Cruising Life

Ferry Captain Disoriented by Fog, Goes Wrong Way, Sinks Yacht

By Peter Janssen on February 23, 2020 Cruising Life

Here’s a report from the BBC about how a ferry boat captain became disoriented in fog, went the wrong way, and crashed into a yacht off the Isle of Wight: Cowes ferry yacht-crash captain ‘lost control in fog’ A ferry captain became disoriented in dense fog and ended up going in the wrong direction and crashing into a yacht, a report has concluded. The Red Funnel car ferry sunk Nigel Minchin’s yacht when it ran aground off the Isle of Wight in October 2018, leaving people stranded for hours. Investigators found Red Falcon’s captain became “overloaded due to high stress” as…

Freak Wave Hits Virginia Beach Whale-Watching Boat, Injures 4

By Peter Janssen on February 23, 2020 Cruising Life

A rogue wave hit a whale-watching boat leaving Virginia Beach on Saturday, terrifying many of the 124 people on board and injuring four seriously enough they had to be taken to a local hospital. The boat was operated by the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center on a scheduled two-hour-plus whale-watching trip. The Aquarium offers cruises Wednesday through Sunday to take visitors out in the ocean to see humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins. At about 10:30 on Saturday morning, the boat was hit by a rogue wave as it was going out Rudee Inlet. Passengers said the boat launched about…

Divers Find More Artifacts from Doomed Franklin Expedition

By Peter Janssen on February 22, 2020 Cruising Life

Archeologists and divers working with Parks Canada and the Inuit population have found new artifacts from one of British explorer John Hope Franklin’s ships that may help them understand what happened to Franklin and his 128 men when they were trapped in the Arctic and disappeared in 1846. Working in 37-degree water, divers found some 350 artifacts from the HMS Erebus, one of Franklin’s ships, in about 40 feet of water off King William Island. On 93 dives, the divers were able to reach only three cabins on the Erebus last fall, with 17 more to explore. The deck of…

Two Tugs Stranded, Crew Not Paid, Off Sabine Pass, Texas

By Peter Janssen on February 19, 2020 Cruising Life

Two tugboats have been stranded in the Gulf of Mexico, five miles off the coast of Sabine Pass, Texas, since Nov. 26. Members of the crew say they haven’t been paid since the start of the year. The tugs, with their attached barges, are more than 700 feet long, and are lying at anchor. The crews are asking for help, and contacted Father Sinclair Oubre, who’s with the International Seafarers Center in Port Arthur. He, in turn, asked the Transport Workers Federation, as well as the marine safety unit in Port Arthur, to seek a solution. Various members of the…

Albatrosses with Radar Detectors Find Illegal Fishing Boats

By Peter Janssen on February 18, 2020 Cruising Life

A team of French and New Zealand scientists have used almost 200 albatrosses, fitted out with radar detection devices, to track fishing vessels at sea. Their findings, just reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: About a third of the vessels the birds tracked were probably fishing illegally. Henri Weimerskirch, a marine ornithologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research and one of the leaders of the albatross project, said that albatrosses were ideal for finding fishing boats, legal or illegal. With wingspans up to 11 feet, the largest of any bird alive, an albatross can…

Whaler To Offer Raymarine’s Assisted Docking on Some Boats

By Peter Janssen on February 11, 2020 Cruising Life

Worried about docking? About overcoming wind or current or accidentally bumping into nearby boats? About looking bad in front of your friends? Well, at one time or another, who isn’t? But a new era of “assisted docking” takes care of all that. And, with the spread of Raymarine’s DockSense Alert Technology, all those worries may be things of the past. To a large degree, the high-tech DockSense does the docking for you; at the very least, it keeps you from hitting anything. Think of the growing driver-assist technology for cars, which basically parks the car for you, now on boats.…

New Challenges to Georgia’s “Draconian” Anchoring Regulations

By Peter Janssen on February 9, 2020 Cruising Life

Here’s the latest on Georgia’s controversial new anchoring restrictions, which went into effect on January 1. Ron Stephens, a veteran cruiser and a Georgia State Representative, has filed a bill in the General Assembly to address the worst of the restrictions. His bill would take away the power of the state’s Department of Natural Resources to determine where boats can anchor. And it would change the rule that prohibits anchoring within 1,000 feet of structures, including public and private docks, wharves, bridges, piers and pilings except in areas near marinas. His proposal would change that distance to 150 feet. As…

New Sub from U-Boat Worx: Cruise at 6 Knots

By Peter Janssen on February 9, 2020 Cruising Life

If you’re looking for a new toy, think about the U-Boat Worx HiPer Sub 2, a two-person sports sub that goes 6 knots on the surface or under the surface and that provides what the Dutch builder calls “the ultimate underwater experience.” In the HiPer Sub 2, you can glide along and admire the view, or you can engage in underwater acrobatics, performing loops, steep turns and vertical ascents and descents. The intuitive joystick controls let you, along with your trained pilot, maneuver the sub like a fighter jet, all in air-conditioned comfort. The sub comes with a depth sounder,…

Antarctica Hits Historic 65 Degrees, “Doomsday Glacier” Melting

By Peter Janssen on February 8, 2020 Cruising Life

Here’s a disturbing story from USA Today, with a video, about a historic high of 65 degrees in Antarctica. Scientists also found warm water under the “Doomsday Glacier” there, which could accelerate its melting. The temperature was recorded at an Argentine research base on the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. It beats the previous record of 63.5 degrees Fahrenheit, set in 2015. The Antarctic Peninsula is among the fastest warming regions on Earth. A balmy temperature of nearly 65 degrees was recorded in Antarctica on Thursday, and if verified, it would be an all-time record high for the normally bitterly…

See Spectacular Shots of Coast Guard Surf Training

By Peter Janssen on February 6, 2020 Cruising Life

Here are some of the best pictures I’ve ever seen of Coast Guard motor lifeboat crews training in rough surf. The photographer is Jeremy Burke, and the story, from USA Today Sports, was shared on social media. Burke took the pictures of two boats from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay training in 20- to 25-foot waves off Newport, Oregon. The station schedules training days when the surf or winds are high. Watch the crews, who are all experienced, challenge the waves head on. Take a look: Pete Thomas February 4, 2020 12:24 pm When a massive swell slammed Oregon recently,…

Browsing: Cruising Life