Cruising Life

World’s First Luxurious Personal Submarine, from Aston Martin and Triton

By Peter Janssen on October 3, 2017 Cruising Life

Are you getting bored with the same-old, same-old, cruising on top of the water day after day? After all, anybody can do that. But now, for about $4 million, you can cruise under the water, down to 1,650 feet, in Project Neptune, the world’s first luxurious submarine. Brought to you by Aston Martin (think James Bond) and Triton Submarines, the new sub holds three people and can go 3.5 mph underwater. Announced at the recent Monaco Yachts Show, the sub has silver, blade-like pontoons and an acrylic bubble so passengers can enjoy the view. Aston Martin says the interior will…

Garmin Big Winner at NMEA Conference with Eight Awards for Product Excellence

By Peter Janssen on October 3, 2017 Cruising Life, Electronics

Garmin was the big winner at the annual NMEA conference recently, as the electronics giant was named Manufacturer of the Year (for the third straight year) and won eight awards for product excellence. Garmin dominated the annual Product of Excellence competition at the National Marine Electronics Association convention in Bellevue, Washington. In voting by NMEA members, Garmin won in eight categories – radar, autopilot, multi-function display, mobile application, utility, fishfinder, AIS, and multimedia entertainment. For the second straight year, Garmin won the MFD category with its GPSMAP 8624 (pictured above), a 24-inch, all-in-one chartplotter with the highest screen resolution in…

Coast Guard Slams Captain, Crew and Owner in El Faro Disaster; Recommends Wider Use of PLBs

By Peter Janssen on October 3, 2017 Cruising Life

The Coast Guard investigation into the sinking of the container ship El Faro, resulting in the death of the captain and all 32 members of the crew two years ago in a 150-mph hurricane in the Bahamas, cast a wide net of error covering all the parties involved – the captain, the crew and the ship’s owner. Calling the tragedy “one of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history,” the Coast Guard’s 199-page report said the captain fatally “failed to understand the severity of the situation, even when the watch standers warned him the hurricane was intensifying.” The owner, according…

Forbes Tells How Hinckley Developed Dasher, Its Revolutionary New All-Electric Boat

By Peter Janssen on October 3, 2017 Cruising Life

Here’s a great story from Forbes about how Hinckley decided to develop Dasher, the traditional Maine builder’s new 28-foot all-electric boat. Unveiled at the Newport International Boat Show in September, Dasher is the world’s first luxury electric boat, powered by two 80-hp electric motors and dual BMW i3 lithium ion batteries. Development of the revolutionary boat, with a lightweight carbon-epoxy composite hull and titanium hardware, dates to a conference of industry leaders two years ago, designed to make sure that Hinckley was looking to the future. As a result, Forbes says, “Hinckley envisioned a luxury vessel free of fossil fuels…

Yanmar Launches World’s Smallest New Dtorque 50-hp Turbo Diesel Outboard

By Peter Janssen on October 3, 2017 Cruising Life, Engine Room

The trend toward diesel-powered outboard engines just got stronger, as Yanmar Marine joined forces with Neander Shark, a German manufacturer, for global distribution of the new Dtorque 111 twin-cylinder, 50-hp turbo diesel outboard. Yanmar says this is the world’s smallest diesel outboard with common-rail fuel injection, providing class-leading range, fuel efficiency, exhaust emissions and noise levels. The new compact outboard has an engine life of at least 10,000 hours, according to the company, more than double the lifespan of a comparable gas outboard. The diesel is smooth and quiet, delivering 50-hp at the prop with a torque output of 111…

Virgin Islands Still Devastated by One-Two Punch of Irma and Maria

By Peter Janssen on September 28, 2017 Cruising Life

Two weeks later, St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, the three islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands and that are generally regarded as beautiful and peaceful cruising and charter boat havens, are still reeling from the damage done by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. People there are now realizing how bad it is. “Maria broke our spirit,” one homeowner on St. John told The New York Times. He had lost part of the upstairs of his house in Hurricane Irma, and then the downstairs was under two and a half feet of water after Hurricane Maria. The government…

Hinckley Planning New 40-foot Picnic Boat, Largest Yet

By Peter Janssen on September 28, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

When he announced plans for the new 40-foot Hinckley Picnic Boat at the Newport boat show recently, Mike Arieta, Hinckley’s CEO, said that “it’s been 23 years since we launched the first Picnic Boat. It’s rooted in what we do.” That is certainly the case. Indeed, the first Picnic Boat, a drop-dead gorgeous 36-foot, single-diesel, teak-laden dayboat, has become an icon of yacht design, copied around the world. I fell in love with the boat when I first tested it outside the Hinckley factory in Southwest Harbor, Maine, and so did thousands of other people. Hinckley’s Picnic Boat lineup now…

In the Wake of Hurricane Irma, a Weedline So Thick off the Florida Keys You Could Walk on It

By Peter Janssen on September 28, 2017 Cruising Life

The hurricanes have come and gone, but in the waters surrounding the Florida Keys they have left a field of debris and destroyed nav aids that can make cruising there difficult, if not dangerous. Indeed, the Coast Guard has designated an area one nautical mile from shore “a regulated navigation area” throughout the Keys until Oct. 1, meaning you have to operate at low speeds (not on plane) because there’s so much junk in the water. “Fenders, lobster traps, you name it, it’s in there,” an officer of the Coast Guard Auxiliary on a mission in the upper Keys told…

James Ellingford Posts His Best Pictures So Far of Voyage from Australia to Alaska and LA.

By Peter Janssen on September 28, 2017 Cruising Life

Here’s the latest from James Ellingford, the retired Australian businessman and dedicated cruiser, who’s now in Los Angeles on Pendana, his Nordhavn 62. It’s a collection of pictures he has taken since he and his wife Claire and their two daughters left Sydney in April, 2015, to start a six-year circumnavigation. As you can see, Ellingford is an accomplished photographer. The pictures trace the Ellingfords’ voyage so far as they crossed the Pacific to Alaska and then worked their way down the West Coast. The last leg of their trip took them from San Francisco to LA, and started with…

For Something New, Head for Crystal River, 70 Miles North of Tampa, and Swim with the Manatees

By Peter Janssen on September 28, 2017 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re looking for a new cruising destination, or just something fun to do, head for Crystal River, Florida, about 70 miles north of Tampa, and swim with the manatees. About six miles up the river, you’ll find a system of 40 bubbling springs that stay a constant 72 degrees all year long. Because of the warm water, the area is the home of the largest manatee population in the U.S., and it’s the only place in North America where swimmers can legally interact with them. Here’s a great story from Southern Boating that gives details about how to get…

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