Cruising Life

New List of 13 “Best Secret Islands on Earth” from the Caribbean to the South China Sea

By Peter Janssen on May 23, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Thinking about a new place for a cruise, a charter or just a vacation? Take a look at some of these islands, which Coastal Living calls the “best secret islands on earth,” with white-sand beaches, fresh seafood and, best of all, no crowds. Skopelos, in Greece (pictured above), caught my eye, with its hidden coves, blue-roofed tavernas, Byzantine churches and endless views of the turquoise Aegean. It also has the beach that Hollywood used for scenes in Mama Mia. In Belize, Caye Caulker is a laid-back, five-mile-long strip of land where you can snorkel among the nurse sharks and rays at…

Underway Again, the Hamiltons Cruise Their Nordhavn 52 from London to Norway and the Arctic Circle

By Peter Janssen on May 23, 2018 Cruising Life

James and Jennifer Hamilton are underway again on their Norhavn 52 Dirona, just cruising from London to Harlingen, on the North Sea just above Amsterdam, where they picked up a new dinghy. Then they headed north, to Norway, where they will spend the summer. They just crossed the Arctic Circle, cruising the Lofoten Islands on the southwest coast of Norway (becoming the fifth Nordhavn to cross the Arctic Circle). One of the most well-traveled couples we have encountered, the Hamiltons bought Dirona in 2009 and cruised around the Pacific Northwest for a few years, but they have been living and working…

New Seakeeper Gyro Stabilizer Smooths Out the Pacific, Even on a 29-Foot Boat

By Peter Janssen on May 22, 2018 Cruising Life

Many years ago, when my wife and I and my youngest daughter would take our annual family summer cruise from Norwalk, Connecticut, to Nantucket, my daughter would always ask if we could please avoid Buzzards Bay. That’s because it seems every time we did cruise through Buzzards Bay, we hit a bad chop that made our Grand Banks 36, which was built like a little battleship, roll around like a cork, and my daughter would definitely get a little green around the gills. All that, unfortunately, was in the days before Seakeeper, the gyro stabilizer that takes almost all the…

Three Papers Join Forces to Raise Awareness of Sea-Level Rises in South Florida

By Peter Janssen on May 22, 2018 Cruising Life

In South Florida, the sea-level rise is real. In Key West, for example, the sea level has risen nine inches in the past century; it’s risen three inches in the past 23 years. By 2060, according to NOAA estimates, it will rise two feet. The evidence is everywhere: – Several times a year seawater bubbles up through storm drains in Miami Beach, in the finger islands of Fort Lauderdale, and in areas along the Intracoastal Waterway in Delray Beach during high tides. (See the picture above of a flood along Alton Road in Miami Beach last August). – Catfish were…

Minor War Breaking Out About Boats Breaking Free of Their Moorings in Boynton Beach, Florida

By Peter Janssen on May 21, 2018 Cruising Life

The headline in the Palm Beach Post says it all: “Fists fly, docks destroyed as war over drifting boats rages in Boynton.” The story then goes on to describe a conflict in Boynton Beach, just below Palm Beach,, with homeowners and marina operators upset (at least once to the point of violence) about boats moored along the Intracoastal Waterway that have broken loose from their moorings and damaged some property. They are particularly worried now that hurricane season is coming and they remember what happened to them during Hurricane Irma last fall. Gateway Marina in Boynton Beach had to spend…

Doug Zurn Designs New 35-Knot Hylas M58, Another Classic Powerboat

By Peter Janssen on May 21, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Doug Zurn, one of the most prolific designers in the United States, has teamed up with Hylas Yachts to create a new Hylas M58 powerboat that seems to carry all of his signature lines for the traditional sailboat builder. The M58 actually is Hylas’ second venture into the powerboat market; it introduced a Hylas M44 at the Palm Beach show in March. The company says it wanted to incorporate many traditional elements from classic powerboats in the past into the new 58, to help more sailboat owners move into the amenities of power. And the M58 has the long sheer…

Now: Real-Time AIS Data on Your Handheld Mobile Device from iNavX

By Peter Janssen on May 20, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

Now, thanks to iNavX, you can get live AIS coverage in the palm of your hand. Indeed, the new iNavX AIS Live provides AIS data overlay showing boat positions on their powerful handheld chartplotter for mobile devices, without the need of a transponder. A San Francisco-based company, iNavX has developed a mobile marine navigation app for both iOS and Android mobile devices. The new iNavX AIS Live connects to a global network of antennas to overlay real-time ship movements directly on the device’s chart. It provides instant AIS data, showing nearby vessels without the need for a radar or AIS…

Mercury Builds New 300-hp V-8 Outboards, Great for Larger Cruising Boats

By Peter Janssen on May 20, 2018 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Mercury is continuing to up the ante for its big outboards for cruising boats, introducing new Verado and FourStroke V-8 and V-6 models from 175- to 300-hp. The new 4.6L V-8 engines are part of the largest new product development in the Wisconsin company’s 80-year history. “These new V-8 engines, like the V-6, will set a new benchmark in the marine industry,” said John Pfeifer, president of Mercury Marine. Indeed, the engines just won the Most Innovative Product award at the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, the largest in that nation, where they were displayed for the first time anywhere.…

Slowboat Flotilla Now About A Third of the Way up the Inside Passage to Juneau, Alaska

By Peter Janssen on May 16, 2018 Cruising Life

The annual Slowboat Flotilla up the Inside Passage to Alaska is well underway; indeed, more than a week after they left Roche Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington state the five boats on this year’s cruise are about a third of the way up to Juneau, their final destination. The Flotilla this year is made up of the Nordhavn 40 Cassidy; Ranger Tug 29 Rhapsody; Nordic Tug 37 Safe Harbour; Nordic Tug 34 Airship, and Nordic Tug 37 Fortunate, and so far they have run the gamut of Inside Passage experiences: whales, eagles, dolphins, fog, squalls, sunny days, rapids,…

Reliant Builds New Creative Luxury 40-Foot Tender that Does Just About Everything

By Peter Janssen on May 16, 2018 Cruising Life

So far, Reliant Yachts has specialized in making classic Down East-style cruisers like the Reliant 40, a traditional boat with a long sheer, low profile and gorgeous tumblehome. But the company, launched by two of the most respected names in the business, David MacFarlane, the former president and CEO of Alden, Cal, Ranger and Rampage, and Jim Ewing, the former VP of Alden and president of Trumpy, is nothing if not creative. Indeed, take a look at their newest project, the X40L, a Swiss Army-knife approach to yachting that’s part tender and part SUV on the water. “When yacht builders…

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