Author Peter Janssen

On Watch
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What’s Next for Cuba?

What are the chances you’ll ever see the picture above, in person? It’s the entrance to Marina Hemingway, the largest marina in Cuba, lying about eight miles west of Havana and about 100 nm from Key West. Until the past few weeks, I’d say the chances were pretty good, if you had wanted to go there. Indeed, last year President Obama himself went to Cuba in an effort to normalize relations, the U.S. opened an embassy in Havana, and the Administration eased regulations restricting travel, banking and even recreational boating. It seemed that Cuba, with 3,000 miles of coastline, scores…

Electronics
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New Navionics Video Shows How They Can Take You Where You Want to Go

Here’s a great new video showing all of Navionics’ charting and sonar capabilities. I’ve been using a Navionics Boating app on my iPhone for several years, on the East Coast, West Coast and  Great Lakes, and it’s a perfect navigation backup or even planning tool. At this point, I wouldn’t leave home without it. Take a look at what Navionics can do today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmW8m_MUDY8 http://www.navionics.com

Cruising Life
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Cruise to Alaska, Then Cross the Pacific, with the Bradshaws on Their Nordhavn 52

Phillip and Gerri Bradshaw from Fremantle, Australia, bought their Nordhavn 52, Mermaid Explorer, at Dana Point, California, two years ago, and they haven’t stopped cruising since then. First they headed down to Mexico, then up to Alaska, all the way to Glacier Bay, meeting other cruising couples and locals along the way. (One Alaska cruising tip: don’t miss Rose’s Bar, a local watering hole, in Pelican). Then the Bradshaws cruised back down to San Francisco and, after much thought, decided to cross the Pacific, just the two of them. It took 14 days to reach Hawaii, and Gerri says…

Gear
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A New Entry: Williams Minijet Tender Off to a Good Start

If you’re looking for a new tender or RIB or just another boat to zip around in, the new Williams Minijet 280 may be just the thing. Designed for cruising boats under 45 feet, the new, compact Minijet 280 is only 9’2″ long, with a beam of 5’1′. It’s relatively light, weighing only 460 pounds. The real distinction, of course is that it is powered by a 45-hp BRP Rotax Ace 900 jet engine. There’s no outboard to put on and take off every time you launch it; no prop to worry about, a major safety advantage. The Minijet 280…

Destinations
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Burlington, Vermont: Historic, Lively Cruising Center of Lake Champlain

Named after French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who first went there in 1609, Lake Champlain is one of the premiere cruising destinations in the United States. First off, it’s enormous, some 163 miles long and 14 miles wide, with Vermont on the eastern shore and New York to the west. One of the many things that make it interesting, however, is that the northern tip is part of Quebec province, and if you want to practice your French (but with a distinct Quebec flair), or cruise through a part of the country that could have come from a Monet painting,…

Cruising Life
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Join the Fun: Winterfest and Other Holiday Boat Parades in Florida

Who doesn’t love a boat parade, particularly in the holiday season, and particularly if you live in Florida? Holiday boat parades have been big there ever since the 1920s when owners decorated their boats with candles and cruised the waterways singing Christmas carols. Now the parades have more candlepower, in every sense, and boats are decked out with lights and decorations of all kinds. The largest parade is the Winterfest Boat Parade in Fort Lauderdale, which is Dec. 10 this year. (See the video below for scenes from last year’s event; it’s huge.) But if that’s too much for you,…

Cruising Life
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Christmas Gift Ideas from the U.S. Coast Guard: Start Early

If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for your favorite boat owner (or for yourself), you can’t go wrong with this list from the U.S. Coast Guard. You (or your favorite boater) probably have a lot of these things already, but take a look at the entire list, ranging from life jackets and a handheld VHF to a new life raft. My personal favorite from the Coast Guard’s list: a new seamanship book, particularly the 67th edition of Chapman Piloting and Seamanship (since I edited much of it). But take a look at the full list here: http://gcaptain.com/coast-guards-gift-ideas-nautical/

Cruising Life
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As Delays Pile Up, An Aging, Heavily-Used Ohio River Lock and Dam Turn Into “A Ticking Time Bomb”

You may want to rethink any plans to cruise down the Ohio River any time soon after reading this. Lock and Dam 52, in a corner of southern Illinois near the mouth of the Ohio River, get more traffic than any other spot on the inland waterway. Built in 1929, the 600-foot chamber is desperately in need of repairs; the lock walls are cracking and sagging, the hydraulic pipes are paper thin, the seals are leaking and metal is rusting. The average delay this fall was between 15 and 20 hours. The lockmaster says the only thing keeping it going…

Gear
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Can This Buoyant Glow-in-the-Dark Rope Save Your Life?

Now here’s something truly new: Buoyant rope that glows in the dark. A man overboard at night? With this rope, which comes in yellow, orange, pink and green,  at least you – and the man overboard – will be able to see the lifebuoy or whatever else you’re throwing his way. Called Night Saver Rope, it’s supposed to be 10 times stronger than standard buoyant rope. Certainly worth a second look: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/glow-in-the-dark-rope-a-lifesaver-at-sea-halifax-maker-says/article33022968/

Cruising Life
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Incredible New Video of Coast Guard Surf Training: You Don’t Want To Be There

You’ve got to see this. You think you’ve been in heavy seas? Or that you’re properly salty? Well, you may want to think again. Here’s a Coast Guard video of their heavy weather surf training off the Oregon and Washington coasts on their 47-foot Motor Life Boat. It’s certainly good to know that these men and woman are going to be well-trained if you ever need them, but wow, this isn’t easy. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Evav3KlMA&feature=em-subs_digest

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