Thursday, May 9

Browsing: Cruising Life

The Annapolis Powerboat Show just ended, and the reviews are coming in: “Best Annapolis in recent years” –  Dave Northrop, director of sales and operations, Americas, for Grand Banks and Palm Beach Yachts. “Our attendance was 4.8% better than 2015 and the best since pre-2008.” – Paul Jacobs, show president and general manager. “The overall attitude of customers was more positive than any of us can remember.” – Jeff Messmer, VP of Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats. “It looks like it will be a great show.” – Bentley Collins, VP of Sabre and Back Cove Yachts. “We were so…

The beautiful new Hunt 72 was just named Best Powerboat at the Newport International Boat Show, a particularly significant honor this year given competition from several other important and eye-catching new boats. But once you climb on board the Hunt, it’s easy to see why it was chosen. The classic lines are gorgeous; the proportions are just right, the sheer is long and graceful; standing on the aft deck and looking forward the teak side deck and railing seem to stretch on forever. Then there’s the 72’s exquisite fit and finish and virtually entire forests worth of varnished teak inside…

The Back Cove 32 was just named Best Powerboat Under 35 Feet at the Newport International Boat Show, a major honor for the Maine-built classic couple’s cruiser. I’ve been a fan of Back Coves since I tested the very first one they made, a 26, ten years ago, and I’ve tested every model since then. The single-diesel, fuel-efficient, user-friendly themes of the brand, combined with their iconic Downeast lines, make them very appealing, and the new 32 lives up to the company’s reputation. You walk on the boat through a centerline door in the transom, and then the deck is…

The Moorings is opening a new charter base in the Spanish Virgin Islands, the easy-to-get-to, easy-to-enjoy cruising grounds on the east coast of Puerto Rico. The new location is at Puerto Del Ray Marina in Fajardo, just a 45-minute cab ride from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, which has many direct flights from the U.S. And U.S. citizens, of course, do not need a passport to visit there. The marina is the largest in the Caribbean, with a dockside bar and restaurant, gourmet store, marine stores and free wi-fi. From there it’s not far to some of the Caribbean’s most…

A British research vessel has found the HMS Terror, one of Sir John Franklin’s two doomed vessels  with 129 men on board that were lost searching for the Northwest Passage in 1848. The video with the story is incredible, going into the ship to show the captain’s quarters, the double-wheel helm, even the mess hall table. Incredibly enough, the Terror was found some 60 miles south of where it was presumed to have been crushed by ice. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/12/hms-terror-wreck-found-arctic-nearly-170-years-northwest-passage-attempt

The captain of the 72-foot Time Out ran into the beach at Palm Beach at 2:15 in the morning after he said he had downed a few Long Island iced teas. The Palm Beach police charged him with boating under the influence. The Coast Guard was trying to figure out how to move the boat without spilling any diesel fuel. http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/local/72-foot-yacht-washes-ashore-in-palm-beach/nsSjr/

Living aboard a boat can be one of life’s true pleasures. I know. I lived on my Grand Banks 36 for a few years, including winters, in Norwalk Cove, Connecticut. So this story in the New York Post (home of the famous headline: “Headless Man in Topless Bar”) caught my eye. It’s not exactly the way I lived aboard, but it’s fun, and certainly tells how some young people are finding an alternative to the city’s soaring rental prices. http://nypost.com/2016/08/31/the-crazy-but-true-tales-of-new-yorkers-who-live-on-boats/

http://www.ybw.com/pictures/motorboats/seafire-the-new-military-style-luxury-sports-yacht-41137I know this is a bit beyond our normal purview, but it’s just too cool to miss. After all, when the designers say they want you to think of James Bond, Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable and Cary Grant, who are we to quibble? Here’s a first look at the new Brit-designed Seafire, a combination of a PT boat and a Spitfire. Be the first on your block… http://www.ybw.com/pictures/motorboats/seafire-the-new-military-style-luxury-sports-yacht-41137

Here’s some great  detailed information about how to prepare your boat – on land or on the water – from BoatU.S. Plus a detailed worksheet about how to protect your boat that you can print out, save for yourself and give to your marina. Two major points: Act sooner rather than later, and protect yourself first, not your boat. Take a look. :http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/assets/pdf/HurricaneWarning.pdfhttp://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/assets/pdf/HurricaneWarning.pdf

A new study finds that the Greenland shark, which is about 15 feet long and not a pretty beast under anybody’s definition, lives for about 400 years – plus or minus about 120 years – but who’s counting. Either way, they’re the longest-lived vertebrate by a long shot. These predators only grow by about a centimeter a year, so in the past researchers have had trouble tracking their age. Here’s how they’ve come up with some answers: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/08/greenland-shark-may-live-400-years-smashing-longevity-record

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