Cruising Life

Burger To Build New 48-foot Aluminum Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on November 6, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s something new, from one of the oldest boat companies in the U.S. The Burger Boat Company just announced that they’re going to build a 48-foot aluminum cruiser, developed with Vripack Naval Architects in the Netherlands. Burger, started in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, during the Civil War, traditionally builds larger yachts, but Jim Ruffolo, the company president, says that the Burger 48 Cruiser “makes owning a Burger available to many who have always aspired to take the helm of their own custom yacht.” The new 48 is basically a sedan cruiser with a low profile, clean lines and large windows and glass…

Navy Report: Failures in Basic Seamanship Led to Collisions of Two U.S. Destroyers with Merchant Ships, Killing 17

By Peter Janssen on November 6, 2017 Cruising Life

The Navy has issued its reports about the collisions of two destroyers, the USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald with merchant ships that killed 17 sailors, and they’re devastating. The collisions, as reported here by the U.S. Naval Institute News, were caused by failures in basic seamanship and the crews’ inability to operate their ships properly. “Both of these accidents were preventable and the respective investigations found multiple failures by watch-standers that contributed to the incidents,” said Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations. The USNI News story is complete with charts, illustrations and timelines about both collisions. In the…

Garmin Introduces New ActiveCaptain App, Very Cool Diver’s Watch, and Much More

By Peter Janssen on October 31, 2017 Cruising Life, Electronics

Just before the big Lauderdale show, Garmin announced several new products, including new 7- and 9-inch touchscreens with updated mapping and sonar features; new fishfinders, and the first ActiveCaptain Mobile app and the first diver’s watch with a computer and GPS (see the picture above). For cruising boat owners, the ActiveCaptain app might have the most appeal, since it could lead to being connected all the time on the water. It gives you the ability to access the ActiveCaptain community, and to create, save and transfer routes and waypoints between the app and your device. You also can use it…

New Austin Parker 44 Sedan: Hints of a Luxurious Lobster Boat in a Contemporary Continental Package

By Peter Janssen on October 31, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Austin Parker 44, making its U.S. debut at the Lauderdale show, is an eye-catching combination of slightly retro design, with hints of a traditional Down East lobster boat, and an aggressive contemporary styling that says this boat can run with the best of them. The new 44 sedan is part of the revamped Austin Parker fleet that now runs from 37 to 72 feet. Designed by Fulvio De Simoni (who also drew Pershings), Austin Parkers are made in Italy and are meant to have a global appeal as luxurious, safe and comfortable blue-water cruising boats. They make extensive…

La Dolce Vita: Cruising Lake Como on an Iconic Riva – or a Hinckley

By Peter Janssen on October 31, 2017 Cruising Life

It would be hard to find a more romantic spot for a cruise than Lake Como, the absolutely gorgeous, pristine body of water nestled up against the Alps in northern Italy. Many of the little villages have been there since the Roman Empire, while today it is the home (occasionally) of an international jet set that includes George Clooney and Richard Branson. And its waterfront villas and hotels (think Villa d’Este) are some of the best in the world. A few years ago, my wife and I cruised there on a new Hinckley 29, and it was one of the…

Devastating Maine Storm “Worse Than Sandy” in Belfast Harbor

By Peter Janssen on October 31, 2017 Cruising Life

The storm that roared up the coast and left half a million without power in the Northeast really walloped Belfast Harbor in Maine early this week. Indeed, the Bangor Daily News reports that the wind and waves caused at least half a dozen boats to break free of their moorings and wash up on shore. Several were destroyed on the rocks (see the top picture). JB Turner, owner of the Front Street Shipyard, which is in the inner harbor, said his yard avoided the worst of the damage. Still, he said, “This hit us worse than Sandy.” See the picture…

How to Winterize Your Engines, Gas and Diesel, Outboards and Inboards

By Peter Janssen on October 30, 2017 Cruising Life, Engine Room

For those of us in the north, it’s that time of the year. Unless you’re heading south, your cruising season is ending. Time to put the boat away for the winter, and that means winterizing your engines. Everybody has their own list, and many people simply turn their boats over to their marinas. Even if you do, it helps to know what needs to be done. Here’s a great list from BoatU.S. that at least will serve as a starter. The list covers outboards, gas and diesel inboards, and stern drives, and deals with more than just the engines themselves.…

Seven Reasons to Charter in Mallorca from The Moorings

By Peter Janssen on October 30, 2017 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

You probably don’t need many more reasons to visit Mallorca, the gorgeous island in the Med 50 miles east of Spain, but just in case you do, The Moorings has come up with a list to nudge you along. One of Spain’s Balearic Islands, Mallorca is an uber-appealing destination if you’re cruising or chartering or just looking for a special vacation. For the past few decades, Mallorca has been a major European tourist destination, with its long, protected beaches, sheltered coves, limestone mountains and Roman and Moorish ruins. Mallorca is rich with history. The capital of Palma was founded as…

BoatU.S. Offers New Online Course About How to Use AIS. See the Video

By Peter Janssen on October 30, 2017 Cruising Life, Electronics

In a move designed to improve safe boating, BoatU.S. is offering a new online course about how to use AIS, the Automatic Identification System that tracks boat movements on a radar-like screen display. The course, “AIS Electronics for Boaters – See and Be Seen on the Water,” was developed by the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water and the United States Power Squadrons. The course is a blend of practical knowledge and technical know-how and is an easy way to get up to speed on AIS, the latest collision avoidance technology that is being used by more and…

First Astrolabe, Used to Navigate in 1500, Found in Vasco da Gama Shipwreck

By Peter Janssen on October 30, 2017 Cruising Life

If you think navigating was difficult in the days before GPS, take a look at this. It’s the world’s first astrolabe, a bronze disc that Vasco da Gama’s navigators used to sail from Portugal to India around 1500, just a few years after Columbus found America. In 1503, da Gama was returning home after his second voyage to India. He left several ships behind to explore (and exploit) the area, but they sank in storms. Several years ago, researchers found this 7-inch astrolabe among many artifacts on one of those ships, Esmeralda, off the coast of Oman. At first, they…

Browsing: Cruising Life