Author Peter Janssen

Charter
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If You Want to Turn Heads in Ibiza, Charter a Fjord 40

A few years ago I drove a new Fjord 40 from Key West up to Miami, and it simply was one of the best days I’ve ever had on the water. The ultra-modern design of the boat is one thing; a steady 30-knot cruise was another, but the almost unanimous head-turning by other boaters is rarely experienced. People stopped and stared when we left Key West and we even drew a small crowd when we put in to Little Palm Island, one of the most exclusive resorts on the East Coast, for a photo shoot. More people lined the dock…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Dreaming Large on an Aspen 40 Power Cat: 10,000 nm Around the U.S.

Dreaming Large on an Aspen 40 Power Cat: 10,000 nm Around the U.S. by Peter A. Janssen How’s this for a shakedown cruise? This May, David Jenkins, who usually cruises on his Albermarle 27 out of Annapolis, will buy a new Aspen 40 power catamaran in Seattle, and then he and Capt. Blake Eder, his brother-in-law and professional delivery captain, will embark on their “shakedown cruise” from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska, looking for an adventure. I’ve taken that trip several times and I can guarantee two things: 1) It’s one hell of a shakedown cruise, and 2) they’ll certainly find…

Cruising Life
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The Folvigs from Sarasota: Living the Dream on Their Nordhavn 62

We all know about Nordhavn owners who circle the globe, head for high-latitude explorations or spend seasons island-hopping in the South Pacific. More typical, and realistic for the rest of us, are families who embark on coastal cruises or take off for the Caribbean, having adventures together and living the dream. Count the Folvigs from Sarasota in this group. The captain of this crew, John Folvig, bought a brokerage Nordhavn 62 last April. It was his first trawler, so he and his wife Jen and their three sons spent the summer cruising up and down the East Coast, getting used…

Gear
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Head Problems: How To Fix Them; How To Prevent Them

Almost all older boats, and many boats on the brokerage market, have manual heads. It’s every boat owner’s nightmare, of course, to have a problem with the head, particularly when you’re on a cruise. We’ve all probably tried to fix a clogged or broken head, often with mixed results. Here’s about the best and easiest-to-follow instruction about how to fix a problem with your head: http://blog.boattrader.com/2017/01/troubleshooting-manual-marine-head.html

Destinations
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Five Best Things to do in Buzzards Bay

After about our fourth straight summer trip to Nantucket on my Grand Banks, my youngest daughter asked softly, “Can we get there without going up Buzzards Bay?” Well, the answer was yes, but despite its often choppy seas (which my daughter obviously wanted to avoid), there is a lot to do there. My personal favorites are spending at least a night in the Cuttyhunk basin in the Elizabeth Islands, or just wandering around South Dartmouth and Padanarum over on the mainland.But there are other attractions, tiny islands to visit, places to eat, paddle, collect crabs and basically chill. The good news…

Cruising Life
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Most Expensive Yacht Ever Sold in Australia Loses Steering, Takes on Water; Passing Cruise Liner Comes to the Rescue

You don’t see this very often. A passing Carnival cruise liner rescued two crew members from the 121-foot Masteka 2, the most expensive yacht ever sold in Australia, when the yacht lost its steering and started taking in water at the stern. The Masteka 2 charters for $3,000 an hour, but no guests were on board at the time. See the video below: http://www.oceanofnews.com/two-saved-121-sinking-yacht-masteka-2-nearby-cruise-ship/

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Cutter Becomes Disabled Trying to Tow Disabled Fishing Boat in Alaska; Coast Guard Chopper Rescues Four. See Video.

Bad things can happen in the Gulf of Alaska, particularly in January. First, the commercial fishing boat Lady Gudny had fuel problems and became disabled 230 miles east of Kodiak in 20-foot seas and 42-knot winds (pictured above). The 225-foot Coast Guard cutter Spar went to the rescue, but when it started to tow the Lady Gudny the tow line separated and caught in Spar’s props, disabling it. A Coast Guard helicopter flew in to rescue the four crew members from the Lady Gudny, while two commercial tugs went out to retrieve the cutter and the fishing boat. Read about it here and…

Cruising Life
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Azimut Magellano 66 Named Best Passagemaker of the Year

The British magazine Motor Boat & Yachting has just named the Azimut Magellano 66 the best passagemaker of the year during a gala awards dinner at the London boat show. The magazine’s annual Motor Boat Awards cover eight categories, ranging from sports boats to 100-foot custom yachts. The magazine said the  Magellano won the Passagemaker category because it is “a boat that encapsulates everything wanted from a  passagemaker: masses of storage space, a safe deck layout and a hull that is comfortable across a wide range of cruising speeds.” You can read our review of the Azimut Magellano by going…

Cruising Life
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Miami Boat Show: More Boats, Buses and Water Taxis. See the Video

The National Marine Manufacturers Association seems to have learned some lessons from last year, the first time its Miami boat show was on Virginia Key on Key Biscayne. Mainly, that it was hard to get there. Now, for the show starting Feb. 16, the NMMA has lined up more buses, more water taxis, and more parking spaces to make it easier to get to the show. And, the real point, there will be a lot more boats to see once you get there. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnZvcGzRI48

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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TRENDING NOW: MORE OUTBOARDS ON CRUISING BOATS by Peter Janssen Who knows what the new year will bring. I personally can’t wait for the Miami show next month to at least get a taste of what’s in store to make cruising easier, safer and more fun. But I already know one thing for sure. The trend toward outboard power, even in cruising boats, will only get stronger and stronger. The reasons are easy enough: Outboards are now increasingly powerful, quiet, fuel-efficient, easy to use, easy to maintain, easy to replace. They open up space under the salon or cockpit that…

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