Cruising Life

Whale Watching Aboard Idyll Time in Alaska

By Peter Janssen on October 13, 2020 Cruising Life

It’s the end of the season for Jeff and Susie Parker on Idyll Time, their Kadey-Krogen 48 North Sea Trawler, up in Petersburg, Alaska. They just posted their last wildlife pictures, of whales this time, that they took earlier this month in Frederick Sound for their blog idylltime.com. The Parkers, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, certainly qualify as veteran cruisers. After they bought Idyll Time new in 2006, they cruised up and down the East Coast, completed the Great Loop, and did the ICW so many times that they said they were getting bored. So two years ago they shipped the boat to…

Passengers Fall Off Boat During Photo Shoot. See Video

By Peter Janssen on October 13, 2020 Cruising Life

Here’s a weird story from Petapixel.com. This past weekend, all three occupants of a speedboat in Martin County, Florida, somehow fell overboard while “doing a photo shoot,” sending the unmanned boat careening towards the shore at full speed, where it hit a dock and went airborne. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office posted an aerial video of the incident on Facebook two days ago under the ALL CAPS headline: “Unmanned Out of Control Boat Goes Airborne After Smashing Into Concrete Dock, Ending Dangerous Ordeal.” In a description accompanying the video, the sheriff’s office says that all three people aboard were “doing…

U.S. Maritime Administration Warns of GPS Signal Loss

By Peter Janssen on October 12, 2020 Cruising Life, Electronics

Here’s another warning about possible GPS signal problems from the U.S. Maritime Administration, part of the Department of Transportation. It said it has received reports recently of lost or inaccurate GPS signals in various parts of the world. To be safe in areas where GPS is potentially unreliable, mariners are urged to use redundant nav systems. The Maritime Administration just issued its warning, called “Various GPS Interference.” It says, “Multiple instances of significant GPS interference have been reported worldwide in the maritime domain. This interference is resulting in lost or inaccurate GPS signals affecting bridge navigation, GPS-based timing, and communications…

Meet Nukumi, the “Grandmother of Sharks.” See Video

By Peter Janssen on October 12, 2020 Cruising Life

Scientists from OCEARCH just tagged a 50-year-old female great white shark off Nova Scotia that was so big they called her the Queen of the Ocean and the Grandmother of Sharks. Indeed, the shark was 17’ 2” long and weighed 3,541 pounds. You can see her in the video below. The OCEARCH researchers had tremendous respect for the shark, and officially named her Nukumi (noo-goo-mee), representing a wise old grandmother figure in the culture of the indigenous people of Nova Scotia. She was the largest of eight great whites that the OCEARCH expedition tagged there in the past month. Chris…

Top 5 Islands in the World: Conde Nast Traveler

By Peter Janssen on October 12, 2020 Cruising Life, Destinations

Conde Nast Traveler just announced the winners of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards for the best islands in the world (not counting the United States; that’s another story). This is the 33rd annual survey, and more than 600,000 readers voted. They chose the five best islands in seven regions of the world. Here are the winners: Caribbean and the Atlantic Winner: St. Barts. “While any mention of St. Barts tends to conjure up images of Rolexes and caviar, the tony territory has enough natural beauty and scenic views to give any five-star hotel a run for its money.” Also, #2. St. Vincent…

Fast New Yanmar X47 Makes a Debut in Genoa

By Peter Janssen on October 7, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Yanmar just displayed its new X47 Express Cruiser, the official VIP Cruiser of the 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, at the big Genoa boat show. Yanmar designer Ken Okuyama worked with Azimut to install three 370-hp sterndrives in the new yacht. After Genoa, the next stop for the Yanmar X47, the company’s flagship, will be the America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, starting March 6. It will offer VIPs a fast ride to the course and then a luxurious viewing platform to enjoy the races. Power for the X47 comes from three Yanmar 8LV turbo diesels with XT370 sterndrives,…

Metal Shark Launches 148-Foot, 11,000-nm Range Cat

By Peter Janssen on October 7, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Metal Shark Boats just launched a unique 148-foot aluminum catamaran, an expedition yacht that has enough range to cross the Atlantic four times without refueling. It is the Louisiana yard’s first superyacht, and the first in a series of future long-range recreational cats. The new yacht is named Magnet, and Metal Shark, which makes commercial and military vessels, turned to Incat Crowther, a design firm with headquarters in Sydney, for help. Incat Crowther specializes in designing large commercial catamarans. Powered by twin 2,600-hp MTU diesels, Magnet has a top speed of 27 knots. At its most efficient cruising speed of…

Limestone Boats Coming Back – With New Outboard Models

By Peter Janssen on October 7, 2020 Cruising Life

Limestone Boats, a favorite in New England and the Great Lakes for generations, is coming back. It has new ownership, a new factory, and new models (all outboards), but it still has the help of Mark Ellis, its iconic designer. Ellis designed the first Limestone, a 24, about 35 years ago. It was made in Ontario, Canada, as were all subsequent models. But the company has been bought by a group under Scott Hanson, the former head of Rossiter Boats, which acquired the molds and the manufacturing and branding right from Ellis. The new company, The Limestone Boat Company, has…

Coast Guard Tests Unmanned Surface Vessels off Hawaii

By Peter Janssen on October 6, 2020 Cruising Life

The Coast Guard just began testing unmanned surface vessels off Hawaii, trying to learn if they can be used in remote parts of the Pacific to detect illegal fishing or other problems. The tests are run by the Coast Guard Research and Development Center, working with local Coast Guard units. They involve the Coast Guard’s own autonomous research vessel made by Metal Shark (at the left in the picture above), and autonomous vessel systems from SailDrone (at the right) and Spatial Integration Systems. The tests are off the south shore of Oahu, and run through Nov. 5. The tests will…

Outer Reef 580 Motoryacht Ariel at Holbrook Island Sanctuary near Castine, Maine. Photo by Miles Cherkasky

Cruising in Maine on an Outer Reef Yacht

By Peter Janssen on October 5, 2020 Cruising Life, Destinations

Owners of Outer Reef Yachts are an adventuresome sort; they also know how to take some terrific pictures. Here’s a story, from Outer Reef, about what you can expect from a cruise to Maine. If your summer cruising itinerary includes a visit to Maine, you’ll discover the true beating heart of this culturally fascinating, beautiful state. As the most northeastern state of the U.S., Maine is known for its dramatic, rocky coastline. Dubbed “The Pine Tree State,” the forests that cover much of the 400 km of coastline make for an impressive cruise. The dramatic landscape has been preserved in…

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