Cruising Life

New Crewsaver Life Jacket Has a Double-Halo Hood To Keep Water Out of the Mouth and Nose

By Peter Janssen on November 13, 2018 Cruising Life, Gear

Crewsaver, the British company, just introduced a revolutionary new life jacket with a halo-like hood that’s designed to keep water from entering a man overboard’s mouth or nose. The new spray hood also retains heat and enhances the man overboard’s visibility, making it easier to accomplish a safe recovery. The new jacket, called the Ergo-Fit+, was just introduced at the big METSTRADE show in Amsterdam. Crewsaver called it the next level in man overboard protection. It will be available in the worldwide market in March. The hood was inspired by developments the aviation industry. “We work closely with organizations across…

Missing for a Year, a Floating Dry Dock Turns Up in the Bahamas

By Peter Janssen on November 13, 2018 Cruising Life

If you think that there’s a lot of stuff floating around out there that you don’t want to hit, you’re right. Partially submerged containers that have fallen off container ships, debris, lines in the water, they’re all out there. But how about a floating dry dock? Here’s a great story from gCaptain about a section of a dry dock that’s been missing for more than a year that was just spotted floating in the Exumas: The saga of the unlit section of dry dock that has been floating around the Atlantic Ocean for more than a year now may finally be…

35 Facts You (Probably) Didn’t Know About The Titanic

By Peter Janssen on November 12, 2018 Cruising Life

By this time, we probably think we know most of what there is to know about RMS Titanic, at least all the relevant details. But here’s an interesting story from The Standard News with 35 facts about the sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage when it hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic on April 14, 1912; you probably already know some of them, but I think many will surprise you. The largest ship at the time, the Titanic was carrying 2,224 people at the time; only 710 survived. The Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable, but it sank in less than three…

New German Frers-Designed Sirena 58 Makes U.S. Debut: A 25-Knot Comfortable Cruiser

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

Sirena just introduced its first 58 designed for the U.S. market at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, a German Frers-designed semi-displacement cruiser built for performance and easy living. The interior, by Tommaso Spadolini, is filled with natural light from large windows; the main deck is on one level to make moving around easy. Explaining the appeal of the Turkish-built yacht, Constantinos Constantinou, the head of Sirena’s North American operations, said, “We’ve seen that the priorities of U.S. yacht owners have changed in recent years. Build quality is considered a given, but yacht owners are now putting much more…

Cox Introduces New 300-hp Diesel Outboard with More Torque, Greater Range

By Peter Janssen on November 12, 2018 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Cox Powertrain, the British engine company, just introduced its new 300-hp diesel outboard at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, calling it “the highest power-density diesel outboard engine ever developed.” Cox says the diesel outboard offers more torque, 25 percent more range, and three times the lifespan than gas outboards with comparable horsepower. The new diesel builds on the continually growing popularity of outboard power, even for large cruising boats. Indeed, the new MJM 53Z, scheduled for next summer, will be powered by four 350-hp Mercury Verado gas outboards, with a predicted top speed of 50 mph. The demand for…

Colgate’s Offshore School Adds Fountaine-Pajot 37 Power Cat to Cape Coral Fleet

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

Now you can charter a spacious Fountaine Pajot MY 37 power catamaran at the Offshore Sailing and Power Cruising School in Cape Coral, Florida. The school also offers a new six-day US Powerboating certification course, starting Nov. 19. The well-found, French-built Fountaine Pajot 37 power cat will be part of the Offshore fleet at its base at the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village and Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral. Steve Colgate, the Offshore founder and chairman, said, “Due to the increased requests of our students for power catamaran training so they can charter on their own, we…

Federal Grand Jury Indicts Duck Boat Captain on 17 Counts of Seaman’s Manslaughter

By Peter Janssen on November 11, 2018 Cruising Life

A federal grand jury has indicted the captain of the tourist duck boat that sank last July during a storm off Branson, Missouri, on 17 counts of seaman’s manslaughter, one for each person who died when the boat sank. The indictment charged Kenneth Scott McKee, 51, the captain, with misconduct, negligence and inattention to duty. “The captain of the vessel always has a duty to operate his vessel in a safe manner and that’s why Mr. McKee is under indictment,” said Timothy Garrison, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. The indictment said that McKee failed to assess…

The Ultimate Ten-Day BVI Charter Itinerary from The Moorings

By Peter Janssen on November 7, 2018 Charter, Cruising Life

The British Virgin Islands are among the world’s best cruising grounds, and have been for generations. They were hit hard by the hurricanes last fall, which decimated some charter fleets, but they have bounced back. Here’s a fun story from The Moorings, the worldwide charter giant, about the ultimate ten-day charter vacation there. Here’s how it starts: “There’s just something about the BVI. We can’t seem to get enough, and neither can our guests. So even if you’ve island-hopped your way through this Caribbean cruising playground once, twice, or ten times before, follow along with our very own Laura Brafford,…

Yacht Controller and Garmin Join Forces. Yacht Controller Remote Now Appears on Garmin MFD Screens

By Peter Janssen on November 7, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

Here’s another step to make your boating and cruising life easier. Garmin and Yacht Controller have joined forces to integrate the wireless Yacht Controller remote with compatible Garmin MFD displays. This means you can use the display to access the remote’s control panel while you’re docking or maneuvering your boat, without having to set up a dedicated Yacht Controller screen. Garmin and Yacht Controller announced the new partnership at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show at a media briefing with Jerry Berton, president of Yacht Controller, and Michael Range, Garmin’s Florida sales manager. Berton said that Yacht Controller is already…

New Horizon 65 Power Cat: A Blend of Luxury, Space and Performance

By Peter Janssen on November 7, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

I thought I’d take a quick tour of the new Horizon 65 Power Catamaran during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, where it was just launched. Then I realized there’s no such thing as a quick tour of this boat. It’s huge. It’s luxurious. It has beautiful woodwork – as in the curved railing on the stairs from the salon to the skylounge; it’s like a work of art. You don’t just glance at it and look away. You want to get up close and personal. I forgot about the quick tour and settled in to enjoy this new cat,…

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