Cruising Life

Scientists May Have Found New Type D Species of Killer Whales Off Southern Chile

By Peter Janssen on March 18, 2019 Cruising Life

An international team of whale experts thinks they may have found a new species of killer whales off the forbidding southern tip of Chile. They took some skin samples from the animals, which they called Type D killer whales, and are now studying their DNA to determine if they are indeed something new. “Type D killer whales could be the largest undescribed animal left on the planet and a clear indication of how little we know about life on our oceans,” said Bob Pitman, a NOAA researcher from La Jolla, California, and a leader of the team. The Type D…

ACR Introduces New ResQLink Personal Locator Beacons with Global Reach

By Peter Janssen on March 17, 2019 Cruising Life

ACR Electronics has just launched new ResQLink personal locator beacons that are small, lightweight and pack more punch to help you in case of an emergency. The new PLBs have a digital display option, and they incorporate first-hand feedback from survivors who have had to activate their PLBs in real life. The new ResQLink PLBs are small enough that you can carry them in a pocket or attach them to a life jacket. They have built-in buoyancy and an operating life of more than 24 hours. They also have global coverage, operating on three satellite systems so their signals can…

Recovered from Irma, St. Barts, an Island Gem, Has Regained Its Luster

By Peter Janssen on March 17, 2019 Cruising Life

With a combination of French and Swedish history, St. Barts is one of the most alluring islands in the Caribbean. Its harbor, in the main city of Gustavus, has more than a touch of Caribbean-style cosmopolitan charm, while the pristine white-sand beaches and occasional anchorages around the island make it a worldwide cruising or vacation destination. The New York Times just ran one of its popular “36 Hours” stories about St. Barts, giving a sample itinerary of what to do and where to go if were able to get there for that period of time. For anyone cruising or chartering there,…

Maritimo Set To Launch Innovative New X50, with Beach Club or Third Cabin Aft

By Peter Janssen on March 13, 2019 Cruising Life

Building on the success of its creative X60 that was launched last year, Maritimo, the highly regarded Australian builder, is launching a new X50 at the Sanctuary Cove boat show south of Brisbane next month. With its low profile, race-bred hull and innovative “beach club’” aft cabin, the Maritimo X60 set sales records for the company after its introduction last year in Australia and was equally well received in the U.S., starting with the Annapolis powerboat show in October. The new X50 is a two-cabin, two-head boat, with a highly customizable third cabin or beach club lounge area aft, accessible…

Le Boat Turns 50, Opens New Base, with More Boats, on Canada’s Historic Rideau Canal

By Peter Janssen on March 13, 2019 Cruising Life

Le Boat, the French company with the world’ largest fleet of river and canal charter boats, is celebrating its 50 anniversary this year, and it just opened its second base on the historic Rideau Canal in Ontario, Canada. It also is expanding its fleet there. When it started in 1969, Le Boat had eight boats on the gorgeous Canal du Midi in France. The concept of chartering a canal boat that you could drive yourself proved popular almost immediately, and the company has grown exponentially. Today, Le Boat has 940 boats in eight countries around the world. Last spring, Le…

New Towable NautBoard Water Toy: Swim Like a Dolphin

By Peter Janssen on March 12, 2019 Cruising Life

The new towable NautBoard water toy just looks like fun. It’s easy to use – you basically just hang on – and then a boat or jet ski tows you through, or under, the water, at speeds from 2 to 5 knots. The company says that NautBoard’s patented design lets you swim like a dolphin – and we all know how much fun they are. The board is shaped something like a bird in flight. Its wave-like design limits the gravitational pull on your body so you can swim behind it easily. And anyone can use it. The NautBoard is…

Dramatic Pictures of Coast Guard Surf Training Off San Francisco

By Peter Janssen on March 11, 2019 Cruising Life

If you think you’ve been in some bad surf, take a look at these pictures. They show two 47-foot Coast Guard lifeboats practicing surf training off Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Taken by Dave Rogers, who usually shoots wildlife, they capture the raw power of the surf and the intensity of the Coast Guard training in absolutely memorable images. Rogers told USA Today that he was driving by the beach when he saw other photographers gathered on the dunes, taking pictures of the surf. He stopped, and started shooting himself. What he saw was memorable, as the boats climbed over…

Wilbur Introduces New 37 Weekender with Twin Outboards and a 48-Knot Top End

By Peter Janssen on March 11, 2019 Cruising Life

Here’s a big change for Wilbur Yachts, the traditional builder of Down East boats in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Lee Wilbur started the company in 1973 and built more than 200 classic lobster boats there over the years, working with such iconic boating names as Jarvis Newman, Ralph Stanley, Ralph Ellis and Raymond Bunker, among others. In 2001, Wilbur sold the company to his daughter, Heidi, and her husband, John Kachmar, who’ve been running it ever since. Now Kachmar has come up with an entirely new look for Wilbur – a Wilbur 37 Weekender. Powered by twin 425-hp Yamaha outboards, the…

Whale Starts To Swallow Diver Off South Africa, Then Spits Him Out, Uninjured

By Peter Janssen on March 11, 2019 Cruising Life

Rainer Schimpf, 51, is a lucky man. After all, he was almost eaten up by a 50-foot whale while he was diving in the Indian Ocean off South Africa, with his head and torso inside the whale’s mouth. Fortunately, after a few seconds, the whale spat him out, and Schimpf swam back to his dive boat, unharmed. (See the video, below.) Schimpf is the director of Dive Experts Tours, and he was leading a group about 25 nm off Elizabeth Harbour, just east of Cape Town. The group was filming a sardine run that usually attracts seals, dolphins, sharks, penguins…

Navy Cracks Down on Boaters Anchored in Restricted Waters Off Key West

By Peter Janssen on March 11, 2019 Cruising Life

If you’re going to Key West, make sure you check your chart before you drop anchor. The Navy just cracked down on boats anchored in restricted waters there, issuing citation to 37 vessels, including some that were being used as vacation rentals. The problem was that the boats were anchored in restricted areas around the Naval Air Station in Key West. The Navy wanted to clear them out of potentially dangerous areas near bunkers on Fleming Key that store explosive materials. Fleming Key is connected to Key West by a short bridge and is just across Garrison Bight from the…

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