Cruising Life

New York Times: 36 Hours in Camden and Rockport, Maine

By Peter Janssen on June 29, 2019 Cruising Life

36 Hours in Camden and Rockport, Maine (and Environs) On the central coast of Maine, visitors will find a beguiling nexus of arts, dining and outdoor activities. By Melissa Coleman If Maine’s much-debated slogan, “the way life should be,” were a place, the towns of Camden and Rockport and their surroundings might be it. On the Eastern Seaboard, where mountains meet ocean, the area has long attracted rusticators and “vacationlanders” who far outnumber residents in summer. These clapboard-and-brick towns sit two miles apart on schooner-spotted harbors next to rounded mountains and sparkling freshwater lakes. What more does a rural getaway…

Vicem Building New, Cold-Molded, Long-Range 67 Cruiser. Will Debut at FLIBS in October

By Peter Janssen on June 29, 2019 Cruising Life

Vicem Yachts is building its new 67 Cruiser, a long-range blue-water voyager, at its yard in Turkey. The cold-molded, three-stateroom, three-head boat is built for ocean cruising and will be unveiled at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show starting next October 30. The 67 is Vicem’s latest addition to its Cruising line, now stretching from 67 to 107 feet. These models are made for comfortable cruising or living aboard. Powered by twin 600-hp Volvos with straight shafts, the 67 is expected to have a top speed of 20 to 22 knots, and a cruising speed of 16 to 18 knots.…

Larry Graf Starts Aspen’s Newest Adventure: 1,120 Miles Down the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean

By Peter Janssen on June 29, 2019 Cruising Life

Larry Graf is at it again. The founder, chief designer and self-described “lead adventurer” of Aspen Power Catamarans is just starting his Aspen Arctic Adventure, cruising some 1,120 miles down the Mackenzie River in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories to the Arctic Ocean. First, he has to trailer his ride, a 34-foot Aspen L107, 1,171 miles from the Aspen factory in Burlington, Washington, to Hay River and the Mackenzie. The Mackenzie River is the longest river in Canada, and the second largest in North America, after the Mississippi. It flows through a region with few people but lots of forests and…

California Woman Killed by Three Sharks While Snorkeling with Her Family in the Bahamas

By Peter Janssen on June 27, 2019 Cruising Life

SKY NEWS Shark attack: Woman, 21, killed by three sharks while snorkelling in Bahamas Jordan Lindsay, from Torrance, California, was snorkelling with her family when she was attacked in the Bahamas. Thursday 27 June 2019 10:34, UK A “beautiful and gentle” 21-year-old woman has been killed by three sharks while on holiday in the Bahamas. Jordan Lindsay, from Torrance, California, was snorkelling with her family, including her parents, when she was attacked near Rose Island, northeast of Nassau. Relatives reportedly spotted the sharks and tried to warn her by yelling at her, but she did not hear them in time.…

Boothbay Harbor and Christmas Cove: Cruising Gems in Mid-Coast Maine

By Peter Janssen on June 25, 2019 Cruising Life

If you’re even thinking of cruising to Maine this summer, make sure to stop in Boothbay Harbor, about halfway between Portland and Camden, and then move on a bit to check out Christmas Cove, about two miles away and one of the most beautiful cruising destinations on the East Coast. I’ve made many trips to these spots over the years, most recently three summers ago on a new Back Cove 32, and I’ve never been disappointed. In fact, I’ve always wanted to stay put for several days or more. There’s so much to do in Boothbay Harbor, a major summer…

New Zeelander 72: A Modern, 40-Knot, Dutch Masterpiece

By Peter Janssen on June 25, 2019 Cruising Life

Running down Narragansett Bay off Newport at 39.8 knots on an early summer afternoon, the only sound I could hear at the helm of the new Zeelander 72 flagship was the action of the water. After a few minutes, I realized that this iconic-looking, Dutch-built, low-profile cruiser was one of the most solid and smoothest-riding boats I’ve ever been on. It also was quiet, my sound reader showing only 72 dB(A) at that speed. At 13 knots (and who wants to go only 13 knots on this boat?), the sound level was 62 dB(A), the level of normal conversation. These…

Seven Ways To Survive Fourth of July on the Water, from BoatUS

By Peter Janssen on June 24, 2019 Cruising Life

Recreational boating’s busiest time of the year requires extra precautions The July 4 holiday is the busiest time of the year for recreational boating. Are you ready? ANNAPOLIS, Md., June 24, 2019 – Each year about three out of four recreational boat owners say they plan to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday aboard the family boat. With nearly 12 million registered vessels in the U.S., that could spell mayhem at launch ramps, marinas and popular anchorages, requiring extra skill, patience and courtesy. The nation’s advocate for recreational boaters, Boat Owners Association of The United States, (BoatUS) says the congestion…

Scientists Film Rare Giant Squid Swimming in Gulf of Mexico; First Sighting in Seven Years

By Peter Janssen on June 24, 2019 Cruising Life

A team of scientists funded by NOAA just recorded a video of a giant squid, the largest and rarely seen invertebrate on Earth, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. It was the first giant squid sighting anywhere in the world in seven years. The deep-sea dwelling giant squid has been the subject of seamen’s lore and literature for centuries. The largest giant squid ever measured was 59 feet long and weighed about a ton. This one was probably a juvenile and only about 10 feet long. It was attracted to the video camera by a ring of LED lights at…

Dirona, a Nordhavn 52, Is One of the First American Boats To Cruise the Saimaa Canal in Russia and Finland

By Peter Janssen on June 22, 2019 Cruising Life

Very few Americans make it to the Saimaa Canal, a 26-mile body of water starting near Vyborg, Russia, and ending in Finland’s lake country, with a series of 120 interconnected lakes and canals. Indeed, one local told James and Jennifer Hamilton on Dirona, their Nordhavn 52, that it was the first American boat there in the past 48 years. The Hamiltons, from Seattle, have been cruising since 2012 and already have one circumnavigation on Dirona under their belts. They plan to cruise in the Scandinavian countries this summer. Here is their log of cruising the Saimaa Canal: The Saimaa Canal, connecting Lake…

“The Maritime Rescue Doctrine” and Other Things to Remember from the Coast Guard

By Peter Janssen on June 22, 2019 Cruising Life

Coast Guard Reminds Mariners of Boating Etiquette Jun 18th, 2019 · 0 Comment A crew member of the 52-foot Motor Life Boat Intrepid heaves a life-ring in Yaquina Bay, Ore U.S. Coast Guard file photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Trevor Lilburn. As the summer heats up and boaters take to the water, the Coast Guard is responding to an increased number of preventable incidents and Good Samaritans are lending a hand. “Most drowning and near-drowning incidents are preventable, if people used proper precautions,” said Capt. Olav Saboe, commander of Coast Guard Sector North Bend. “To reduce the risk of…

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