Author Peter Janssen

Cruising Life
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Navy Charges Two Destroyer Commanders in Fatal Collisions with Negligent Homicide

The U.S. Navy just charged the commanding officers of two guided missile destroyers that collided with merchant ships in the far Pacific last summer – resulting in the deaths of 17 sailors – with negligent homicide. Both officers and their seconds-in-command were relieved of their duties after the accidents. Now the commanding officers face courts-martial and military criminal charges. The commanding officer and three other officers on the USS Fitzgerald (pictured top), which collided with a container ship on June 17 off Japan resulting in seven deaths, face charges including dereliction of duty, hazarding a vessel, and negligent homicide. The commanding…

Cruising Life
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Fun New Ceclo from France: 5 Knots under Electric Power

If you’re thinking about a new water toy to put on your dock next to your cruising boat, take a look at the innovative (and relaxing) Ceclo from France. You won’t want to take this out in 10-foot seas, but for a quiet afternoon or evening around your harbor or lagoon, the Ceclo offers something new and fun. And you probably won’t see too many others like it. Made in France, the Ceclo is an electric-powered pedal boat, meaning you can pedal all day if you want, or if you want to take it easy, turn on the electric motor…

Cruising Life
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NOAA Saves Humpback Whale with 340 Feet of Line in Its Mouth

A NOAA response team rescued an adult humpback whale that had 340 feet of heavy line caught in its mouth off Maui, in the Hawaii Islands. After the line was cut away and the whale was free, a NOAA official said “the animal immediately breached several times.” The first report of a whale in trouble came from the captain of a fishing boat off Lahaina, Maui, who saw the whale trailing some heavy line. A NOAA team on a small RIB responded quickly, but they said the whale was “very active” at first. Using pole cameras and other gear, they…

Cruising Life
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Besenzoni Introduces Three Versions of New User-Friendly, Prize-Winning Helm Chair

Besenzoni, the large Italian marine accessories company, just won a prestigious DAME Design Award at the METSTRADE show in Amsterdam for its new, futuristic helm chair two months ago. Now, it’s introducing three versions of the chair, that seem to do everything except actually drive the boat, at the huge Boot Dusseldorf show opening this weekend. The Besenzoni chair, called the P400 Matrix, is being shown in Prestige, Comfort and Offshore versions, with various levels of luxury, comfort and movement. The innovative Matrix comes with an adjustable headrest, armrests and automatic support for your back. You can raise or lower…

Charter
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The Moorings Plans Third Annual BVI BoatU.S. Flotilla for May 19

The Moorings is planning its third annual BVI BoatU.S. Flotilla, a week-long cruise in company of the British Virgin Islands for BoatU.S. members, for May 19-26. The itinerary this year includes all the highlights of the BVI as part of a worry-free cruise under a Moorings flotilla leader. The Flotilla fee is $500 per boat, which includes support of a lead boat, a group dinner ashore, a vacation planner and even an official Flotilla T-shirt. The itinerary this year starts with a welcome ceremony at The Moorings charter base in Road Town, Tortola, with a departure the next morning, arriving…

Boat Reviews
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Nordhavn Starts Work on a New 80, an Updated Version of Its Iconic World Cruisers

Nordhavn is starting work on a new 80-foot boat, the latest addition to its long-range cruisers, at the South Coast yard in Xiamen, China. It fits between the company’s 76- and 86-foot models. “For some, the 86 is just too big,” says Jim Leishman, Nordhavn’s vice president. “At 80 feet, this boat will be that much more manageable.” While maintaining all of Nordhavn’s famed seakeeping and world-cruising attributes, the new 80 will have a more modern look than some of the company’s previous models. The sheerline, for example, is long and straight; the foredeck is almost parallel to the waterline.…

Boat Reviews
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New Eastbay 44, a Success in the U.S., Is Being Introduced to Europe at Boot Dusseldorf

Grand Banks is introducing its iconic Downeast-styled Eastbay 44 to the European market on Jan. 21 at Boot Dusseldorf, one of the largest boat shows in the world. The Eastbay 44 has been shown in the U.S. for the past year, amid rave reviews. With its low profile, long sheer, and typical Downeast tumblehome, the new 44 – the first Grand Banks built since Mark Richards, the founder of Palm Beach Yachts, was hired to run both companies – is a thoroughly contemporary version of a traditional Grand Banks. It has all the teak, world-class fit-and-finish and classic lines of…

Cruising Life
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One Person Dies, 50 Jump Overboard, as Casino Boat Shuttle Catches Fire off Port Richey, Florida. See Video

One woman died after a casino shuttle boat caught fire off Port Richey, Florida, and all 50 passengers on board jumped overboard into shallow water as fast-moving flames consumed the vessel. Only quick thinking by the boat’s captain prevented a worse disaster. The fire started about 4 on Sunday afternoon after the 60-foot shuttle boat, the Sun Cruz, left Port Richey, carrying its complement of passengers 3.5 miles offshore to the Tropical Breeze Casino Cruise, operating in international waters. The shuttle was about 25 miles northwest of Tampa. Shortly after the shuttle left the dock, the captain saw smoke coming…

Cruising Life
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New Icom Fixed-Mount VHF/DSC: Everything You Need in a Slim, Compact Package

Icom just announced its new compact IC-M33OGE fixed-mount VHF/DSC radio at the London boat show. The new radio, with a display about the size of a smartphone, is one of the smallest in the world, and it’s designed to be installed in any area of your boat where space is limited. Despite its size, the new IC-M33OGE has the same interface and performance as Icom’s larger radios, with intuitive, easy-to-use soft keys for fast access to all its functions. And its new speaker delivers distortion-free audio even at full volume. The new VHF includes an integral GPS, which provides your…

Cruising Life
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Life on the Loop: An Alabama Couple Waits in Key West for Warm Weather on Their Grand Banks 36

So far, George and Meg Sanders on Viridian, their 1986 Grand Banks 36 Classic, have done everything just about right. A few years ago, they had virtually no experience on a boat of this size. Now they’ve put a few thousand miles under their belts and are waiting out the cold weather in Key West, ready to resume their voyage around the Great Loop in February. The Sanders, from Lacey’s Spring, Alabama, just south of Huntsville, decided they wanted to take a major adventure several years ago: The Great Loop beckoned. But first, they needed a boat. In June, 2016,…

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