Cruising Life

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…

Coast Guard Rescues Eight Fisherman After Their Boat Sinks 400 Miles North of Hawaii

By Peter Janssen on March 26, 2018 Cruising Life

It certainly pays to have a working EPIRB, flares and other safety equipment if you’re going offshore. That truism was brought home recently when the Coast Guard found eight people on a raft 400 miles from Hawaii – because they had activated their EPIRB when their 89-foot commercial fishing boat started to sink. The Coast Guard in Honolulu launched a HC-130 to search for the fishermen after it received an EPIRB alert that showed them in the Pacific about 400 miles north of Hilo. The aircrew started a search of the area and saw a flare and a liferaft with…

KVH Launches New TracPhone with Much Faster Connections and Greater Reach

By Peter Janssen on March 26, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

KVH just introduced a new, much faster marine satellite communications package with unlimited data and greater range so you can stay connected and enjoy the internet on your boat just as you do at home. The new KVH TracPhone V7hts, the company’s newest SATCOM, supports downloads at up to 10Mbps and uploads of up to 3 Mbps, streaming HD content and video chatting. Those speeds are three times faster than the download and six times the upload on the original mini-VSAT broadband server. The new KVH TracPhone antenna is only 24 inches in diameter and weighs just 57.6 pounds. KVH…

New Walker Bay 325 Light Console RIB Holds 5 Passengers, Provides Dry Ride

By Peter Janssen on March 26, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s a small, lightweight RIB that can hold up to five passengers and that promises a comfortable, fun and dry ride even in a chop. The new Walker Bay Supertender 325 Light Console is 10’ 8” long and weighs just 244 pounds and has a deep-V fiberglass hull for performance. Its hard chines provide traction in turns, and its wide bow is designed to block spray so you’ll have a dry ride in most conditions. The center console has room for a 7” screen; it also has a stainless-steel helm and handrail, two cupholders and padding on the port side…

The Recovery in St. John: Cruz Bay Is Lively, Major Hotels Remain Closed, but Beaches and Vistas Are Still Beautiful

By Peter Janssen on March 25, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Here’s a pretty thorough update from The New York Times on the recovery in St. John in the U.S. Virgins, six months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, reporting that major resorts are still closed and the cleanup is continuing. The story quotes a frequent visitor from Connecticut who says, “There are two ways to look at it. Some people say, ‘What a mess.’ On the other hand, you still have the beautiful views and the beautiful beaches.” Flights from the U.S. are about half of what was normal before the hurricanes, and the head of tourism says tourism is down…

Some 150 Pilot Whales Die on Beach in Western Australia, Despite Major Rescue Efforts

By Peter Janssen on March 25, 2018 Cruising Life

Almost all of the 150 beached whales have died in a mass stranding in Hamelin Bay, about 180 miles south of Perth in Western Australia. Just a handful have survived, while more than 100 volunteers are trying to return them to deep water. Meanwhile, the government has issued a shark alert since sharks have become frenzied in their efforts to reach some whale carcasses in the water. The beached whales were first spotted by a local fisherman. Rescue attempts were thwarted by deteriorating weather conditions and the rocky shoreline, plus the weight and size of the whales. These whales are…

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