Cruising Life

Intrepid Cruisers, the Odendahls Create Their Own “Shoe Loop” on Their Ranger Tugs 25

By Peter Janssen on October 5, 2017 Cruising Life

Take a look at the map, above. Taking some poetic license, Cheryll and Rich Odendahl say it resembles a shoe. In any event, it traces a 1,240-mile voyage the Odendahls just completed on their 2008 Ranger Tugs 25, appropriately named Roam. And the Odendahls, who’ve cruised just about everywhere from Alaska to the Bahamas and Cuba, have named it the Shoe Loop. SHOE, Odendahl says, also is an acronym for St. Clair-Huron-Ontario-Erie. Intrepid travelers on land, air and sea, the Odendahls have visited 149 countries around the world, many since he retired in 2011 after working 30 years at General…

Journalist Was Stabbed 14 Times in Danish Submarine Case, Autopsy Shows

By Peter Janssen on October 5, 2017 Cruising Life

Kim Wall, the American-educated journalist who was last seen on Aug. 10 when she went for a ride on Peter Madsen’s homemade submarine in Copenhagen, had been stabbed 14 times before she died, according to authorities there. Wall, 30, was born in Sweden but graduated from The Columbia School of Journalism in New York and had written for The New York Times. She went out with Madsen on his 55-foot sub for a story. When she did not appear the next morning, her boyfriend called police. A search and rescue team found Madsen’s sub a few hours later, floating disabled…

New, Fun 45-mph Seakart: “The UItimate Sea Toy”

By Peter Janssen on October 4, 2017 Cruising Life, Gear

Just launched at the Monaco Yacht Show, the Seakart 335, a combination of a RIB, a jetski and a yacht tender, is billed as “the ultimate sea toy.” It may be, but whatever it is, it looks like a lot of fun. Powered by a 110-hp or a 180-hp gas four-stroke Yamaha jet engine, the Seakart can hit a top speed of 45 mph, and hold up to five people – two in the bow and three across the stern. It has fiberglass parts and inflatable Hypalon tubes, so it is appropriate as a yacht tender as well as an…

Moorings Opens New Charter Destination in the Exumas, Starts Classes in Greece

By Peter Janssen on October 4, 2017 Charter, Cruising Life

The Moorings, the powerhouse charter company with more than 20 locations around the world, now has a new destination in the Exumas in the Out Islands of the Bahamas, and they’re also starting a new Power Cruising Course in Corfu, Greece, one of the most romantic spots in the world, that leads to a charter certificate from the Royal Yachting Association. The Exumas are a group of 365 islands and cays about 35 miles southeast of Nassau with some of the most unspoiled beaches in the Caribbean (see the picture above). They are definitely off the beaten path. The Moorings…

Toxic Algae Blooms Cover Western End of Lake Erie. Can Hurt Boating

By Peter Janssen on October 4, 2017 Cruising Life

Lake Erie is in trouble, or at least about 700 square miles of the western end of the lake are, and the problem seems to be getting worse. The surface of the lake there is turning bright green, as miles of algae cover the surface, often deep enough for you to write on. A similar problem two years ago kept boats out of the lake for six weeks or more. The New York Times reports that algae blooms, containing cyanobacteria with toxins that can contaminate drinking water, have been growing on the lake since 2000. They have increased as fertilizer…

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…

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