Cruising Life

Hatteras 63 Sportfish Crosses Atlantic on Its Own Bottom: A First

By Peter Janssen on September 18, 2018 Cruising Life

A 63-foot Hatteras sportfishing boat just crossed the Atlantic on its own bottom, and the company says it may be the first production boat to make such a journey. Indeed, the Hatteras GT63 Post One cruised 1,985 nm from Bermuda to the Azores in nine days; it refueled three times from its mothership, a 148-foot Cheoy Lee named Dorothea III. All told, crews on both boats transferred about 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel from the Cheoy Lee to the Hatteras, which had been fitted with a special fuel fill. The Hatteras, powered by twin CAT V-12 C32 diesels, cruised at 10.5…

New Bracewell 41 Trawler Makes East Coast Debut in Annapolis; Based on Hull from Camano 41

By Peter Janssen on September 17, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Bracewell 41 trawler, built from the tooling for the popular Camano 41, will make its east coast debut at the Annapolis powerboat show, starting Oct. 11. The Bracewell has already been shown in Seattle. The new two-stateroom Bracewell uses Camano’s seaworthy hull and keel design, with its low center of gravity, and it include lots of upgrades for more comfort and aesthetics. Powered by a standard 435-hp Volvo diesel or a 480-hp Cummins, the Bracewell cruises efficiently in the 8- to 16-knot range. The boat has a pronounced bow flare to knock down spray. The side decks are…

Attention Snowbirds: Plan a Stop in Historic Hampton, Virginia, on Your Way Down the ICW

By Peter Janssen on September 17, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re thinking of joining the snowbirds heading south this fall (or returning north in the spring), you also are probably thinking about stopping in the Norfolk/Hampton area along the way. After all, Norfolk is Mile Zero of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway so unless you’re cruising offshore, you’ll be there. Norfolk, of course, is the Navy’s largest base in the world, and it’s busy with military and commercial traffic. Hampton, next door, shares its rich history and offers more marinas and facilities for cruising boat owners. If you just want to start down the Waterway itself, go south 12 miles…

Tennessee Couple Complete Great Loop on Carver 43, Feeling More Alive Than Ever

By Peter Janssen on September 17, 2018 Cruising Life

More and more people are cruising the Great Loop after they retire. They’re looking for an adventure, the chance to do something new, to see new places, to meet new friends. The 6,000 mile circumnavigation of the eastern half of the United States, plus side trips to the Bahamas or up the east coast to Maine, add to the allure. The Loop is a dream, but it’s not an out-of-reach dream. It’s achievable. Here’s a fun story from The Tennessean about Ron and Karen Atkisson, from Brentwood, Tennessee, south of Nashville. They ran a chain of automobile repair shops for 30…

Shark Kills Man Boogie-Boarding on Cape Cod. Plus: How To Survive a Shark Attack

By Peter Janssen on September 16, 2018 Cruising Life

Arthur Medici, 26, loved to surf and ride his boogie board on the waves off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Born in Brazil, Medici had come to the United States two years ago to go to college. He lived in Revere, just north of Boston, and was riding his boogie board off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet on the Cape, having fun with his girlfriend’s brother about noon on Saturday. A great white shark hit him. People on the beach heard him scream “shark”; they saw him kicking at the water; they saw the shark’s fin. The friend dragged Medici to the…

Palm Beach GT50 and Back Cove 34O Big Winners at Newport Show

By Peter Janssen on September 14, 2018 Cruising Life

The beautiful, fast and light Palm Beach GT50 and the new twin outboard-powered Back Cove 34O were just named best new powerboats at the Newport International Boat Show. The Palm Beach GT50 was named Best New Powerboat at the show, as well as Best New Powerboat Over 35 feet. The Back Cove 34O was named Best New Powerboat Under 35 feet as well as winner of the show’s annual People’s Choice Award. More than 400 powerboats are on display at the four-day show. A panel of five judges visited more than a dozen new powerboats to determine the awards on…

New BOTE Inflatable SUP Comes with 6-hp Outboard, Fits in a Bag

By Peter Janssen on September 12, 2018 Cruising Life, Gear

The wave of stand-up paddle boards has swept through recreational boating all across the United States in the past few years. SUPs are everywhere; they’re so popular that a lot of cruising boats now come with cabintop racks to hold them. But just when you thought you’ve seen all there is to see in SUPs, BOTE has come up with something new: an inflatable SUP with a 6-hp Mercury outboard. You no longer have to do all the paddling yourself. Instead, turn on the Merc and you can go up to 100 miles at speeds up to 18 mph. BOTE’s…

Jeanneau Launches New 35-Foot Cruising Boat With Twin 300-hp Yamahas

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Jeanneau has just launched its new 35-foot outboard-powered NC 1095 cruising boat, the flagship of its NC (New Concept) fleet. The new 38-knot cruiser will make its U.S. debut at the Annapolis powerboat show, starting Oct. 11. The new cruiser from the prestigious French builder is powered by twin 300-hp Yamaha F300 four-stroke outboards. It cruises at about 25 knots, and is remarkably fuel efficient, burning about 1 nmpg at that speed. It is available in a two- or three-stateroom arrangement, with additional sleeping space for two in the convertible dinette area in the salon. The cockpit and salon are…

The Best – and Worst – Ways To Prepare Your Boat for a Hurricane, from BoatU.S.

By Peter Janssen on September 10, 2018 Cruising Life

Now that hurricane season is heating up, you need to make double-sure that your boat is prepared for the worst. As the old saying goes – prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Here is some great advice from BoatU.S. about how to help your boat survive a hurricane, drawing on lessons learned from hurricanes dating back to 1983. Since then, BoatU.S. Marine Insurance has been collecting evidence of what worked – and what didn’t – when owners thought they were making their boats safe. You already know to take off your Bimini and anything else that can blow…

European Waterways Starts New “Girls’ Getaway” Charters on Luxury Canal Barges

By Peter Janssen on September 10, 2018 Charter, Cruising Life

Here’s a new idea from European Waterways, the company that runs 17 hotel barges in nine countries, from the Scottish Highlands to the Midi in the South of France: “Girls’ Getaway” charters, aimed at the growing market of women traveling on their own or who want to create their own charters with families and friends. The Girls’ Getaways can be very flexible and organized around such themes as culinary excursions, wine appreciation, wellness or simply walking along scenic towpaths. “Today’s women travelers are more confident and independent than ever before,” says Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways. “The social…

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