Cruising Life

Aerodynamic 50-Knot Cat Launches in Monaco

By Peter Janssen on March 3, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s a look at a brand-new vessel, a 50-knot catamaran from France, that represents a marriage of marine and aeronautical engineering. Indeed, the new cat, named Monaco One, is shaped like an inverted airplane wing, and it’s so efficient that it uses only half as much fuel as a comparable monohull would. Monaco One is a product of the Advanced Aerodynamic Vessels yard in La Rochelle, France. The 39-foot cat was just delivered to the Ports of Monaco to serve as a 12-passenger ferry from Port Hercules to a new marina in Ventimiglia, Italy. The Monaco government says it’s much…

New Absolute Navetta 64: Prize-Winning Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on March 2, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new, award-winning Absolute Navetta 64 is a large, comfortable cruiser with a few surprises that will only make it hard to leave once you’ve spent much time on board. You can immediately see some of the best features of the Italian-built yacht, including the unusually large, uninterrupted side windows that extend all the way back from the helm to the aft deck. And you’ll also focus on the enlarged windows in the bow. But what you won’t realize until you’re on the Navetta is that those bow windows admit an enormous amount of light to the master stateroom, which…

Meet Orca, Your New Marine Co-Pilot

By Peter Janssen on March 2, 2021 Cruising Life, Electronics

Orca, a brand-new Norwegian startup, just introduced its new wireless navigation system that is designed to become your “marine co-pilot.” A combination of hardware and software, Orca is organized around a built-from-scratch interface that is meant to make your cruising life safer, easier and more up-to-date. Orca’s founders say they started with a blank slate to rethink the entire design of marine electronics, looking for an iPhone moment. They ended up with a system that includes a rugged tablet from Samsung, a mounting arm, an interface for quick attachment and charging, and an Orca Core computing base unit that connects…

Apollonian 52: A Totally New Raised Pilothouse Yacht

By Peter Janssen on March 1, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Meet the new Apollonian 52, a three-stateroom, solidly built, affordable raised pilothouse motoryacht that’s built for the owner-operator. Apollonian Yachts, a totally new brand, is the result of a collaboration between storied naval architect Howard Apollonio and veteran broker Vic Parcells. Built in Shanghai, China, hull number one has already been sold in Seattle, and hull number two is ready for viewing there. Apollonio has been designing yachts for more than 50 years; his credits include Diaship/Heesen, Hampton/Regency, Cheoy Lee, Christensen, Westport, West Bay/SonShip and many others. For his part, Parcells is a partner at Crow’s Nest Yacht Sales in…

New Study: Gulf Stream Weakest in 1,000 Years

By Peter Janssen on March 1, 2021 Cruising Life

A new study says the Gulf Stream is now the weakest in more than 1,000 years, with major implications for future storms in Europe and sea-level rise along the east coast of the United States. Some of the world’s leading experts studied the circulation patterns of the Atlantic Ocean, including the currents of the Gulf Stream flowing from south of Florida up to Greenland, and published their results in the journal Nature Geoscience. The circulation, they said, is now “in its weakest state in over a millennium.” Their research showed that the current has slowed by 15 percent since 1950,…

NOAA Starts Transition to All Electronic Charts

By Peter Janssen on February 27, 2021 Cruising Life

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is starting its transition to all electronic charts. It announced its Sunsetting of Raster Nautical Charts in the Federal Register in 2019, spelling out a five-year plan to gradually end production of traditional paper and raster charts starting this year. The sunset plan starts this month with the end of the current paper chart, number 18665, of Lake Tahoe, on the California/Nevada border. After August, NOAA’s electronic chart will be the only NOAA chart of the area. NOAA says the electronic charts are easier to update and maintain than paper charts and they will…

After a Year in Mexico, Tangaroa Heads North

By Peter Janssen on February 24, 2021 Cruising Life

Tom Campbell and Beth Davidow have spent the past year cruising, diving and filming on their Maritimo 51 in Mexico, primarily in the Sea of Cortez. Now, the couple (he’s 80 and a wildlife and underwater cinematographer, she’s a scientist and documentary filmmaker) are heading north, up the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, ready to pursue the next stage in their five-year cruising adventure. Campbell and Davidow bought their new Maritimo, named Tangaroa, last February from Bill King of Maritimo Yacht Sales in Newport Harbor, California. They decided to live aboard full time, cruising and producing documentaries, starting in…

S&S Redesigns Classic Downeast Peapods

By Peter Janssen on February 24, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sparkman & Stephens just redesigned the iconic Downeast Peapod double-ended row boat and tender, and they launched the first one in Newport, Rhode Island, on Valentine’s Day. It was S&S Design Number 2838. The boats are called peapods because they are shaped like a pod of peas with a stem at each end. They were first used by Maine lobstermen in the 1800s for inshore work because of their shallow draft and easy maneuverability. The lobstermen often rowed them standing up and they could row easily in both directions. In subsequent years, peapods became popular as recreational rowing boats and…

Captain Blames Chief Officer for Ship Grounding

By Peter Janssen on February 23, 2021 Cruising Life

Who’s in charge here? In a hearing to determine how the 984-feet-long Wakashio bulk carrier ran aground in Mauritius last July, the captain said he set a course near land so the crew could pick up a cell phone signal to call home. But then he blamed the Chief Officer for changing course and running aground. More than 1,000 tons of heavy oil leaked from the vessel. Here’s the account from gcaptain.com: By Vel Moonien in Mauritius – The captain of the ill-fated bulk carrier M/V Wakashio told a Mauritius court that he navigated the ship closer to land to allow…

Swimming Coach, 21, Youngest Woman To Row Across Ocean

By Peter Janssen on February 22, 2021 Cruising Life

Jasmine Harrison, a 21-year-old swimming teacher from the landlocked town of Thirsk, North Yorkshire, UK, just became the youngest woman to row solo across any ocean. She finished the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, some 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands off Africa to Antigua in the Caribbean, in 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes. Harrison stumbled when she took her first steps off her boat in Antigua’s English Harbour, but race officials caught her. She then said she was headed for a cold drink, a burger and fries. Oddly enough, Harrison’s story ended where it began. She was in…

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