Cruising Life

NTSB Issues Annual Safer Seas Report of 30 Boating Accidents

By Peter Janssen on September 24, 2019 Cruising Life

The National Transportation Safety Board just released its Safer Seas Digest 2018: Lessons Learned from Marine Accident Investigations, and it has some interesting lessons for those of us who go cruising on recreational boats. It’s a summary of 30 marine accidents, including collisions with fixed objects, sinkings, fires, floodings, groundings and other vessel damage, involving vessels from recreational boats to passenger liners. The safety issues include: High-water/high-current conditions, watertight integrity, training for emergencies, remote emergency shutdowns, ice accumulation, mooring in strong winds, identifying navigation hazards and fixed ventilation openings. As in the past, towing vessels/barges topped the list of vessels…

Wealthy Dad Kills Son with Boat in San Francisco Bay

By Peter Janssen on September 23, 2019 Cruising Life

Javier Burillo Azcarraga was arrested on charges that he caused the death of his 11-year-old son in San Francisco Bay after the boy and his brother, 27, where thrown from Azcarraga’s 33-foot Targa Protector (pictured above) and he tried to retrieve them. Azcarraga was driving the twin-outboard Protector near Angel Island at about 7 p.m. on Sunday when the accident occurred. Police say they do not know why the boys were thrown off the boat, and that the boat hit them when Azcarraga tried to pull them out of the water. After he got the boys back on board, Azcarraga,…

Popular Annapolis Power Boat Show Opens Oct. 3

By Peter Janssen on September 23, 2019 Cruising Life

The United States Powerboat Show in Annapolis is always popular, for a whole lot of reasons. It’s easy to get to, it’s easy to see a lot of new boats and gear there, and it’s in Annapolis, the hub of the Chesapeake, a cruising mecca with boatyards and marinas and waterfront restaurants and watering holes all around. And then there’s the U.S. Naval Academy with grounds next to the show, historic Annapolis stretching up Main Street to the state capital, and Washington, D.C. is an easy drive away. Centered around City Dock (also known as Ego Alley) in the middl9…

Picture of Great White Shark Near Surfer Goes Viral

By Peter Janssen on September 22, 2019 Cruising Life

Here’s a picture of a great white shark surfacing near a surfer on Cape Cod that went viral. The surfer, Devon Zimmerman, from Brooklyn, New York, told the Daily News that when he saw the shark “I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ in my mind this thing’s real. And it’s between me and the beach.” Fortunately, the encounter, off Nauset Beach in Orleans, had a happy ending. The great white slowly swam away and Zimmerman paddled nervously back to shore. But when his wife, Sarah McAteer, saw the picture, she said, “It made me nauseous. It made me sick to…

Deadly Conception Fire Probe: Too Many Electronic Devices?

By Peter Janssen on September 21, 2019 Cruising Life

Officials now think they may have a clue about what started the tragic fire on the Conception, the 75-foot dive boat that burned and sank off Southern California on Labor Day, killing all 34 people who were sleeping on the lower deck: Too many electronic devices, many with lithium batteries, that were plugged into outlets in the boat’s galley where the fire started. Even as the Conception investigation continued, the Coast Guard urged boat owners to reduce fire hazards by limiting the charging of lithium-ion batteries on board. Here’s an extensive update on what we know so far from the Los…

New Cruising Course from America’s Boating Club and BoatUS

By Peter Janssen on September 17, 2019 Cruising Life

Whether you’re new to cruising or you consider yourself an old salt, you might want to take advantage of a just-launched online course called “Cruising Boats and Systems” from America’s Boating Club and the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. If you’re new, the course will help you charter or cruise safely and confidently, armed with accurate information. If you’ve done this before, it never hurts to get a refresher course or brush off some cobwebs. The online course is designed to be user-friendly, and you can take it anytime you want at home, your office or even…

Largest Owners’ Rendezvous in World for Ranger and Cutwater

By Peter Janssen on September 17, 2019 Cruising Life

Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats just held the largest owners’ rendezvous in the world, with about 220 boats and 500 people at the Roche Harbor Marina and Resort in the San Juans. Many Ranger and Cutwater owners regard the annual three-day rendezvous as a highlight in their cruising year. This year the rendezvous, as usual, was filled with fun events, although I’ve found that it’s hard not to have fun at Roche Harbor, which is on the northern tip of San Juan Island about 100 miles above Seattle; it’s one of the most inviting cruising destinations in the Pacific Northwest,…

Florida Man Who Dragged Shark To Death Gets Ten Day Sentence

By Peter Janssen on September 17, 2019 Cruising Life

A Florida man who dragged a shark to death behind a friend’s boat has just been sentenced to ten days in jail. Robert Benac, 3rd, who is 30 years old, made a plea deal where he will serve time in the Hillsborough County jail over five weekends, pay a $2,500 fine, perform 250 hours of service at an animal shelter, and lose his fishing license for three years. In pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, Benac avoided going on trial for a more serious felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals. The dragging incident occurred in July,…

MJM 53z and Solace 345 Big Winners at Newport Show

By Peter Janssen on September 13, 2019 Cruising Life

The MJM 53z, the largest outboard-powered production cruising boat, and the innovative Solace Boats 345 both just won prestigious best new boat awards at the Newport International Boat Show. At an awards breakfast at the second day of the show, the MJM 53z won the award for Best New Powerboat Over 35 feet, while the Solace 345 won the award as Best New Powerboat Under 35 Feet, as well as the award for Best New Powerboat. Five judges selected the winners among all the boats making their U.S. debut at the Newport show, the opening of the fall boat season…

Possible Criminal Charges in Tragic Sinking of California Dive Boat

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2019 Cruising Life

Various federal agencies are considering criminal charges in the tragic fire on board the 75-foot dive boat that burned on Labor Day, killing 34 people who were sleeping on a lower deck. The boat, Conception, was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands about 20 miles off the coast of Southern California. Five people, the captain and four crew members, were able to escape off the boat. They had been sleeping on an upper deck. They told investigators that flames kept them from helping the 34 people (33 passengers and one crew member) who were sleeping below.…

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