Author Peter Janssen

Cruising Life
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New Fairway 37 Flybridge, a 17-knot Coastal Cruiser from Australia, Makes U.S. Debut at Seattle Show

The new Fairway 37 Flybridge, a traditional coastal cruising boat from Australia with a single 350-hp Yanmar diesel, will be introduced to the United States at the Seattle Boat Show on Lake Union from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2. The first 37, an updated version of the Fairway 36, with a redrawn interior, was launched at the Sanctuary Cove show in Australia last May. With standard bow and stern thrusters, the Fairway 37 will be easy to handle for a cruising couple, and it has two cabins and one head to accommodate a family or cruising guests. A full keel…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Veteran “Commuter Cruisers” Jan and David Irons Complete the Great Loop

By Peter A. Janssen Back in 2004, Jan and David Irons left Annapolis and headed south on their Passport 37 sloop. Over the next dozen years or so, they made it as far as Cartagena, Colombia, and back. Along the way, the Irons discovered that cruising year-round wouldn’t work for them. So they developed a schedule of “commuter cruising,” leaving the boat somewhere safe, coming back home for six months of normal family life and then returning for six more months of blue-water cruising. They even started a website, www.commutercruising.com. Somewhere along the way they also dreamed of doing the…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Experienced Cruisers Want To Explore Even More of Remote Alaska on their Nordhavn 52

Josh and Natasha Tofield know a good thing when they see it, both in terms of boats and in terms of destinations. They now own their second Nordhavn, a 52 named Samba, which they praise for its build and its seaworthiness, and they’re spending their cruising time in the far reaches of Alaska, in Kodiak, and even farther out, in Dutch Harbor. Indeed, since they bought their first Nordhavn, a 40, in 2005, they’ve cruised more than 30,000 miles between Seattle and Kodiak, spending time at some 450 different anchorages. The Tofields, retired from the practice of plastic surgery, live…

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Fishing Trawler Sinks Off Block Island. Two Missing Despite Massive Search

A 52-foot fishing trawler capsized and sank just after midnight on New Year’s Day in 10-foot seas and 30-knot winds near Block Island, Rhode Island. A nearby fishing boat picked up one crew member but the other two were missing despite a massive search effort by the Coast Guard and local good Samaritan vessels. The Coast Guard suspended the search effort after two days. The first sign of trouble came at 1:30 a.m. when the captain of the Mistress, based in Point Judith, sent a Mayday call to the Coast Guard saying the boat was taking on water. It was…

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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…

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What Boaters Want: The Top Ten Videos of 2018 from BoatUS

Here’s a fun story from BoatUS about their most popular videos last year. The top ten list starts with anchoring, and ends with maintenance. Here’s the list: 1.How To Drop and Retrieve Your Anchor: Eric Sorenson shows how to drop anchor for a nice afternoon in calm conditions. 2.How To Dock a Twin–Engine Outboard in a Really Tight Slip: Lenny Rudow shows stress-free techniques for backing into the worst slip in the marina. 3.Five Outboard Maintenance Jobs Most People Forget. Sean Stahl, a Yamaha technician, explains five often-overlooked outboard maintenance jobs. 4.How To Make a Fender Board To Protect Your…

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How To Read Bottom Symbols on a Chart and Make the Right Course and Anchoring Decisions

Can you read all the bottom symbols on the chart above? Do you know the difference between “M” (mud) and “Ms” (mussels)?  Such knowledge could save you from running hard aground; it certainly could help in choosing your next anchorage. If you give them a good look, nav charts can tell you the type of material on the bottom, and help you decide your course (and what to avoid) as well as guiding you to the best anchorage for your boat. The symbols on the chart also will tell you which type of anchor to use. You probably know much…

Cruising Life
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Congress Requires Coast Guard To Improve Response to 911 Cell Phone Calls

For generations and generations, this basic concept was drilled into new boat owners: When you have an emergency, call for help on VHF channel 16. The Coast Guard monitors that channel, other marine authorities monitor that channel, other boaters monitor that channel. If you’re in VHF range (and most of the time most boaters are), help will be on the way. But times change. Now we’re in the age of cell phones, and it’s safe to say that almost everyone on a boat has one. In recent years, boaters have taken to dialing 911 on their cell phones to call…

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Navy Ends Bread-and-Water Punishment: No More Flogging, Either

Good news for sailors: The Navy just ended its punishment of bread and water, dating back to the 19th Century, on January 1. Under the punishment, sailors could be confined to the brig and fed only bread and water for a period of time; it was considered a more humane treatment than flogging. Congress outlawed flogging on U.S. ships in 1862, but Navy captains could impose the bread-and-water punishment for up to 30 days at a time, and sailors could be shackled in the brig. In 1909, that period was reduced to seven days and shackles were banned; by 1951 it…

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2018: A Bad Year for Manatees in Florida and Whales off California

Last year was a bad time for manatees in Florida and whales off California, with an increasing number of boat-related manatee deaths and more whales entangled in fishing nets and lines. In Florida, 2018 saw the second-highest number of manatee deaths ever. Indeed, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) reported that more than 800 manatees died in 2018, a 50 percent increase over the previous year. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said it was the highest number of deaths in any year except 2013, with 818, a year with a long cold spell. More than a quarter…

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