Cruising Life

Oregon Inlet: A Busy Thoroughfare with a Treacherous Bar on the Outer Banks

By Peter Janssen on April 2, 2018 Cruising Life

Oregon Inlet, in the middle of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is a busy place; it’s a major thoroughfare for a large sportfishing fleet heading for the Gulf Stream, only 30 nm offshore, and it’s one of the few inlets along that part of the coastline. It also is home to the Oregon Inlet Bar only five feet underwater near the inlet’s entrance, where water from Pamlico Sound meets the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in a collision that can produce 14-foot waves. Hit by drifting sand and tides, the inlet also moves south about 66 feet a year, so that…

Ten Things You Must Do in the Caribbean: A Highlights List from The Moorings

By Peter Janssen on April 2, 2018 Charter, Cruising Life

Just on case you need an extra nudge to sign up for that next charter or plan your next cruise in the Caribbean, here are ten great things to do, once you’re there. This highlights list, compiled by The Moorings, the world-wide charter powerhouse, covers a lot of bases, including some that are old-hat to me (and I suspect a lot of others) and some that are new. Even the old-hat ones have an evergreen appeal. After all, if you’re in the neighborhood, who wouldn’t want to at least think about heading over to Foxy’s or the Soggy Dollar Bar…

Why Are Whales So Big? New Study Says They Need To Keep Warm

By Peter Janssen on April 1, 2018 Cruising Life

Traditionally, scientists have thought that whales get so big because the buoyance of water frees them from the constraints of gravity. On land, for example, elephants can only get so big before they topple over. The buoyance issue may still be the case for whales, but new research provides another answer: They need to be big to keep themselves warm in cold water. “It’s not that they could be big,” says William Gearty, an ecologist at Stanford, who lead the new study. “It’s that they must be big.” Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the new…

Paddling Alone Across the Atlantic Three Times: Voyages of Obsession and a Search for Meaning

By Peter Janssen on March 28, 2018 Cruising Life

At 71, Aleksander Doba, from Police, Poland, knows a lot about obsession. He also knows a lot about testing his endurance and spirit against the elements and whatever nature can throw his way. And he knows even more about paddling a 23-foot kayak alone across the Atlantic Ocean, something he has done three times. The first time, he took the southern route, from Dakar, Senegal, to Brazil. The second time, he took the mid-Atlantic route, from Lisbon to Bermuda to Florida. The third, and most recent time, he took the treacherous northern route, starting in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, and…

New, Wide-Open, Light-Filled, 25-Knot Okean 50 Cruiser from Brazil

By Peter Janssen on March 28, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

It’s not often that we see a truly innovative boat, but take a look at the new Okean 50, filled with natural light and housing a space-creating pair of “balconies” or “terraces” that fold down from its sides. The Okean, a fresh build from Brazil, was introduced to the U.S. at the Fort Lauderdale show in November, and it’s being presented here by HMY Yacht Sales in Miami. A three-stateroom, two-head cruiser, the Okean 50 is remarkable in the 360-degree views available from the salon. There are tempered glass windows and doors all around, and there are no window…

MIT Launches SoFi, World’s First Robotic Fish, To Study Life in the Ocean

By Peter Janssen on March 28, 2018 Cruising Life

Here’s SoFi, the world’s first robotic fish. SoFi, short for soft robotic fish, looks like a fish and swims like a fish, but it actually is the most versatile robot of its kind. Created at MIT’s computer science and AI lab CSAIL, SoFi (pronounced Sophie) is 18.5 inches long, weighs 3.5 pounds, and can stay underwater at depths of up to 60 feet for 40 minutes. SoFi is built with printed 3D plastics and has a built-in buoyancy tank full of compressed air. A hydraulic actuator pumps water in and out of a pair of chambers to make SoFI go,…

Largest Cruise Liner in the World Just Launched; 18 Decks, 6,680 Passengers

By Peter Janssen on March 28, 2018 Cruising Life

Here’s some news that’s either awesome or frightening, depending on your point of view. Royal Caribbean has just launched the biggest cruise ship in the world, the new Symphony of the Seas, which is 1,188 feet long and weighs in at 228,081 gross tons (about 1,000 tons more than its older sistership, Harmony of the Seas). The new Symphony of the Seas has 18 decks (including 16 for guests), and it holds 6,680 guests in 2,759 staterooms. It also carries 2,200 crew, and cruises at 22 knots. The liner is the first to have a two-deck-high family suite, the Royal…

This Checklist from BoatUS Makes Spring Commissioning Easy. Take Heed

By Peter Janssen on March 27, 2018 Cruising Life, Maintenance

It’s that time of the year again, and cruisers in northern climes are starting to get their boats ready for the water again. You probably already have your spring commissioning tasks down pat; at least you probably have a routine that works for you and your boat that you follow year after year. But it never hurts to have a checklist to follow. Here’s a thorough, easy-to-do spring commissioning checklist from BoatUS that will help you get your boat ready for a full and safe season ahead. SPRING COMMISSIONING CHECKLIST Before You Launch: Hose clamps should be inspected and replaced…

The Moorings Reopens Its Charter Base in Beautiful, Historic Mallorca in the Med

By Peter Janssen on March 27, 2018 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

The good news is that The Moorings is reopening its charter operation in Palma, Mallorca, on April 1, after it has been closed for the winter. Just 50 miles off the east coast of Spain, Mallorca is surrounded by the Med’s sparkling blue waters and is dotted with secluded beaches and natural beauty. And from Palma, you can cruise through the other Balearic Islands – Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera – or just enjoy the sun and gentle breezes around Mallorca itself. Mallorca is rich in history. The Romans first occupied the island in 123 BC and founded Palma as an…

by Peter A Janssen

The Lobster Boom in Maine Is Slowing Down, Says State Report

By Peter Janssen on March 27, 2018 Cruising Life

Is the Maine lobster boom over? Or is it just cooling off a bit? The state’s Department of Marine Resources just released the numbers for the annual lobster catch in 2017, and it was the lowest in six years. The industry is still strong; Maine fishermen brought in more than 110.8 million pounds of lobster last year, a healthy number. But they caught more than 120 million pounds in each of the previous five years. And Maine lobstermen, who catch about 80 percent of all lobsters in the U.S., made slightly less money last year, when they were paid $3.91…

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