Cruising Life

Mayflower Heading for Plymouth, Mass., – Again

By Peter Janssen on July 19, 2020 Cruising Life

The Mayflower is heading for Plymouth, Massachusetts – again. A replica of one of the most historic ships of all time, the Mayflower just left Mystic, Connecticut, after a major restoration, and is sailing up the coast to Plymouth, where the original landed in 1620. The real Mayflower sailed from Plymouth, England, on Sept. 16, 1620, and made landfall in the New World 60 days later on what is now Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown. (It actually had been headed for Virginia, but got blown off course.) It carried a crew of about 30 and 102 Pilgrims. The ship probably had…

Nuclear Sub Almost Hits Car Ferry in UK

By Peter Janssen on July 17, 2020 Cruising Life

A Royal Navy nuclear submarine almost hit a car ferry with 282 people on board after the sub’s crew misjudged the ferry’s distance and speed, an official report said. Only “rapid and effective action” by the ferry’s crew reduced the “serious risk of collision,” the report said. The British Maritime Accident Investigation Board studied the near-miss on November, 6, 2018, in the North Channel between Northern Ireland and the southwest coast of Scotland. After the incident, the master of the ferry notified the Coast Guard and reported that the sub’s periscope passed down the starboard side of the ferry at…

NOAA: Record-Breaking Coastal Flooding To Continue

By Peter Janssen on July 15, 2020 Cruising Life

July 14, 2020: Coastal communities across the U.S. continued to see record-setting high-tide flooding last year, forcing their residents and visitors to deal with flooded shorelines, streets and basements — a trend that is expected to continue into 2021. The elevated water levels affected coastal economies, tourism and crucial infrastructure like waste and stormwater systems, according to a new NOAA report. The report, 2019 State of High-Tide Flooding and 2020 Outlook, documents changes in high-tide flooding patterns from May 2019 to April 2020 at 98 NOAA tidal gauges along the U.S. coast, and provides a flooding outlook for these locations for…

Two Ships Hit Head-On in Welland Canal. See Video

By Peter Janssen on July 14, 2020 Cruising Life

This video is like watching a slow-motion train wreck, except that it shows two massive cargo ships in a head-on collision in the Welland Canal in southern Ontario. The 26-mile-long canal connects Lake Ontario with Lake Erie. The Alanis, a 452-feet-long cargo ship flagged in Antigua Barbuda, was heading up the canal to Duluth, Minnesota, with a cargo of wind turbine parts. At about 4 in the afternoon, it collided with the Florence Spirit, a 446-feet-long ship flagged in Canada and carrying a load of coal to Quebec. They hit, horns blaring, with a crunching impact. No one was injured,…

Fall Boat Shows Update: Lauderdale Still On

By Peter Janssen on July 13, 2020 Annapolis Boat Show, Cruising Life, Ft Lauderdale Boat Show, Newport Boat Show

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show just announced that it would be held, as scheduled, on Oct. 28 through Nov. 1. Some other shows, however, have been cancelled or gone virtual, while others are still scheduled, with health guidelines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a current report about the status of some of the major fall shows, listed chronologically. Cannes. Sept. 8-13. Still scheduled. For updates: http://cannesyachtingfestival.com Tampa. Sept. 11-13. Cancelled. “We believe this is the most prudent course of action to protect the health and safety of our staff, sponsors, members, exhibitors and attendees,” said Jennifer Thompson, senior VP, National…

Why Boating Is Perfect Recreation This Summer

By Peter Janssen on July 13, 2020 Cruising Life

By Frank Hugelmeyer (President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association) FOXBusiness Over the last four months, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a growing sense of uncertainty for Americans about what life may look like in the days, months, and years ahead. Amid ever-changing state orders, social-distancing guidelines, and the new normal, it is clear that there will be lasting impacts to the way we previously carried out our daily lives. This new reality also applies to how we vacation, relax and blow off steam as summer enters full swing. As springtime came to a close, fears of a “lost summer” echoed throughout the country. Thankfully, our natural resources are wide open for the recreational activities that have long been…

Invictus Unveils Highly Styled Flagship TT460 with IPS Drives

By Peter Janssen on July 12, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Invictus Yacht in Italy just unveiled its new, highly styled, TT460 flagship with a large amount of livable space on deck that can be made even larger with a fold out platform from each side. The new 46-foot boat also has Invictus’ signature “half-reverse” bow and a futuristic black carbon fiber hardtop with lines that curve forward to embrace the sun lounge on the foredeck. The TT460 is powered by twin 480-hp Volvo IPS650 pod drives, providing fuel efficiency, dynamic boat handling, and joystick control for easy docking. Built in Borgia, the boat will be launched later this summer. The…

Were Polynesians the Best Navigators Ever?

By Peter Janssen on July 11, 2020 Cruising Life

Some new, sophisticated, DNA research indicates that the Polynesians who lived more than 800 years ago may be have some of the best voyagers and navigators of all time. If not the absolute best, they certainly were right up there. Indeed, the new study suggests that the Polynesians from the Marquesas, who invented the double-hulled canoe, reached what is now Colombia in South America before 1150, some 870 years ago. It also suggests that they paddled about 2,000 nm from Colombia to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) about the same time, and then another 2,000 nm back home. The researchers, according…

New VQ80 Vanquish Sportfish: Just a Chase Boat

By Peter Janssen on July 11, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new VQ80 Sportfish from Vanquish Yachts in the Netherlands certainly isn’t the typical cruising boat that we usually write about, but it’s so over the top that I couldn’t resist. Consider this: The 79-foot Vanquish (top picture) isn’t the owner’s main boat: It’s just a chase boat for SkyFall, his 194-foot superyacht (above picture), now under construction as Heesen Yachts, also in the Netherlands. For its part, the Vanquish isn’t too shabby. It’s the most powerful Vanquish yet, with state-of-the-art C32 Cat diesels producing 4,800-hp paired to two surface drives. Top speed is expected to be 51 knots. It…

New Forecast: 20 Named Storms in Atlantic Hurricane Season

By Peter Janssen on July 8, 2020 Cruising Life

By Brian K. Sullivan (Bloomberg) –After a frenzied start, the Atlantic hurricane season could turn out to be the most active since 2005, when a record 28 storms formed. Colorado State University has raised its annual forecast to call for 20 named storms, up from its outlook issued in June calling for 19. Five tropical storms have already spun out of the western Atlantic this year, with two hitting the U.S. so far. This is the fastest start in the record books dating to 1851 and, while the storms have been weak and short-lived, most forecasters see ominous signs for…

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