Cruising Life

Russian Hackers Shut Down Garmin Flying, Fitness Programs

By Peter Janssen on July 28, 2020 Cruising Life

You couldn’t make these names up, but it turns out that a Russian group called Evil Corp. and its subsidiary, WastedLocker, managed to shut down some Garmin flying and fitness programs last week. For a few days, pilots who use flyGarmin were not able to access up-to-date aviation databases, as required by the FAA, and thousands of runners and cyclists around the world were not able to access Garmin Connect. Earlier this week Garmin, the GPS giant, was able to get a decryption key to start to bring its services back on line. Some reports said that Garmin had been…

Boston Man Dies When His Jet Ski Hits Moored Sailboat

By Peter Janssen on July 27, 2020 Cruising Life

A 43-year-old Boston man was killed when his jet ski hit a moored sailboat in Boston Harbor on Sunday afternoon. Massachusetts State Police said they received a call about 4:20 p.m. that a man was in distress near Malibu Beach in the Dorchester area. He had been riding on a jet ski that ran into a sailboat on its mooring. The Boston Police Department harbor unit was able to reach the man, Curtis Raper, who was unresponsive in the water. They brought him to shore and administered CPR. He was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.…

BoatUS: What A Boat’s Name Can Tell You

By Peter Janssen on July 22, 2020 Cruising Life

SPRINGFIELD, Va., July 22, 2020 — While a boat’s name can be as varied as the owner at the helm, certain themes do stick out, according to Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). The national advocacy, services, and safety group has issued its annual list of Top 10 Boat Names, which it compiles from those using the services of BoatUS Boat Graphics to design and purchase boat name graphics. “It’s always a challenge to decide on a boat name because the options are endless,” said BoatUS Vice President of Public Affairs Scott Croft. “However, after 28 years of…

On Board His New Sunreef 80 with Rafael Nadal

By Peter Janssen on July 21, 2020 Cruising Life

Rafael Nadal is a tennis great, currently ranked number two singles player in the world. He’s also a lifelong boater. Nadal just took delivery of his new 80 foot Sunreef 80, Great White, and has been cruising near his home in Mallorca. Sunreef just released this photo shoot of Nadal on board: The bridge, below, has lots of seats for lounging, a bar, sundpads, and a pop-up TV. The aft deck has a full-beam entertaining and dining space, protected by the overhang from the flybridge above. The salon is surrounded by glazed windows; it has two oversized sofas and…

Iconic Theodore Tugboat Now for Sale in Halifax: $495,000

By Peter Janssen on July 20, 2020 Cruising Life

If you want to ride out the pandemic in style, or just entertain the children and grandchildren, take a look at Theodore Tugboat, a 65-feet-long fixture in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the past 20 years. Used for tours, parties and promotions, Theodore Tugboat is now for sale. Asking price: $495,000, Canadian. The wooden-hulled tug was built in Dayspring, Nova Scotia, in 2000, and it’s registered to carry 49 passengers. It spent a few years promoting Nova Scotia tourism by cruising through the Great Lakes and the east coast of Canada and the U.S., and then settled down in Halifax Harbor as…

Bahamas Shuts Down to U.S. Tourists; Boaters Still OK

By Peter Janssen on July 20, 2020 Cruising Life

The Bahamas just closed its borders to tourists from the United States in an effort to control an uptick in COVID-19 since it reopened them on July 1. Tourists from Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union are still welcome there, as are recreational boaters and private charters from the U.S. Dr. Hubert Minnis, the prime minister of the Bahamas, announced the new measures in a nationwide address on Sunday night. “Our current situation requires decisive action,” he said. Under his orders, all Bahamasair outgoing flights to the U.S. stopped immediately. As of midnight, Wednesday, July 22, international flights…

Canadians Worried About Influx of U.S. Boats

By Peter Janssen on July 19, 2020 Cruising Life

Some Canadians in British Columbia are worried about what they view as an illegal influx of boaters from the United States in their waters. The U.S.-Canada border has been closed since March to nonessential traffic because of the COVID-19 pandemic; the ban was just extended the fourth time to continue through August 20. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the U.S. Coast Guard have formed a joint operation called Shiprider to intercept U.S. vessels that are in Canadian waters illegally. And the Canada Border Services Agency warned Americans that crossing the border for recreation or tourism is prohibited. It said…

Best Boat Names of 2020 from Dockwa

By Peter Janssen on July 19, 2020 Cruising Life

Dockwa, the marina reservations service, just announced its annual list of best boat names. Hundreds of boaters entered the contest, Dockwa says, and the entries honored family traditions, favorite songs, family pets, and much more. Dockwa added five new categories this, making a total of 20. Take a look at a few of our favorites in various categories: A Boater’s Best Friend: Alpha Dog (Winner) Catnipped Salty Dog Current Events: Covid Therapy (Winner) Social Distance Final Escape Workaholics: Between Wakes (Winner. The owner is a funeral director) Operatunaty (The husband is a tuna fisherman; the wife, a professional opera singer.)…

Mayflower Heading for Plymouth, Mass., – Again

By Peter Janssen on July 19, 2020 Cruising Life

The Mayflower is heading for Plymouth, Massachusetts – again. A replica of one of the most historic ships of all time, the Mayflower just left Mystic, Connecticut, after a major restoration, and is sailing up the coast to Plymouth, where the original landed in 1620. The real Mayflower sailed from Plymouth, England, on Sept. 16, 1620, and made landfall in the New World 60 days later on what is now Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown. (It actually had been headed for Virginia, but got blown off course.) It carried a crew of about 30 and 102 Pilgrims. The ship probably had…

Nuclear Sub Almost Hits Car Ferry in UK

By Peter Janssen on July 17, 2020 Cruising Life

A Royal Navy nuclear submarine almost hit a car ferry with 282 people on board after the sub’s crew misjudged the ferry’s distance and speed, an official report said. Only “rapid and effective action” by the ferry’s crew reduced the “serious risk of collision,” the report said. The British Maritime Accident Investigation Board studied the near-miss on November, 6, 2018, in the North Channel between Northern Ireland and the southwest coast of Scotland. After the incident, the master of the ferry notified the Coast Guard and reported that the sub’s periscope passed down the starboard side of the ferry at…

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