Cruising Life

How To Make A Mayday Call that Works

By Peter Janssen on June 26, 2017 Cruising Life

If the absolute worst happens, a fire on board, a collision with a sunken object, a sudden storm or rogue wave, and you need to place a Mayday call for help, do you know what to do? Sure, we all have probably tucked away the proper protocol in the back of our consciousness someplace, and if we have our act together we have also shared that knowledge with our crew. But in the event, when the panic sets in, do we know how to prioritize the Mayday call so that we are ensuring that the Coast Guard or other vessels…

First-Hand Report about What’s Open and What’s Not on Grand Bahama Island

By Peter Janssen on June 26, 2017 Cruising Life, Destinations

Hurricane Matthew tore through Grand Bahama Island with 140-mph winds last October, causing extensive damage to boats and marinas. But what can you expect now? Here’s a great first-hand report by Greg Allard for the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net, who visited there earlier this month. The Old Bahama Bay Marina at West End, where many cruisers from Palm Beach or the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area clear Customs, was closed for months after the hurricane, and then reopened without power. But now all the damage to docks has been repaired, and new power has been installed. The marina is in…

Stay Connected to Wi-Fi, Cell Data and HDTV with Shakespeare’s New WebWatch Antenna

By Peter Janssen on June 26, 2017 Cruising Life, Electronics

Now you can stay connected all the time with the new Shakespeare WebWatch antenna, which brings a Wi-Fi hotspot, cellular data and HDTV to your boat. For its innovative all-in-one connectivity, the WebWatch has won a Top Product award from Boating Industry magazine. You don’t have to worry about sharing WebWatch. It shares its signal with up to 32 users, in case you’re cruising with a whole lot of your best friends. It delivers Internet with speeds up to 4G from a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot or cell network with a user-supplied data-only SIM card, and it has a greater range…

Outer Reef Classic 630 MY: New Comfortable, Contemporary Cruising Yacht. See Video

By Peter Janssen on June 26, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Scheduled for an introduction at the Cannes yacht show in September, the new Outer Reef Classic 630 MY represents a contemporary version of a large, comfortable cruising yacht that would stand out at ports around the world. With three staterooms, two heads, a large salon, and a traditional pilothouse (with a centered helm for the captain and a raised, L-shaped settee with a table for guests), the Outer Reef 630 is set up both for safe, extended cruising for a family and friends or for entertaining a crowd closer to home. Starting aft, the Outer Reef 630 has a large…

New Details, But Few Answers, About Container Ship Hitting U.S. Navy Destroyer

By Peter Janssen on June 24, 2017 Cruising Life

We now have more details about what happened when the Philippine-flagged container ship ACX Crystal hit the Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald on a clear night off the coast of Japan, killing seven American sailors, and they aren’t pretty. They basically can be summed up in The New York Times headline: “Maritime Mystery: Why Agile Destroyer Failed to Dodge a Cargo Ship.” Several new details have emerged, as reported by The Times and the U.S. Naval Institute News. Although multiple investigations are still ongoing, it seems that no alarm was sounded on the 9,000-ton Fitzgerald at all, even as the 29,000-ton, 730-foot-long…

New, Long-Range Greenline 65 with Cruising Comforts and Euro Styling

By Peter Janssen on June 22, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Greenline Ocean Class 65 is a long-range, blue-water serious cruising boat with contemporary European lines and styling. The latest addition to Greenline’s Open Class of large cruising boats from 57 to 70 feet, the new 65 will be launched at the Cannes yacht show in September. The company’s smaller hybrid 36, using a combination of electric and diesel power, was introduced to the U.S. last fall. With three staterooms and three en suite heads, the new Greenline 65 is a comfortable cruising boat; the salon is particularly inviting with lots of light coming in from large side, front…

Weather Experts: Possibly More Hurricanes on East Coast This Season

By Peter Janssen on June 22, 2017 Cruising Life

How bad will it be? What remains for the hurricane season this year? We already have three named storms, an unusually high number since it’s not even the end of June yet. And a new consensus from six major weather centers, from NOAA to AccuWeather, suggest the hurricane season will either be normal or just above normal for the remainder of the year. For named storms affecting the east coast of the U.S., the predictions range from a low of 10 to a high of 17. For hurricanes, the range is from six to 10; for major hurricanes, the range…

Two Great Videos of Passing Through Locks on the Trent-Severn, in Fast Action

By Peter Janssen on June 20, 2017 Cruising Life

There’s nothing heavy here, just fun, you-are-there videos, both speeded up so you get a lot of fast action. The first shows Donald Jahncke, on his 39-foot Mainship, Porte Bonheur, going through the Big Chute, Lock 44, on the Trent-Severn Waterway, the 240-mile long canal connecting Lake Ontario (Trent) to Lake Huron (Port Severn). The second video shows Jahncke going through the Kirkfield Lift Lock, Lock 36, on the Trent-Severn; at a lift of 49 feet, it’s the second highest hydraulic lift lock in the world. Take a look and get ready to smile: https://www.facebook.com/AGLCA/videos/1709071939120519 https://www.facebook.com/AGLCA/videos/1701242243236822/

How To Run an Inlet: Great Tips from Those Who’ve Been There

By Peter Janssen on June 20, 2017 Cruising Life

Probably nothing we do while cruising requires more skill and experience than running an inlet, particularly in bad conditions. Even in good conditions, entering, or leaving, a new inlet is cause for concern and concentration. But when an inlet is beset by wind against tide, or it’s narrow, or there’s other traffic, or there are shoals or reefs on either side, or you’re in reduced visibility…well, the list goes on and on. Preparing in advance is crucial. You have to know what the channel looks like, and you have to be able to read the waves and know how you’re…

Pierre’s Echo Bay Lodge & Marina: A Laid-Back Gem in British Columbia

By Peter Janssen on June 20, 2017 Cruising Life, Destinations

Pierre’s Echo Bay Lodge & Marina may not be on your cruising radar (I have to admit I wasn’t aware of it), but from the looks of things it’s definitely worth a stop if you’re cruising up the Inside Passage to Alaska or just hanging out in Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia. Pierre’s, it seems, is more laid-back than your normal marina; where else can you find a wood-burning hot tub, a community fire pit and even a “canine yacht club”? In fact, Pierre’s has the usual marina facilities – a fuel dock, grocery store, inviting docks – but people…

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