Cruising Life

BVI Set Covid-19 Protocols for Dec. 1 Reopening

By Peter Janssen on October 28, 2020 Cruising Life, Destinations

The British Virgin Islands, one of the best and most inviting cruising and charter destinations in the world, just announced new Covid-19 protocols for its reopening to visitors on Dec. 1. Andrew A. Fahie, the premier and minister of finance, spelled out the protocols. He said they were “tailored to allow visitors to experience a safe, luxurious vacation by deploying technology, implementing strict testing and comprehensive protocols for tourism industry operators and accommodations units.” Starting Dec. 1, you can fly into Terrance B. Lettsome Airport on Beef Island. A new welcome center can handle 90 passengers at a time. The…

Miami Swimmer Sues Developer for Running Her Down

By Peter Janssen on October 28, 2020 Cruising Life

A Miami chef has filed a suit charging that a major real estate developer there ran her over with his 41-foot center console while she was swimming in Biscayne Bay, causing permanent damage to her left leg and foot. In a civil suit, Theresa May, the chef, says that Irwin Tauber, the CEO of Taubco, one of Florida’s leading developers of commercial property, ran her down in his 2020 Valhalla, powered by four 450-hp outboards (pictured above), while she was swimming near Bay Harbor Islands last April 28. The suit says a prop “cut all the way to the bone.”…

Jeanneau Launches New Leader 10.5 Series 2

By Peter Janssen on October 28, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Jeanneau is now displaying its all-new Leader 10.5 Series 2 family-friendly, very versatile cruiser at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The 36-foot boat is a new version of the Leader 10.5 that Jeanneau introduced five years ago. But the Series 2 has a hull designed by Michael Peters, the Sarasota designer who specializes in drawing slippery and efficient craft, and the entire hull is now vacuum-bagged and resin-infused to give it more strength and rigidity. Jeanneau launched its Leader series in North America in 2016, and the French boats became popular for their looks, their simplicity and their efficiency.…

Vicem Ready for Sea Trials on New 50 Classic

By Peter Janssen on October 27, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Vicem is getting ready for sea trials on its new 50 Classic, and it will launch two more by the end of the year and a fourth early next year. The 50 Classic, a larger version of the Turkish builder’s 46, has a fiberglass hull and superstructure and a high-quality wood interior. Over the years, Vicem has earned a reputation for building high-quality, Downeast-style, cold-molded wooden cruising yachts. But it turned to fiberglass for the 50 because of its faster construction time and easier maintenance. With its low profile, long sheer and hint of tumblehome aft, the 50 fits in…

Navigation 101: How To Establish Your LOP

By Peter Janssen on October 27, 2020 Cruising Life

Here’s some great basic navigation advice from Practical Sailor about keeping track of your Line of Position. Hint: It’s a good idea to look over your shoulder. Read on: When the two charted objects line up as viewed from your boat – say a church spire behind a tank – you have a range (also known as a transit). A range provides a flawless line of position (LOP). When planning a cruise, look ahead, behind, and to the sides of your track for pairs of charted objects that will line up as you proceed. Natural ranges help you stay on…

Top 10 Islands in the U.S.: Conde Nast Traveler

By Peter Janssen on October 26, 2020 Cruising Life, Destinations

A few weeks ago, we ran a story about the five best islands in the world (except for those in the United States), as chosen by 600,000 readers of Conde Nast Traveler. Now we have the results of the ten best in the U.S., as reported in the magazine’s 33rd annual survey. See if your favorites made the cut: Number 1: Hilton Head, South Carolina (pictured above). “Remaining in the top spot, Lowcountry’s loveliest island is a world away from mainland South Carolina on the other side of the bridge. This is the kind of getaway that satisfies all travelers…

Aquila Launches Redesigned 32 Sports Cat

By Peter Janssen on October 26, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Aquila just launched a redesign of its popular, outboard-powered 32 catamaran, with a new hardtop, upgraded seating and more space for living and cruising on board. The 32 has a cabin below in the port hull where two people can sleep comfortably; two more could sleep in the salon; a head is in the starboard hull. With a 12’ 8” beam, the Aquila 32 has room for a family or group of friends to enjoy a day on the water; indeed, it can hold 14 people. The foredeck is particularly inviting, with two comfortable lounges, with arm rests, affording privacy…

New 82-Foot “Trimonoran” Promises Best of All Hulls

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s something new: A “trimonoran.” Yes, trimonoran, a new hull shape that’s supposed to combine the best features of a trimaran with those of a monohull. So far, the trimonoran exists as an 82-foot foot concept yacht with a 32-foot beam designed by Baran Akalin, in Istanbul, working with the Dutch engineer G. Jelle Bilkert and the Dutch builder AnwigemA BV. They have tank tested the first foiling trimonoran, named Escalade, and say it offers 30 percent more space, and 30 percent more efficiency, than a monohull. The main hull is flanked by two thinner hulls beneath the waterline. They…

NTSB Faults Owner, Captain, in Dive Boat Tragedy

By Peter Janssen on October 21, 2020 Cruising Life

The National Transportation Safety Board sharply criticized the owners and captain of the 75-foot dive boat Conception that burned and sank off Southern California last year, killing 34 people, for not posting a night watch and for failing to train the crew in how to handle emergencies. In a virtual meeting of the five-member board, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt told Truth Aquatics, the Conception’s owner, to “clean up your act.” And board member Jennifer Homendy, who traveled to Santa Barbara after the fire and toured a sister ship of the Conception said, “I hate the term accident in this case…

Tula’s Endless Summer – Now on a Highfield RIB

By Peter Janssen on October 20, 2020 Cruising Life

You can’t say that Bill Swezey and Sierra Growth, the cruising couple behind the popular Tula’s Endless Summer You Tube videos and blog, aren’t adaptable. Indeed, a few years ago, they cruised up and down the East Coast and the Bahamas on a 34-foot Marine Trader trawler with their dog Jetty, living and working on board. Then they moved to a 40-foot Crowther Spindrift sailboat. Now, they have it for sale and they’ve ordered a new Seawind catamaran. While they’re waiting for it to be built in Australia, they’re driving to the best cruising spots from Florida to New York…

Browsing: Cruising Life