Cruising Life

Two Destroyers Involved in Collisions “Had To Train on the Margins,” Says GAO Report to Congress

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2017 Cruising Life

The two Navy destroyers recently involved in collisions in the Pacific, killing 17 sailors, both had long records of failing to fulfill key training requirements, according to the Government Accountability Office. The USS Fitzgerald had expired training certifications for 10 out of 10 key warfare mission areas in June, while the USS John S. McCain had expired certifications in six out of the ten. John Pendleton, the GAO’s director of defense force structure, testified before Congress that the Navy’s aggressive deployment, particularly in ships based in Japan (including the Fitzgerald and the McCain), gave the Navy a greater presence in…

See What Happened When Irma Drained Water Out of Bays in the Bahamas and Florida. Videos and Pictures

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2017 Cruising Life

One of the most bizarre scenes during Hurricane Irma was the sight of water draining away, going out into the ocean, leaving the shoreline empty of water occasionally for hundreds of yards. This effect was most pronounced in parts of the Bahamas, in the Florida Keys and in Fort Myers and even Tampa Bay. One scientist explained that Irma was so strong that it was sucking water from its surroundings into its core. At one point, for example, the wind on Long Island in the Bahamas was from the southeast to the northwest. On the northwest side of the island,…

Get Away from It All in the Similan Islands of Thailand

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2017 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you really want to get away from it all, head for the Similan Islands, a chain of nine small islands about 50 miles from Phuket in Thailand. They’re the home of incredible landscapes, spectacular diving and not a whole lot of other people. The Similans are numbered one through nine, going from north to south, and they’re a national park in the Andaman Sea. You can swim in the turquoise waters of all of them, but you can only step foot on the white sandy beaches of Number Four, which has simple bamboo bungalows, and Number Eight, the largest…

“I Rowed the English Channel in a Bathtub” – A Very British Story

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2017 Cruising Life

Only in England. I admit this isn’t one of our usual cruising stories, but it is fun in a very British way. And just in case you think it’s not serious enough for us to bother with, well, I’ll say that even the Queen is involved. To make this perfect, the sponsor, the company that supplied the tub, is Thomas Crapper and Company. Read on: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tim-fitzhigham/english-channel-bathtub_b_17908212.html

St. Martin: “All the Food Is Gone. People Are Fighting in the Streets for What’s Left.”

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2017 Cruising Life

Irma absolutely devastated many islands in the Caribbean. St. Martin, along with Barbuda, was one of those hardest hit. Now that the storm itself has passed and some communications are opening up again, we’re finding out how bad it really is. Looting had already been reported in St. Martin, but now, as survivors struggle with severe food and water shortages, the social fabric is unraveling. “All the food is gone,” one said. “People are fighting in the streets for what is left.” Read more: :https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/world/americas/irma-caribbean-st-martin.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-abc-region&region=span-abc-region&WT.nav=span-abc-region&_r=0

Churning Along at 17 Knots, the Capt. Brian A. McAllister is the Fastest Tug in New York

By Peter Janssen on September 9, 2017 Cruising Life

Let’s hear it for the Capt. Brian A. McAllister (above), the fastest tugboat in New York. In fact, the Capt. Brian A. McAllister, a one-year-old, 100-foot-long, 6,770-hp monster, just beat 12 other tugboats to come in first in the 25th annual Great North River Tugboat Race & Competition. Its winning speed over the one-nautical-mile course in the Hudson River off Manhattan’s Pier 84: A blazing 17 knots. As the winner, the Capt. Brain A. McAllister got a trophy of a bronze tugboat. And its captain, Jackie Benton Jr., got major bragging rights. This was his first race, and he was…

Branson Takes Shelter in His Concrete Wine Cellar in the BVI, Emerges OK

By Peter Janssen on September 8, 2017 Cruising Life

Irma devastated Necar Island and the nearby Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda in the BVI, but Sir Richard Branson has emerged wet, but unscathed. Branson owns a large estate on the island and says he has ridden out hurricanes there before. But this time, he says, even though he and his guests took shelter in an underground concrete wine cellar, it was worse than he expected. And he advises anyone else in Irma’s path to “seek strong shelter.” Read more: http://www.coastalliving.com/syndication/richard-branson-hurricane-irma-necker-island?utm_campaign=coastalliving&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&xid=cl_socialflow_facebook

Irma Clobbers Tortola and BVI. Decimates Charter Fleets. See Videos and Pictures

By Peter Janssen on September 7, 2017 Cruising Life

Hurricane Irma demolished marinas and decimated charter fleets as it pounded Tortola and the British Virgin Islands. The storm damaged the Bitter End Yacht Club, badly damaged Leverick Bay and destroyed many boats in Nanny Cay. It absolutely destroyed Paraquita Bay on the south side of Tortola (pictured above), a hurricane hole where many charter companies had boats. Sir Richard Branson’s luxury estate on Necker Island was completely destroyed, according to his son, but no people were injured. And there’s no word yet from the outlying island of Anegada, where the storm surge was 16 feet. Here’s a complete story…

How to Trim Your Boat in a Head Sea. Great Video

By Peter Janssen on September 7, 2017 Cruising Life

I’ve found over the years that a lot of people are confused about the best way to use the trim tabs on their boats. But using them effectively can make your ride much more comfortable, as well as fuel-efficient. After all, who wants to pound going into a head sea, or get pushed around in a following sea? Or start listing in a beam sea? The basic idea is that you want to give your boat a good attitude. It’s really a Goldilocks issue, and it changes from boat to boat. You don’t want too much bow up, and you…

Airship in Misty Fjords, Alaska: Ice-Blue Water, Snow-Capped Mountains, and Bear Prints in the Sand

By Peter Janssen on September 6, 2017 Cruising Life, Destinations

About 40 miles east of Ketchikan, Alaska, Misty Fjords is one of the most beautiful cruising destinations around. Part of a national forest, the Misty Fjords National Monument is a land of ice-blue lakes, dozens of waterfalls, snow-capped peaks and glacial valleys. Plus, salmon, bears (lots of bears), eagles and other wildlife. I was there many years ago on a Grand Banks cruise and have always wanted to go back. Laura Domela and her husband, Kevin Morris, have just left there on their Nordic Tug 34 Airship, and have posted some great pictures and blogs about their trip. She’s a…

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