Cruising Life

Nordhavn 76 Crossing Atlantic; Follow Along

By Peter Janssen on December 6, 2021 Cruising Life

The Spirit of Ulysses, a 2007 Nordhavn 76, has started a 2,000 nm transatlantic crossing from the Canary Islands to Barbados, and already has powered through 50-knot winds and some boisterous seas. The boat just finished the first leg of the trip, from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to Cape Verde, where the crew headed straight for the fuel dock and took on 2,260 gallons of diesel. (See a video of the arrival below.) They also did some grocery shopping, got tested for Covid (all negative) and prepared for the rest of the trip. They hope to land in Barbados…

GM Invests $150 Million in Electric Outboards

By Peter Janssen on December 1, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

General Motors just invested $150 million in Pure Watercraft, the Seattle-based company that makes electric outboards and battery packs. The investment represents a 25 percent stake in the company. Pure Watercraft, founded by Andy Rebele nine years ago, makes all-electric Pure Outboards as a drop-in replacement for boats that use 25- to 50-hp gas outboards. It also has partnerships with manufacturers to sell complete electric boats, in the RIB, pontoon boat and small fishing boat categories. The Pure Outboard operates with a 25kW electric motor that the company says is the equivalent of a 50-hp gas outboard. It is built…

How To Use Ranges To Cruise Safely

By co_admin on December 1, 2021 Cruising Life

Here’s some great advice from Skipper Tips about how to use ranges to cruise safely: You enter an unfamiliar channel late in the afternoon. You scan your chart plotter or nautical chart to check for dangers to the left, or to the right. Rocky shoals lie close to the channel edges on each side. Be on the lookout for one of the sailor’s best friends – channel ranges (also called transits). These markers will lead you down the center of a narrow channel in safety, keep your sailboat in deep water, and help you navigate with confidence, day or night.…

Ship’s Cook Kills Captain at Sea

By Peter Janssen on November 30, 2021 Cruising Life

The police in Mauritius say the chief cook on a 623-foot bulk carrier ship has confessed to killing the captain by stabbing him 30 or 40 times with a kitchen knife. The cook says the captain humiliated him for weeks in front of the crew and withheld his cigarette ration. The cook, Calopez Alfred Kenneth Banghanoy, 33, had a fatal argument with the captain, Rolly Baquillos Solante, 44, on the carrier ship Meghna Liberty (formerly named the Loch Shuna) late at night on Nov. 14 in the Indian Ocean. The ship, with a crew of 20, was heading from South…

Lyman-Morse To Build Electric, Foiling, Navier 27

By Peter Janssen on November 30, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Navier Boat is a Silicon Valley startup; it has lots of dreams, but it hasn’t built a boat yet. Lyman-Morse, in Camden and Thomaston, Maine, has lots of dreams too, and it’s been building Down East and high-tech sail and power boats since 1978. Now, Navier and Lyman-Morse have formed a partnership. Lyman-Morse will build Navier’s first boat, a 27-foot, carbon-fiber, electric-powered, foiling power boat to be unveiled at the Fort Lauderdale show next October. Production models will be ready at the start of 2023. Powered by two 50kW electric motors, the Navier 27 will foil, or fly, three or…

Vanquish Building New, Fast, Composite 55

By Peter Janssen on November 29, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Vanquish Yachts, the high-end Dutch builder, is starting work on a new 55-foot performance yacht made with composites, instead of the company’s traditional aluminum. The new VQ55, powered by up to five Mercury V-12, 600-hp outboards for the U.S. market, is expected to top out at 70 knots. Vanquish unveiled its new Sports Line of fiberglass composite boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. It started with a composite 40-footer last year. The reception was positive, and many buyers said they were interested in a larger yacht. The new 55 will have much more interior space than the 40,…

Volvo’s Assisted Docking Big Winner at METS

By Peter Janssen on November 29, 2021 Cruising Life

Volvo Penta’s Assisted Docking System (pictured above) was the big winner at the recent METS trade show in Amsterdam. It won the prestigious DAME award at the start of the show. Five more products were named Category Winners, and 15 more received Special Mentions. Here’s the news from METS: Volvo Penta Assisted Docking Company: AB Volvo Penta Category: Machinery, propulsion, mechanical and electrical systems and fittings Jury Comment: Volvo Penta has maximised the advantage it has of being able to independently vector thrust from its proven IPS (Inboard Performance System) drives. The Assisted Docking system digitally controls that ability using…

Metaverse Mega-Yacht Sells for $650,000

By Peter Janssen on November 29, 2021 Cruising Life

Here’s a first, at least as far as I know. A digital mega-yacht just sold for $650,000, making it the most expensive NFT (non-fungible token) sold in Sandbox’s virtual world. The Sun reports that the Metaflower Super Mega Yacht sold for 149 ether (about $650,000) in a transaction on Sandbox, one of the leading metaverse games. The yacht was sold by Republic Realm, a metaverse developer; the sale made the Metaflower the most expensive NFT on Sandbox. The yacht is part of Sandbox’s Fantasy Collection of luxury NFT’s, which includes private islands, speedboats and jet skis. The Fantasy Collection provides…

Highfield Launches 30-Foot Flagship RIB

By Peter Janssen on November 28, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Highfield Boats, the world’s largest maker of aluminum-hulled RIBs, just launched its largest boat yet, the almost-30-foot Sport 900 that can hold 15 passengers and hit a top speed of 60 mph. The all-new Sport 900 has an unusual 26-degree deadrise at the transom so the large RIB can cut through offshore waters. The company says it is designed for use as tender or a high-end day and picnic boat. It is the top of Highfield’s Sport series, which starts at 9’ 8.” The new Highfield represents the growing popularity of RIBs. Tom Watson, the general manager of Highfield Boats…

Hacker-Craft Adding New Evolution Series

By Peter Janssen on November 17, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hacker-Craft, the iconic builder of mahogany boats on Lake George, New York, is starting a new line called the Evolution Collection, designed to represent growth and forward momentum. Erin Badcock, the company’s CEO, wrote me that “Hacker-Craft has been focusing on our brand, building on our legacy, while continuing to grow and innovate.” The new Evolution Collection, with three different models, represents that direction. Ever since 1908, Hacker-Craft has built boats with classic lines and meticulous craftsmanship. For almost 100 years, they have defined the Golden Age of yachting. Now the company wants the Evolution Collection to define a new…

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