Cruising Life

When Is a Small Craft Advisory a Small Craft Warning?

By Peter Janssen on April 20, 2020 Cruising Life

The National Weather Service wants to change the name of its traditional Small Craft Advisory to a Small Craft Warning, and it wants your help. The NWS wants to make the change in the spirit of simplifying things. Its other marine warnings are, well, warnings: Gale Warning, Storm Warning, Hurricane Warning. The Small Craft Advisory was pretty much sticking out there by itself. Now, as part of its Hazard Simplification Project, the NWS wants to remove the “Advisory” for small craft and make it match the other “Warnings.” It also wants to end its “Special Weather Statement” and “NOWcast” messages.…

Luxury Canal Barge for Sale in London for $3.1 Million

By Peter Janssen on April 19, 2020 Cruising Life

How’s this for a luxury liveaboard, or a floating second home to cruise the canals and waterways of Europe? Savvy, a three-stateroom, three-head, 98-feet-long Dutch barge built in 2004 is for sale in London for $3.1 million. With a steel hull and a 16-foot beam, Savvy was built by Hakvoort, with a contemporary interior by H2 Design, for cruising in shallow waters. It has already made trips down France’s Canal du Midi and other French canals. It is powered by the original ABB 110kW diesel-electric engine, which shows 3,200 hours. The barge cruises at 8.5 mph, and has a range…

Governors Open Marinas in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut

By Peter Janssen on April 19, 2020 Cruising Life

Here’s some welcome news for boat owners in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The governors of those states just announced that marinas, boatyards and recreational marine manufacturers will be allowed to open for personal use. The Governors, Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, and Ned Lamont of Connecticut, issued joint guidelines for recreational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They said that the marinas and boatyards would be open as long as social distancing and sanitization protocols are followed. The guidelines said that chartered boats or rentals will not be allowed, and restaurants at marinas…

Bahamas Announces New Protocols for Boating There

By Peter Janssen on April 18, 2020 Cruising Life, Destinations

Bahamas Government Protocols for Boating in The Bahamas April 2020 April 14, 2020 Updated 4/17/20 The Government of The Bahamas has released official COVID-19 related protocols for foreign and local boats that are currently in the waters of The Bahamas. The Bahamas Safe Passage Home and Sea Quarantine has been established by the Association of Bahamas Marinas as an orderly way to help boats either remain moored or leave Bahamian waters safely while minimizing the risk of spreading the virus throughout the islands. The program will be in effect until normal border travel is restored. Please note that our program…

Yamaha Launches New Portable, Lightweight 25-hp Outboard

By Peter Janssen on April 16, 2020 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Yamaha’s new portable F25 outboard is a great answer for cruising people looking for lightweight power for a RIB or a dinghy or perhaps for a second boat. Yamaha says the new F25 is the lightest 25-hp outboard on the market; indeed, it’s a full 25 percent lighter than Yamaha’s previous version. The 15-inch shaft model of the F25 weighs 126 pounds. The 20-inch shaft model weighs 143 pounds. Both models come in two-stroke or four-stroke versions, with remote or manual starting systems. The manual-start version does not require a battery, which makes it particularly attractive for a RIB or…

New Block Island Quarantine for Boaters: COVID-19

By Peter Janssen on April 15, 2020 Cruising Life

The coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on cruising plans for spring, and perhaps for the summer as well. Here’s some bad news from Block Island, one of the most popular cruising destinations on the east coast: All boaters must quarantine on the water Lars Trodson Tue, 04/14/2020 – 3:45pm Category: News A sign at Coast Guard Beach informing all boaters they must quarantine on the water for 14 days after arriving at the island. Photo by Capt. Kate McConville Tuesday, April 14 — Block Island Harbormaster Kate McConville has told The Block Island Times that she is informing all…

Katharine, a Popular but Missing Great White, Found Again

By Peter Janssen on April 15, 2020 Cruising Life

Here’s some good news on the great white shark front. Katharine, a 14’ 2”, 2,300-pound great white who once had a Twitter account with 61,000 followers and had not been heard from in about a year, just resurfaced about 200 miles of the coast of Virginia. Researchers from Ocearch, the ocean and fish research organization, say that their satellite heard three pings a week ago from Katharine’s tracking device, which enabled them to establish her location. Katharine’s previous ping was on May 12, 2019. Ocearch originally tagged Katharine in 2013 off Cape Cod. That’s when they measured her length and…

Passing Vessel Causes $1 Million Damage to Washington Marina

By Peter Janssen on April 14, 2020 Cruising Life

A large vessel passing the Port of Kalama, Washington, marina on the Columbia River early Monday morning caused more than $1 million damage to boats and docks there, Port officials said. Liz Newman, marketing manager for the Port, said the vessel passed the marina at “excessive speed” between 4 and 5 a.m. Some boats were tossed up on top of the docks, others were damaged, lines snapped and boats ran into other boats. The marina was filled with debris. The marina, with 222 slips, is sheltered behind a breakwater. Officials think a passing ship caused a swell and a suction…

New: Lambo-Inspired, A88 Gransport Fast Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on April 13, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you like fast cars and fast boats, take a look at the latest design from Milan’s Officina Armare Studio – the sleek, head-turning A88 Gransport cruiser that brings to mind many of the design elements in today’s cutting-edge hyper-cars, such as the Lamborghini Huracán EVO Spyder, pictured above. Powered by twin 2,600-hp MTU diesels, the four-stateroom, 88-foot A88 tops out at 46 mph. The two-seat Lambo, with a 640-hp engine, tops out at 202 mph. But then its base price is just $287,400, which is probably less than the A88’s fuel bill for a season. But there’s no question…

Cruising the Arctic in a Converted Lifeboat: See Video

By Peter Janssen on April 13, 2020 Cruising Life

Two British architects bought an old lifeboat, refurbished it, painted it yellow, and then cruised 3,100 miles through eight countries and ended up in Tromsø, Norway, the largest city inside the Arctic Circle. They wintered over there, and now are getting ready to finish cruising the coast of Norway this spring and summer. Guylee Simmonds and David Schnabel, both 28, bought the decommissioned lifeboat in February, 2018. They had dreamed of a big adventure, and they spent a year making it what they called “the supreme adventure craft.” Built in Norway in 1997, the vessel served as a lifeboat for…

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