Cruising Life

Williams Starts Shipping New 14-foot Sportjet 435 Tender

By Peter Janssen on April 25, 2018 Cruising Life

Williams is now shipping the new 14-foot Sportjet 435 Tender that it announced at the London show this winter. Seating up to seven people, the new 435 offers speed, performance and comfort in a larger package. The company says it is appropriate as a tender for boats of 65 feet or more, while it also can serve independently as a sport boat that’s fun for exploring coves and harbors, wakeboarding, waterskiing and other water sports. The Sportjet 435 is sociable boat. The helm is centered, so it’s easy for passengers to find comfortable seating fore and aft. The boat is…

Zeelander Owners Cruise Down Rhine, Help Plan New 55-foot Corniche

By Peter Janssen on April 24, 2018 Cruising Life

Zeelander, the Dutch builder of gorgeous commuter-style boats, just had an owners’ rendezvous down the Rhine River in Germany, which served to showcase their popular 44-foot model and also to introduce owners to the idea of a new 55-foot cabriolet-style Corniche flagship (see rendering above). At stops along the way, Zeelander asked owners for their input on the design, interior and materials for the new Corniche, which they will release at the end of May. “We have always listened to owners’ feedback,” says Leonardo van den Berg, commercial director of Zeelander Yachts, “but we have never involved them in a…

New, Fast, Heavy-Duty Lobster Boat Launched in Western Australia

By Peter Janssen on April 24, 2018 Cruising Life

They call this a lobster boat in Australia, but it doesn’t bring to mind the typical Down East version of a traditional lobster boat – a Calvin Beal, for example, or a Lowell Brothers, a Wilbur. A Jarvis Newman? Don’t think so. The new 85-foot Holdfast from Dongara Marina in Western Australia is billed as the largest high-speed lobster boat in Oz, and at a cruising speed of 18.5 knots and a top speed of 23.5 knots that may well be true. What seems beyond doubt is that it’s big and it’s designed to catch a lot of lobsters and get…

For a Real Charter Vacation, Try a Luxurious Crewed Cat from MarineMax in the BVI

By Peter Janssen on April 23, 2018 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

What could be better than a charter vacation in the British Virgin Islands, with some of the most beautiful, and boater-friendly, cruising grounds in the world? Well, how about a crewed charter vacation in the BVI, where someone else does the driving, the planning, the cooking and the cleaning up? Sounds good? Take a look at the MarineMax Vacations crewed charters now located at Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina, next to Tortola. They’ll move to their new permanent location at Nanny Cay in the fall, once construction is finished there. The rebuilt Nanny Cay, on the south side of…

Tragic Mystery at Sea: What Caused the Destination, a 110-foot-long Fishing Boat, To Sink Suddenly Off Alaska, Killing all Six on Board

By Peter Janssen on April 23, 2018 Cruising Life

What happened to the Destination, the 110-foot-long fishing boat that sank without so much as a Mayday in the Bering Sea on Feb. 11, 2017, killing all six men on board? The captain and crew were all veteran crab fishermen, many with decades of experience in the frigid waters off Alaska, some of the most unforgiving fishing grounds on the planet. But they all suddenly disappeared in 32-degree water; none were ever found. The only indication of any problem was the boat’s EPIRB transmission that the Coast Guard heard about 6:30 in the morning. The Coast Guard then tried to…

Five Great Tips for Guests on Board. Number One: Don’t Contradict the Captain

By Peter Janssen on April 23, 2018 Cruising Life

We’ve all seen the lists of things to tell potential guests before they come on board, for an afternoon or for a week. The obvious things: soft-soled shoes, soft-sided luggage, lots of sunblock, and perhaps a good bottle of wine or rum to help everyone enjoy the evening. But it’s the less obvious things that are interesting. I once sailed back from Bermuda on a beautiful Tartan 41 and my friend, the owner, told me before we left that he had just one request: That no one come on board with a toothpaste tube with a removable cap; the cap…

Harried and Heroic Houston Harbor Pilots: Moving 20,000 Ships a Year Through Congested and Narrow Channel. See Video

By Peter Janssen on April 23, 2018 Cruising Life

In case you’re thinking about changing careers, or if you’re simply interested in all things nautical, take a look at this great video about the life of Houston Harbor Pilots and how they manage to navigate enormous vessels through one of the busiest, and narrowest, shipping channels in the U.S. This definitely is not a job for the faint of heart. Each year, the Houston Pilots move 20,000 ships and 125,000 inland tows through the channel, working 24/7, 365 days a year, in all kinds of weather and traffic conditions. They say the job is part art, part science, and…

New Nordic Tugs 34: A Semi-Displacement Couple’s Cruiser with Lots of Character

By Peter Janssen on April 23, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

A couple’s boat with lots of character, the Nordic Tugs 34 is designed for the Great Loop, the Inside Passage or a summer excursion to the rocky shores and hidden coves of Down East Maine. A semi-displacement trawler, the Nordic Tugs 34 is a salty, comfortable, single-diesel cruiser that’s easy to manage and maintain, while retaining the company’s iconic tugboat lines, including the faux smokestack. The 34 is an outgrowth of the popular Nordic Tugs 32, which the company first built in 1985. (Nordic Tugs started with a 26 that was introduced at the Seattle boat show in 1980, and…

Belfast, Maine: A Summer Cruising Destination with a Now-Thriving Waterfront

By Peter Janssen on April 19, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Once a major shipbuilding and commercial fishing center that fell on hard times, Belfast, Maine, is enjoying a revival that makes it an attractive cruising destination this summer if you’re heading Down East. Way up Penobscot Bay, Belfast seems a bit off the beaten track, but it’s well worth the detour. For one thing, the newly invigorated waterfront, centering around a public Harbor Walk and the thriving Front Street Shipyard, is worth a visit in itself. For another, because of its location, Belfast often gets less summer fog than many other Maine ports. Belfast dates to 1630, when it was…

Another Boat Crashes onto Same Government Cut Jetty where Miami’s Jose Fernandez and Two Friends Died. See Video

By Peter Janssen on April 18, 2018 Cruising Life

Another boat has crashed at night into the same rock jetty in Government Cut where Miami Marlins star pitcher José Fernandez and two friends died two years ago. This time the three people on board were rescued by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue; one was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the other two had scrapes and bruises. The boat hit the rocks, on the south side of the cut, the large, man-made channel separating Miami Beach from Fisher Island, about 9:15 at night. A fireboat arrived, and a rescue swimmer jumped into the water and got to the stranded…

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