Cruising Life

New Norseman 48: A Traditional Trawler Layout with Teak and Twin Yanmars

By Peter Janssen on December 12, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Walking down a dock filled with trawlers and Downeast boats at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, something new (at least new to me) caught my eye. There, in an area filled with Sabres, Grand Banks, MJMs and Hinckleys, was a Norseman 48, a traditional-looking trawler with clean and classic lines that was almost beckoning me to step aboard. This Norseman, brought to the show by Schooner Yachts of Fort Lauderdale, is a twin-diesel, two-stateroom, two-head relatively fast trawler with a standard trawler layout and enough teak to keep a traditional trawler owner happy. Powered by two 440-hp Yanmars,…

Good News for Loopers, New York Cruisers: Erie Canal Will Not Charge for Tolls in Next Three Years

By Peter Janssen on December 12, 2018 Cruising Life

Here’s some good news if you’re thinking about cruising in the Northeast or taking on the Great Loop in the near future. The Erie Canal will not charge any tolls for the next three years. The New York State Canal Corp. just announced it will not charge recreational boats to use the Canal or its locks and lift bridges through 2021. The tolls were lifted in 2017 to mark the 200thanniversary of the start of construction on the canal; the no-charge policy was continued this year. As a result, the Canal Corp. said, boat traffic increased. Indeed, it said 71,529…

NW Explorations Adds a Flagship Nordhavn 60 to Its Charter Fleet

By Peter Janssen on December 11, 2018 Charter, Cruising Life

Northwest Explorations, the charter company in Bellingham, Washington, that specializes in running summer flotillas to Alaska, the San Juans and Desolation Sound, just added a 60-foot Nordhavn to its 18-boat fleet. Puffin Quest is the first Nordhavn and the largest boat in the Northwest fleet, which has more Grand Banks than any other brand. Puffin Quest, like all Nordhavns, is a true blue-water expedition boat (a Nordhavn 40 circled the globe in 2001 and 2002), and is powered by a single 330-hp John Deere diesel. It cruises at 8 knots and tops out at 10 knots. The boat also has an 80-hp…

NOAA: Arctic Just Had Second Hottest Year Ever; Temperatures Rising, Sea Ice Melting

By Peter Janssen on December 11, 2018 Cruising Life

The Arctic just had its second hottest year on record in 2017, falling behind the record set in 2016. This is the sobering conclusion of the annual scientific assessment of the Arctic from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The warming trend is inescapable; temperatures for the past five years have been higher than for all previous years, going back to 1900. At the same time, sea ice is melting at a faster rate than any time in the past 1,500 years, while the Arctic has continued to warm at twice the global average. In the past three decades, the…

New Problem with E15: Finding the Warning Labels at the Pump

By Peter Janssen on December 10, 2018 Cruising Life

It’s not news that E15 is a problem for marine gas engines. In fact, it voids many marine engine warranties, the federal government prohibits its use in recreational boat engines, and the Environmental Protection Agency prohibits it for sale in many states during the summer months because it contributes to smog. But now it turns out that finding an E15 warning label on a gas pump can be an even bigger problem. (Question: Can you see the E15 warning label on this pump near Cedar Lake, Indiana, in the photo above? It took us a while, too. For the answer,…

Coast Guard Rescues Three from Burning 60-foot Boat 30 Miles Off Miami Beach

By Peter Janssen on December 10, 2018 Cruising Life

The Coast Guard rescued three boaters recently after their 60-foot boat caught fire about 30 miles east of Miami Beach. Fortunately, a Coast Guard cutter was on patrol not far away, and it rescued all three, uninjured. The incident started about 3:20 on a clear afternoon, when the Coast Guard in Miami Beach received a VHF radio call from the owner of Family Time, a 60-foot yacht, saying that a fire had started in his engine room. The fire was spreading quickly, and the three men on board were going to abandon ship into a 23-foot tender. At it happened,…

New, Foiling Candela All-Electric Boat Tops Out at 30 Knots Plus

By Peter Janssen on December 10, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

A Swedish company, Candela, is building what it calls the first all-electric boat with the speed of a traditional gasoline-powered vessel. The Candela Seven, a foiling “e-boat” made of carbon fiber, has a top speed of more than 30 knots and a range of 50 nm at 20 knots, according to the company. The first boats will be delivered by next spring. The boat is powered by a 55 kW electric motor and a 44 kWh lithium ion battery. It can be recharged with a 230V/16A or 110V/34A household outlet. A full charge takes 12 hours. It runs on hydrofoils…

Docking Tip: How To Use a Breast Line

By Peter Janssen on December 10, 2018 Cruising Life

Docking. Yikes. Often the only worry a lot of us have when we leave a slip is the reality that we have to come back. And people are looking. You definitely want to look your best when you come in to a dock, and to be prepared for various situations. What should you do if you’re docking singlehanded, or if the wind is coming off the dock, pushing you away. A breast line is a fast solution. Here’s some great advice from Skipper Tips about how to use a breast line, with a very clear diagram. Just remember that a breast…

Boat-Loving Dentist Uses His Ranger Tugs 31 as a Floating Clinic, Treating Patients in Remote Parts of Alaska

By Peter Janssen on December 10, 2018 Cruising Life

Most people use their Ranger Tugs for cruising, maybe some fishing, probably a lot of time relaxing with family and friends. Dr. Victor Stime is different. A dentist, he uses his Ranger Tug 31, appropriately named Offshore Drilling, to treat people in isolated waterfront communities in Alaska every summer. A graduate of Seattle Pacific University, Dr. Stime worked as a dentist in a rural community near Spokane for 29 years. Then, two years ago, he suffered from a serious heart problem and had surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. According to this story in SPU’s magazine Response, that changed…

Helmsman Building New 46 Expedition Pilothouse, a Flagship Long-Range Trawler

By Peter Janssen on December 5, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Helmsman Trawlers is introducing a new 46 Pilothouse, the first in its Expedition series. The largest Helmsman to date, the new 46 Pilothouse, powered by a single 490-hp Cummins diesel, is designed as a sturdy, efficient and comfortable long-range trawler. In the past few years, Helmsman has staked out a position in the marketplace where it delivers more boat for the money, and the 46 Expedition Pilothouse means to keep that promise. It is a low-maintenance trawler with simple systems; with a 1,500 nm range at 7.5 knots it will carry you to any cruising grounds you want to visit,…

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