Author Peter Janssen

Cruising Life
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One of Franklin’s Doomed Ships Found In Northwest Passage: Incredible Video

A British research vessel has found the HMS Terror, one of Sir John Franklin’s two doomed vessels  with 129 men on board that were lost searching for the Northwest Passage in 1848. The video with the story is incredible, going into the ship to show the captain’s quarters, the double-wheel helm, even the mess hall table. Incredibly enough, the Terror was found some 60 miles south of where it was presumed to have been crushed by ice. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/12/hms-terror-wreck-found-arctic-nearly-170-years-northwest-passage-attempt

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Popular Ranger Rendezvous in the San Juans

Here’s a great picture of the annual rendezvous of some 150 Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats at Roche Harbor in the San Juans, one of the biggest gatherings of boat owners in the United States at one of the best cruising destinations in the United States. To continue the superlatives, Fluid Motion, LLC, the parent company for Ranger and Cutwater, is one of the most successful boat companies in the United States – having started with a 21-Ranger Tug in 1999 and now producing hundreds of Rangers and Cutwaters in six factories throughout Washington State. (See our “Boat Reviews” section…

Boat Reviews
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Leader 46: An Innovative Flagship with French Flair

The flagship of the Leader fleet, the new 46 has lots of innovative touches, French lines, and Volvo performance (either with sterndrives or IPS), which all combine to make it an appealing contemporary cruiser. No wonder the Leader 46 by Jeanneau has been nominated for the European Boat of the Year award. When I was on the boat, I particularly liked the cockpit galley with the grill opening aft; you stand on the wide teak swim platform, facing your guests, and fire up the barbeque. (There’s also a traditional galley below.) Another appealing touch: The forward-facing mate’s bench seat to…

Boat Reviews
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Aquila 44: All the Makings of a Great Vacation

With its 21’6” beam carried all the way forward, the Aquila 44 catamaran has space – and more space – just about everywhere. The three-stateroom, three-head boat also has a lot of privacy. The master stateroom is forward with a king-sized bed, a small settee in a separate seating area and a large head and shower. The two separate hulls, meanwhile, mean the two more staterooms, one on the port side and one to starboard, are totally private, a major advantage during cruise with family or friends. In the salon, the galley is aft, with a dining/sitting area forward; it’s…

Boat Reviews
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Coming Soon: MJM 35Z

Watch for this – the new MJM 35Z, the latest collaboration of Doug Zurn, the famed designer, and Bob Johnstone, the famed builder. The 35Z will be an outboard version of an MJM, with either twin 300-hp Yamahas or twin 300-hp Mercury Verados; either brand should power the boat into the 44-knot range. Outboards themselves are becoming more popular, as they become ever more powerful, fuel-efficient and quiet. The new 35Z will have the low profile, gentle tumblehome and long sheer line of other MJMs, plus a large cockpit and a protected helm deck. Designed as a couple’s cruising boat,…

Engine Room
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A More Efficient Pod Drive

ABB, the Swiss power company, is launching a new Azipod drive unit that it says can be 10 percent more fuel-efficient. Built, for now, for commercial shipping, the new pod improves efficiency by introducing a nozzle with plates that direct water flow from the propeller to reduce turbulence and create thrust. ABB says the system is 20 percent more efficient than shaft drives, and 10 percent more efficient that its existing pods. ABB has tested the new pods in labs and says they provide a higher pull thrust at lower speeds. In addition, their 360-degree maneuverability and fuel efficiency make…

Cruising Life
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Captain Drinks Long Island Iced Tea, Hits Palm Beach

The captain of the 72-foot Time Out ran into the beach at Palm Beach at 2:15 in the morning after he said he had downed a few Long Island iced teas. The Palm Beach police charged him with boating under the influence. The Coast Guard was trying to figure out how to move the boat without spilling any diesel fuel. http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/local/72-foot-yacht-washes-ashore-in-palm-beach/nsSjr/

Cruising Life
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New York Post Finds the Joys of Living Aboard

Living aboard a boat can be one of life’s true pleasures. I know. I lived on my Grand Banks 36 for a few years, including winters, in Norwalk Cove, Connecticut. So this story in the New York Post (home of the famous headline: “Headless Man in Topless Bar”) caught my eye. It’s not exactly the way I lived aboard, but it’s fun, and certainly tells how some young people are finding an alternative to the city’s soaring rental prices. http://nypost.com/2016/08/31/the-crazy-but-true-tales-of-new-yorkers-who-live-on-boats/

Boat Reviews
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Bruckmann Abaco 40: A Salty Weekender

With its proud bow, classic Downeast lines and elegant fit and finish, the Mark Ellis-designed Bruckmann Abaco 40 offers a combination of traditional appeal with modern performance. Designed as a single-diesel weekender, the Bruckmann 40 is a master of salty understatement, although it tops out at about 30 knots and only sips about a gallon a mile at cruising speed of 24 knots. Based in Toronto, Canada, Bruckmann Yachts is a high-end sailboat builder, and that heritage shows in the Abaco 40; there’s nothing fancy here, just everything you need in just the right place. From the cockpit, you enter…

Boat Reviews
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True North 38: Still the Downeast SUV of the Water

The original SUV of the water, the True North 38 made by USWatercraft in Warren, RI, combines its signature Downeast looks with 25-knot performance and a unique use of space. The True North’s sharp plumb bow parts the waves, its tumblehome suggests a lobster-boat heritage, and its long sheer line mirrors the classic appeal of Alerion sailboats that USWatercraft also makes. What further sets the True North apart is the spacious cockpit and transom doors that open so you can slide in a dinghy, a small sailboat or simply enjoy diving and watersports. With the transom doors open, it’s one…

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