Cruising Life

Two Superyachts Destroyed in Fort Lauderdale Fire. See Video

By Peter Janssen on November 17, 2019 Cruising Life

A dramatic pre-dawn fire destroyed two superyachts at the Universal Marine Center in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday morning. More than 100 firefighters fought the fire, which sent flames and smoke soaring into the air, for four hours. No one was injured in the fire, but Reflections, a 107-foot, 1997 Christiansen (left, in the picture above), and Lohengrin, a 160-foot, 2006 Trinity, were destroyed. Fort Lauderdale Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan said the fire appeared to have started on Lohengrin and spread to Reflections, which was next to it. Witnesses said they heard explosions as the fire spread. Lohengrin was valued at…

NTSB Criticizes Coast Guard in Fatal Duck Boat Sinking

By Peter Janssen on November 15, 2019 Cruising Life

The National Transportation Safety Board has just criticized the Coast Guard for ignoring suggestions about improving the safety of duck boats for almost 20 years. The proposals possibly could have prevented the sinking of a duck boat, known as Stretch Duck 7, in a storm on July 23, 2018, on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, killing 17 people on board. The criticism came in a NTSB Safety Recommendation Report even while the federal agency is still investigating the sinking. The NTSB is urging the Coast Guard to require sufficient reserve buoyancy on duck boats (amphibious passenger vessels similar to…

41 Great Christmas Gifts for Your Favorite Cruising Boat Captain

By Peter Janssen on November 12, 2019 Cruising Life

Yes, I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but Christmas is coming in only six more weeks, which raises the question – what do give your favorite cruising boat captain or mate? There are always many opportunities here, no matter how large the boat is, or how experienced the owner is, or how much stuff (all totally necessary, of course) is already on the boat. In the next few weeks, we’ll have more great gift ideas, but here, for a start, is a list of 41, yes 41, Christmas presents from Yachting World, the British magazine. It has a few…

New Underwater Diving Drone Features a Robotic Arm

By Peter Janssen on November 11, 2019 Cruising Life

Here’s something new that could add another dimension to your next cruise or charter: an underwater diving drone with a robotic arm, so you can explore the ocean depths down to 492 feet. It’s called the Geneinno T1. Geneinno is a startup team that makes underwater drones and scooters. They say the Geneinno T1 is the world’s first diving drone equipped with a robotic arm. It dives deep and can explore the ocean floor. If you don’t want to go that far down, it has a precise hovering feature and a high-low angle shot that can be used for professional…

Army Corps Will Close Locks on Illinois Waterway Next Summer

By Peter Janssen on November 11, 2019 Cruising Life

Here’s some bad news for anyone planning for the Great Loop or cruising in the Midwest next summer. Many of the locks along the Illinois Waterway, running from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi, will be closed for repairs and no vessels will be allowed through. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the eight lock and dam sites along the Waterway, and it closed some of them for short periods of time earlier this year. It has announced the dates for major repairs in 2020 and again in 2023, and said that “during the scheduled closures, no vessels will be able…

23 Boats Nominated for European Boat of the Year Awards

By Peter Janssen on November 6, 2019 Cruising Life

Nominations for the European Powerboat of the Year 2020 Awards are in, and they include some names that are familiar to those of us in the U.S. The prestigious awards, which have been given since 2005, are in five categories. The winners, selected by writers and editors of leading European boating magazines, will be announced at a gala ceremony on the opening night of Boot Düsseldorf on January 18. Here are the categories and the nominees. You can see pictures of the boats and brief writeups by clicking on the link at the bottom of this story. Boats Up To…

New Mansion Yacht Sits on Hydraulic Legs, Holds 149 People

By Peter Janssen on November 5, 2019 Cruising Life

The new Mansion Yacht wasn’t the largest boat at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, but it was one that almost everybody was talking about. Part yacht, part houseboat, part New York condo, the Mansion cruises at 5 knots with a 440-hp Cummins diesel and then stays put, resting on four hydraulic 18-foot legs that anchor it to the seafloor and suspend it over the water. Then you can relax with your family and friends in five large staterooms, all with king-sized beds and ensuite designer heads, or you could call everyone on your contact list and invite them over;…

Where To Put the Toys? Buy Another Boat

By Peter Janssen on November 5, 2019 Cruising Life

Most cruising boat owners have a problem with space, particularly space for the dinghy or tender and all the water toys we want to take on board. Where to put them all? Larger boats have aft boat decks as extensions of a flying bridge with cranes, but the rest of us have to find room on the transom, the cabintop, the lazarette, wherever. Here’s a solution: A separate boat. Indeed, Incat Crowther, an Australian company, has developed Hodor, a “Shadow Cat,” as a 217-foot backup boat that carries all the boats and toys that don’t fit on the megayacht mothership.…

Coast Guard: 7 Tips To Keep Safe This Winter

By Peter Janssen on November 4, 2019 Cruising Life

Here are seven tips from the Coast Guard about how to stay safe on the water this winter: Posted by LT Katie Braynard Regardless of the region in which you live, the winter season brings added tips to help you stay safe on the water. With colder air and water temperatures, it’s crucial to be prepared for anything if you happen to be heading out on the water for any activity this winter – boating, kayaking, paddle boarding or even ice fishing and snowmobiling. If you plan to participate in any water activity this winter – know what will keep…

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