Author Peter Janssen

Cruising Life
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Office on Board: Working in a Two-Story Houseboat in Fort Lauderdale

Living aboard is one thing (I know, I’ve done it), but working aboard is something else. Take a look where Tucker Fallon, a yacht broker with Bradford Marine spends his working time: A two-story custom houseboat on the New River in Fort Lauderdale. Actually, Fallon is not alone. The Bradford houseboat has 15 offices, two conference rooms, a reception area and a back porch. Sounds like a pretty good working environment to me. See the story from the Business pages of The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/business/selling-yachts-in-an-office-that-rises-and-falls-with-the-tides.html?ref=business&_r=0

Cruising Life
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Best Video of the Year: Incredible Rough-Water Test of British Stealth Boat

Motor Boat & Yachting, the British monthly, has just published its most-watched video for the past year and it’s incredible. The video starts with a sea trial of the Safehaven Barracuda stealth boat in some pretty rough conditions, which is the whole point. The Barracuda is not an everyday boat, and this not an everyday test. The boat is built for the military and it’s literally meant to be bulletproof. Take a look at this video of the MBY test; it’s not like any boat test I’ve ever been on: https://youtu.be/30bieFJ25zc

Engine Room
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How To Set Up Your Instruments To Measure Fuel Flow

Here’s one of the best videos or explanations of any kind that I’ve seen about how to set up your engine instruments to monitor fuel flow. This video is from a Ranger Tug 27 with a Volvo engine display and a Garmin chartplotter, but it gives you a good idea of what to look for no matter what kind of boat or engine you have. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV9KFcPanVI

Charter
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A Millennial’s Guide to Chartering in the BVI

Here’s something different. At a time when the Baby Boomers are getting older and older and everyone in the boating business – power, sail, charter – is wondering where the new customers are going to come from, Canadian Yachting magazine has a highly readable, first-person story telling Millennials how to have a great charter vacation in the BVI (although in my opinion it would be hard for anyone, at any age, not to have a great time in the BVI). It starts with the basics – Pick Your Team Carefully, Be Prepared – and then moves on to advice that’s…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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The Right Stuff

How’s this for a trans-Atlantic adventure? Chris Bertish, a 42-year-old world champion surfer, just left Morocco on a SUP (although a very tricked-out SUP) and plans to arrive in Miami some four months and 4,600 miles from now with stops in the Canaries and the BVI along the way. Oh, and Bertish, who’s already set some SUP distance records, will be doing this solo, all by himself, with no support from anyone at all. The last time anyone tried to do a solo trans-Atlantic on an SUP a year ago he had to be rescued after less than a day…

Destinations
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What are Best Beach Bars in Caribbean? Here’s Coastal Living’s List

Here’s a fun list of what Coastal Living magazine thinks are the best beach bars in the Caribbean. Even if you don’t agree with them, take a look – and long for your next cruise or charter there. Yes, I know that cruising on the boat is fun and all that, but getting off the boat and relaxing at a great bar on the beach….well, that certainly adds to the fun – and makes for great memories. See if your favorite bar is on the list: http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10/best-caribbean-beach-bars

Cruising Life
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More Great Boating Gift Ideas for Christmas – and Beyond

Now here’s an appealing Christmas gift guide that I really like. It has just about everything a cruising boat owner could want, including multifunction tools, hand warmers, foul-weather gear, wooden charts (these are very cool), SPOT Satellite Messenger (a great safety device), a drone, and even information on booking a charter if you really want to get away from it all. And if Santa doesn’t bring you everything on this list, save it and keep it for next spring when you make your first trip down to the chandlery.  Take a look: http://blog.dockwa.com/christmas-gift-guide-for-sailors-and-boaters?utm_campaign=Blog+Subscribers&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=38810354&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–KK9ScHXEmuZFs7mtbDSw-4L6a4x328OYmweH3riQybuFomHwIqZXEji9BjUwW1snaUftG-bsrQ68575YEviouxXKEmA&_hsmi=38810354

Cruising Life
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‘Tis the Season: Best Ways to Decorate Your Boat for the Holidays

It’s that time of year – holidays, Christmas, New Year’s – when it’s fun to deck out your boat with lights and shapes and general cheer and goodwill to man. But, how to do it, and – more important – how to do it safely? Here are some great tips from BoatU.S. about how to choose colors and designs and install them without obscuring your boat’s nav lights or blowing out all your power. And remember to leave room for your crew to handle lines and fenders. Lots of good ideas here. Take a look: :http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2013/december/designing-a-holiday-lights-display-for-your-boat.asp

Cruising Life
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“Nap Time” Cruiser Runs into Ferry While Captain Using the Head

You’ve got to see this. Nap Time, a recreational cruising boat, runs into the starboard side of a huge Washington State ferry going from Tacoma to Vachon Island in broad daylight, while the ferry is sounding its horn. Hard to believe. Yes, the boat on the right has the right of way, but it’s supposed to give way to a commercial ferry, no? And what was Nap Time’s captain thinking? Well, it turns out, according to a local TV station, that Nap Time’s captain, the only person on board at the time, was below, using the head. Still, a great video:…

Cruising Life
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Carbon Monoxide: Winter’s Silent Killer. Save Your Life. See This Video.

The boat in the picture above is where a British couple and their dog died recently of carbon monoxide poisoning, a silent killer because you can’t see it or smell it and the symptoms can make think you just have the flu, a headache or need to take a nap. Bad stuff, particularly this time of year when people tend to keep boat doors and windows shut, while possibly running a heater, engine or genset. To make boat owners aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide, the Royal Yachting Association produced this short but very hard-hitting video. Take a look. It…

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