Cruising Life

Best Places to Watch the Eclipse from Your Boat

By Peter Janssen on August 8, 2017 Cruising Life

In a special report, The New York Times Magazine had this to say about the eclipse: “On the morning of Aug. 21, the moon’s shadow will appear over the Pacific Ocean and move swiftly toward Lincoln Beach, Oregon, just south of Portland, making landfall at 10:16 a.m. local time. If the morning fog has lifted by then, and if the weather is clear, viewers will see something in the sky that most have never seen: a black hole where the sun should be, and around the edges sinuous flames radiating out in all directions.” The shadow then will move on…

New Simard NSS evo3 Multi-Function Display: Easier to Read, Easier to Use

By Peter Janssen on August 8, 2017 Cruising Life, Electronics

The new Simrad NSS evo3 multi-function display has a lot going for it. It’s easier to read, it’s easier to navigate and it’s easier to use. It also combines a lot of features all in one unit to make cruising easier and safer. The brilliant landscape on the new widescreen SolarMAX HD display shows true colors, and the display is clear in the sun and easy to read even at a wide angle. The clarity is exceptional. You control it via the all-weather touchscreen or the expanded keypad, so that you have reliable control in all sea conditions. You can…

The 20 Best Beach Bars in the World. Find Your Favorite

By Peter Janssen on August 8, 2017 Cruising Life

Take a look at this list of the 20 best beach bars in the world, compiled by Coastal Living magazine, and you may want to take out your passport and start booking a flight. Some are in the expected places – Sardinia, St. Tropez, Mustique, Mykonos, Ibiza and the Maldives. But others: Uruguay? Or the Netherlands, where Woodstock ’69 is just an hour’s drive from Amsterdam? Closer to home is the Flora-Bama in Pensacola, Florida, on the Alabama line. So far, I’ve missed that one somehow. But the one that really appeals to me is the Baba Nest in Phuket,…

5 Fun Things To Do with Kids in the Florida Keys

By Peter Janssen on August 8, 2017 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re cruising in the Keys with your family, here are some great ideas from Drew White, the resident expert at Cannons Marina on Longboat Key. White spent summers there as a kid himself, and now lives there. You may have your own list, but here’s a good place to start: 1.Eat on the dock at Robbie’s Restaurant in Islamorada, and get a bucket of fish to feed the tarpon. 2.Visit the Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key, where there are hundreds of small deer. 3.Swim with the dolphins at Theatre of the Sea on Islamorada, a mini-theme park.…

BBQ Grills on Board: Which One’s Best for You?

By Peter Janssen on August 7, 2017 Cruising Life, Gear

A lot of us think that it doesn’t get much better, at the end of the day, than to fire up the grill on board and barbecue a steak, some fresh fish, burgers, almost anything. Somehow, almost everything tastes better when it comes off a grill. But, if you don’t have one yet, what kind of grill should you buy for your boat? Charcoal? Electric? Gas/Propane? They come in various sizes, with various costs, ranging from the $150 level, for a small stainless steel grill that you clamp onto a handrail or slide into a rod holder, to several thousands…

Dream Yacht Charters Adds Fountaine Pajot 37 Power Cats to Its Fleets

By Peter Janssen on August 7, 2017 Charter, Cruising Life

Power charter opportunities are growing. Indeed, Dream Yacht Charters is adding 37-foot Fountaine Pajot power catamarans to its fleets in the BVI, Puerto Rico, La Paz and the Bahamas for the winter charter season. The boats are available bareboat or with a captain. The Fountaine Pajot 37 power cats open up a lot more ground for a charter vacation, since they can top out at 22 knots. You can go more places, explore new cruising grounds, or simply do more island hopping in your favorite spots. The boats have three cabins and two heads and are suitable for up to…

Maryland Family Buys New Prestige 560, Starts Cruise to Boston

By Peter Janssen on August 7, 2017 Cruising Life

This trip was a long time coming, but the Rubin family from Pikesville, Maryland, just outside Baltimore, are on their way up to Boston on their brand-new Prestige 560 Fly, and they’re writing about it. The family, including two teenagers, started planning the trip more than six months ago, and they finally left Baltimore at the end of July. They had bought the Prestige only two and a half weeks before their departure. For their three-week vacation, they’re planning to stop in Atlantic City for the poker, New York for Broadway, Provincetown for family, and Nantucket for biking. On their…

Volvo Breaks 1,000-hp Barrier with New 13-Litre Engine

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

Volvo Penta just introduced a new 1,000 hp-engine, its largest ever, at the boat show in Sydney, Australia. The company says the new 13-litre diesel has both higher performance and a longer life than any of its previous engines. The new inboard, and its equivalent from Volvo’s IPS range, the D13-IPS1350, have been designed for use in yachts up to 120 feet, although the IPS version was tested in a 68-footer. “This is hugely exciting for us to create our most powerful engine yet,” said Johan Wasterang, VP for product management at Volvo Penta. “It’s truly a landmark product for…

Helmsman Trawlers Bring New 38-foot Cruiser to the Chesapeake

By Peter Janssen on August 2, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Helmsman Trawlers, single-engine cruisers built in China and popular on the West Coast, now have a demo boat for sale in the Chesapeake area. The new Helmsman Trawlers 38E will be at Bay Bridge Marina on Kent Island, across the bay from Annapolis; it will be displayed at the Annapolis power show in October. Built in Fuzhou, China, Helmsman are designed for owners who want a quality cruising boat but don’t want to overpay for one. They are sold factory direct, to reduce costs to consumers. The Helmsman line runs from 31 to 43 feet. The 38E has a unique…

144-Year-Old Chesapeake Lighthouse For Sale: $15,000, As Is

By Peter Janssen on August 2, 2017 Cruising Life

It’s hard to beat this for waterfront property, but it does need a bit of TLC. The 144-year-old Craighill Channel Lower Range lighthouse, marking the Craighill Channel from the Chesapeake up the Patapsco River into Baltimore, is for sale for only $15,000, so you probably would have some money left over for remodeling. The lighthouse has been empty since 1964, when the keeper and his assistant moved out after the light was automated. Some of the interior is open to the elements; birds live there now. The good news is that the keeper’s quarters rise one and a half stories…

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