as St. Barts, Antigua (pictured above) and Crete. But how about a trip to the Whitsunday Islands, the 74-island archipelago (only four of which are developed), with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world? The Whitsundays serve as the gateway to the Great…
New Mooring Fields for Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a Breathtakingly Beautiful Cruising Destination
Many veteran cruisers think that the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is the best part of the Bahamas, with simply breathtaking water and sandbar colors and some of the best diving in the world. Created in 1959, the 176-square-mile park is filled with dozens of cays, islets and beaches. It is a “no-take reserve” where all fishing is prohibited. The land part of the park is a protected habitat for iguanas, nesting sea turtles and sea birds. The sea part, a mecca for divers, has spotted eagle rays, spiny lobsters and Technicolor fish. The park just rejuvenated its seven…
Simrad Launches New HALO24 Radar with 60 RPM Sweep, an Industry First
Simrad just launched its new HALO24 radar with a compact 24-inch dome that’s just right for a lot of cruising powerboats, with a 60-rpm high-speed rotation for a range of two miles, an industry first. This full 360-degree sweep every second provides extra safety for your boat, giving you an up-close view any potential vessel or navigation problem in any direction. The new Simrad HALO24 also has the company’s Dual Range performance, so you can see near and far at the same time. It lets you monitor two distance ranges simultaneously; you could keep an eye on distant weather cells,…
Garmin’s New LiveScope Sonar Wins Prestigious NMEA Technology Award. Plus: 17 Other Winners
Garmin’s ground-breaking new Panoptix LiveScope sonar just beat 14 other competitors to win the prestigious Technology Award at the recent National Marine Electronics Association annual meeting. The Technology Award is the most coveted of the NMEA awards. The NMEA also handed out 17 Product of Excellence Awards at its four-day meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The Panoptix LiveScope lets you see all around your boat in real time and in three dimensions. Built for cruising or fishing, it has transducers in Forward or Down configurations. If you point the transducer down, you can see directly below the boat; point…
Yamaha, Raymarine, Awlgrip and Ten Others Win IBEX Innovation Awards
Yamaha, Raymarine and Awlgrip were among the winners of the 2018 Innovation Awards at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference in Tampa. The awards, made in 13 categories, were managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and judged by eight members of Boating Writers International. “This year’s entries were very focused on improving the boating experience,” said Alan Wendt, chairman of the judging panel. “From solving simple issues with canvas to more complex engineering challenges with hardware and composites, there is ample evidence of innovation underway in a thriving industry.” Yamaha won the outboard category for its new V-8, XTO…
New Coast Guard Warning: LED Lights Can Interfere with VHF, AIS Reception
The Coast Guard warns that LED lighting may interfere with VHF radio and AIS reception. The Coast Guard says it has received reports from crews and others about poor reception on VHF frequencies, DSC (digital selective calling), and AIS (automatic identification systems) when they are used near LED night-time lighting, nav lights, searchlights and floodlights on boats. The interference can create potential safety hazards. In one port, a rescue coordination center was not able to contact a ship in a traffic separation incident by VHF radio; that ship also reported poor AIS reception. The Coast Guard says that ships in…
Horizon Yacht Charters Adds New Luxury Nautitech Powerboat 47 to BVI Fleet
Horizon Yacht Charters is adding a new, luxurious Bavaria Nautitech Powercat 47 to its fleet in the British Virgin Islands. The new cat, with four staterooms, all with en suite heads and showers, will make its U.S. debut at the Miami International Boat Show from Feb. 14 through 18. It will be available for charter at the big Horizon charter base on Nanny Cay in Tortola this spring. The fully equipped Nautitech 47 has large social and living areas everywhere. The cat’s massive beam, more than 24 feet, means you can enjoy condo-like comfort throughout the boat. The light, efficient…
NW Explorations Adds a Flagship Nordhavn 60 to Its Charter Fleet
Northwest Explorations, the charter company in Bellingham, Washington, that specializes in running summer flotillas to Alaska, the San Juans and Desolation Sound, just added a 60-foot Nordhavn to its 18-boat fleet. Puffin Quest is the first Nordhavn and the largest boat in the Northwest fleet, which has more Grand Banks than any other brand. Puffin Quest, like all Nordhavns, is a true blue-water expedition boat (a Nordhavn 40 circled the globe in 2001 and 2002), and is powered by a single 330-hp John Deere diesel. It cruises at 8 knots and tops out at 10 knots. The boat also has an 80-hp…
St. Barts: A Magnet for the Rich and Famous for New Year’s Eve and an Island Paradise for the Rest of Us All Year Round
It’s only a few weeks until St. Barts, the eight-square-mile island in the West Indies that seems like a part of France, becomes the yachting center of the world. Well, the rich-and-famous yachting center of the world, that is. Because between Christmas and New Years the gorgeous, protected harbor at Gustavia, the island’s capital, is filled wall-to-wall with beautiful yachts and beautiful people. That’s all well and good, but if you’re like me and the rest of us, that means you’ll probably be spending your holidays somewhere else. But it also means that there are 50 or so other weeks…
Colgate’s Offshore School Adds Fountaine-Pajot 37 Power Cat to Cape Coral Fleet
Now you can charter a spacious Fountaine Pajot MY 37 power catamaran at the Offshore Sailing and Power Cruising School in Cape Coral, Florida. The school also offers a new six-day US Powerboating certification course, starting Nov. 19. The well-found, French-built Fountaine Pajot 37 power cat will be part of the Offshore fleet at its base at the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village and Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral. Steve Colgate, the Offshore founder and chairman, said, “Due to the increased requests of our students for power catamaran training so they can charter on their own, we…