Cruising Life

TowBoatUS Boat Capsizes, Captain Drowns in Frigid North Carolina Water

By Peter Janssen on January 23, 2018 Cruising Life

A 21-foot TowBoatUS boat capsized in the mouth of the Pungo River near Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, while it was towing a 47-foot recreational boat at 1:20 in the morning. After a search by the Coast Guard (pictured top) and as many as ten local boats, the body of the captain, James W. Cleary, Jr., 45, of Belhaven, was found two days later, only 50 feet from where his boat had capsized. Cleary left a wife, two daughters and a son. We don’t have any details about the tragedy, other than that Coast Guard watchstanders at Station Hobucken received a call…

Coast Guard Seizes 6,000 Pounds of Shrimp from Boat Fishing in Dry Tortugas Sanctuary

By Peter Janssen on January 23, 2018 Cruising Life

The Coast Guard and NOAA just seized 6,000 pounds of shrimp from a 68-foot commercial fishing boat near the Dry Tortugas Shrimp Sanctuary Preservation Area. They cited the boat, the Ronald E., for fishing inside a national marine sanctuary and for various safety violations. The Ronald E. had been seen fishing inside the sanctuary, which is about 70 miles from Key West. A Coast Guard and NOAA response team from the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans boarded the Ronald E. and found the shrimp, which the government says is worth about $60,000. Capt. Jeffery Janzsen, commander of Coast Guard Sector…

Meet Trimilia, One of the Real “Little Ships” that Were the Heroes of Dunkirk

By Peter Janssen on January 22, 2018 Cruising Life

The evacuation of surrounded British and French troops from the embattled beaches of Dunkirk by hundreds of little boats crossing the English Channel in the opening days of the Second World War has been dramatized lately in the movies Dunkirk and Darkest Hour. In fact, answering a call from Winston Churchill to save their countrymen, some 700 civilian “little ships” – from pleasure craft to a paddle schooner – rescued 338,226 men from Dunkirk over five days in 1940, amid dive bombing and staffing from the German Luftwaffe and artillery and rifle fire on shore. One of the first boats…

Four Brits Set Record, Rowing Across Atlantic in 29 Days, Fighting 40-foot Swells, Dreaming of Ice Cream

By Peter Janssen on January 22, 2018 Cruising Life

Four British friends, all amateur rowers, just broke the record for rowing across the Atlantic when they arrived in English Harbour, Antigua, just 29 days and 15 hours after they left the Canary Islands. They beat the previous record by six days, and fought 40-foot swells, hallucinations and food cravings along the way. Plus, chronic fatigue. Calling themselves The Oarsmen, the four raised the equivalent of $348,000 for two medical charities in Britain. They all lost weight and said they often rowed naked because their clothing would tend to rub and chafe. They rowed two hours on, and then two…

A Great New History of Seagoing Pets: Chickens Who Predicted Victory, Cats Who Won Medals

By Peter Janssen on January 22, 2018 Cruising Life

Pets and boats seem to go together. Actually, we’ve been cruising with pets, or some type of animal, for about 15,000 years, according to this great story from Atlas Obscura. That’s when Phoenicians carried cats on board to ward off rodents. And ancient Romans took chickens on their warships, believing that if the hens ate before a battle, they would be victorious. In 249 B.C. when the hen did not eat, an incensed Roman admiral threw the bird overboard; his entire fleet was almost wiped out. In more peaceful times, meaning today, people cruise with all types of pets. I…

New, Redesigned, More Upscale Helmsman Trawler 31 Introduced at Seattle Show

By Peter Janssen on January 22, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

An improved and more upscale version of the popular Camano 31, the new Helmsman Trawler 31 is being launched at the Seattle boat show, starting Jan. 26. The new Helmsman has the same hull, stability and performance as the old Camano, but now has a redesigned master stateroom and galley, a larger salon and an upgraded interior with more warmth and lots of teak. Overall, the new Helmsman 31 has a no-nonsense salty approach to cruising, offering lots of easy living space inside and outside the boat. With three large windows in front (the middle one opens), and large side…

Trent-Severn Waterway: A Unique and Unforgettable Cruising Experience Connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Huron

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

The Trent-Severn Waterway, the 240-mile-long picturesque passage that connects Lake Ontario to Lake Huron through largely pastoral farmland and little towns in southern Ontario, provides one of the most unique cruising experiences in the world. Indeed, many cruisers who complete the Great Loop say it is the highlight of their entire 5,000-plus-mile trip. The basic route for the Waterway was traveled by Samuel de Champlain in 1615; he saw it as a way to provide a trade and military advantage connecting the two big lakes. After much debate, work on the Waterway, which starts in the town of Trenton, on…

Navy Charges Two Destroyer Commanders in Fatal Collisions with Negligent Homicide

By Peter Janssen on January 17, 2018 Cruising Life

The U.S. Navy just charged the commanding officers of two guided missile destroyers that collided with merchant ships in the far Pacific last summer – resulting in the deaths of 17 sailors – with negligent homicide. Both officers and their seconds-in-command were relieved of their duties after the accidents. Now the commanding officers face courts-martial and military criminal charges. The commanding officer and three other officers on the USS Fitzgerald (pictured top), which collided with a container ship on June 17 off Japan resulting in seven deaths, face charges including dereliction of duty, hazarding a vessel, and negligent homicide. The commanding…

Fun New Ceclo from France: 5 Knots under Electric Power

By Peter Janssen on January 16, 2018 Cruising Life, Gear

If you’re thinking about a new water toy to put on your dock next to your cruising boat, take a look at the innovative (and relaxing) Ceclo from France. You won’t want to take this out in 10-foot seas, but for a quiet afternoon or evening around your harbor or lagoon, the Ceclo offers something new and fun. And you probably won’t see too many others like it. Made in France, the Ceclo is an electric-powered pedal boat, meaning you can pedal all day if you want, or if you want to take it easy, turn on the electric motor…

NOAA Saves Humpback Whale with 340 Feet of Line in Its Mouth

By Peter Janssen on January 16, 2018 Cruising Life

A NOAA response team rescued an adult humpback whale that had 340 feet of heavy line caught in its mouth off Maui, in the Hawaii Islands. After the line was cut away and the whale was free, a NOAA official said “the animal immediately breached several times.” The first report of a whale in trouble came from the captain of a fishing boat off Lahaina, Maui, who saw the whale trailing some heavy line. A NOAA team on a small RIB responded quickly, but they said the whale was “very active” at first. Using pole cameras and other gear, they…

Browsing: Cruising Life