Cruising Life

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.…

Red Jeep Stuck in Water Becomes Social Media Star

By Peter Janssen on September 10, 2019 Cruising Life

A red 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee became a brief social media star when it got stuck in the water in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, during Hurricane Dorian. At first, its owner didn’t even know his car was there – until he saw it, with waves crashing into it – on TV. The problems started with Joe Farrar drove the Jeep to the beach at 6:30 in the morning to take a picture of sunrise just before Dorian hit the Low Country. He got stuck in the sand, and couldn’t get out. Farrar had borrowed the car two weeks before from…

Last Four Crew Rescued from Capsized Ship off Georgia

By Peter Janssen on September 10, 2019 Cruising Life

All four crew members trapped inside a capsized South Korean cargo ship in St. Simons Sound, Georgia, have now been rescued. The last man, who had been trapped behind a glass panel in the engineering control room, was rescued 40 hours after the ship turned over. The ship, the 656-feet-long Golden Ray, became disabled, listed and eventually fell on its side near Brunswick, Georgia, early Sunday morning, with 23 crewmen and a pilot on board. Helicopters were able to rescue 20 people on Sunday, but four more were missing. Rescuers started tapping on the hull, to see if they could…

Some Questions To Ask Before You Climb on That Boat

By Peter Janssen on September 9, 2019 Cruising Life

After the tragic fire on the dive boat Conception off Southern California that killed 34 people, here are some questions you might want to ask before you get on a new boat yourself, from The Los Angeles Times: By CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS STAFF WRITER The thing to remember is that when you step aboard a vessel, “you are leaving the safety of land,” said John Higgins, harbor master for the Ventura Port District and a 23-year Harbor Patrol veteran. “You are putting yourself in a vulnerable position. “You can’t dial 911 and somebody gets there in three to five minutes the way they do…

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