Cruising Life

New Video Shows the Changes at Grand Banks, Previews New 60 Flagship

By Peter Janssen on March 13, 2017 Cruising Life

There’ve been a lot of changes at Grand Banks recently, ever since the company acquired Australia’s Palm Beach Yachts and named Mark Richards, the Palm Beach president, as the head of both companies in 2014. Richards, pictured above inspecting the hull of the new Grand Banks 60, is one of the most successful sailboat racers in the world, having won the fear-inducing Sydney-Hobart race a record eight times. At Grand Banks’ factory in Malaysia, he’s used his racing expertise to build high-tech, low-weight, low CG, faster and more fuel-efficient hulls. The flagship 60, with three staterooms and two heads, is…

Wasting Away Again in….Daytona Beach?

By Peter Janssen on March 13, 2017 Cruising Life

What happened to Margaritaville? Well, seems that Jimmy Buffett’s first retirement community (what’s wrong with this picture?) is not opening in Key West but instead in Daytona Beach, Florida. Buffett’s Margaritaville Holdings has formed a partnership with Minto Communities to develop a housing resort for senior Parrotheads, and others, in what they say are some of the nation’s most popular tourist destinations. Latitude Margaritaville in Daytona Beach is first up. John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville, says, “With Minto’s expertise in creating master planned developments and Margaritaville’s inherent ability to deliver fun and escapism, Latitute Margaritaville has the exact coordinates for…

A Washington, D.C. Couple Take Their First Cruise to Florida on a New Prestige 550

By Peter Janssen on March 9, 2017 Cruising Life

When last seen, Jonathan Murray and Desiree Van Welsum, from Washington, D.C., were just leaving Annapolis on their new Prestige 550, heading south to Florida, even though they’ve only been boating for about a year. They’re now in Palm Beach, after a great cruise down, and are planning to head over to the Bahamas. Here’s a look at their trip so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss_Gi6JlaVg

Veteran Cruisers, The Goldbergs Now Head for the Marquesas on Their Nordhavn 50

By Peter Janssen on March 9, 2017 Cruising Life

Ron and Nancy Goldberg got the cruising bug in the early ‘90s, when they took an Annapolis Sailing School class in the BVI. After more charters in the Caribbean, they switched to power and bought a Monk 36 to cruise the Chesapeake. After many years there, and many lessons learned (Ron says main lesson was “how not to pump out the holding tank – do not remove the hose attached to the tank itself’), they sold their house, moved up to a Nordhavn 46 named Duet, and cruised back and forth to Florida and the Bahamas. After more years and…

Cruise Liner Heads for Waterfront Home in Port Everglades

By Peter Janssen on March 9, 2017 Cruising Life

You don’t see this very often. The owner of a $2.3 million waterfront home in Port Everglades, Florida, rushes out to confront a 1,040-foot-long, 122,000-ton cruise ship as it appears to be heading for his backyard. The problem was that the cruise liner Equinox, carrying 2,850 passengers, was taking a different route because its regular dock was closed overnight. But Bill Todhunter thought it was lost; his wife Yasmine took the video. “When the cruise ship’s thrusters stopped, there was silence, and I yelled ‘somebody’s going to get fired,’ and everybody on the cruise liner started applauding,” he told a…

Chartered 100-Foot Hargrave Catches Fire, Sinks, in BVI

By Peter Janssen on March 9, 2017 Cruising Life

The only good news here is that the six passengers and five crew are safe. But Limitless, a chartered 100-foot Hargrave, sank after catching fire in the waters west of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. The fire apparently started in the engine room. The captain put of a Mayday call and then ordered everyone to abandon ship. Some of the passengers jumped in the water before they were picked up by the yacht’s tender and taken to Scrub Island nearby. Limitless, a luxurious four-cabin yacht with a Jacuzzi on the flybridge, was launched in 2005 and had a…

Four Fantastic Charter Destinations from Your Favorite Films

By Peter Janssen on March 8, 2017 Charter, Cruising Life

It may be hard to transfer your attention from the big screen to the beautiful blue waters beckoning you from beyond the bow of your charter boat, but hey, you’ve to charter somewhere, so why not go to a drop-dead gorgeous spot you’ve already seen in the movies? Here’s a good look at four such spots: Croatia, from Game of Thrones; Thailand, from James Bond: The Man with the Golden Gun; and both St. Lucia and Puerto Rico from Pirates of the Caribbean. Take a look, and start packing your sea bag: https://www.moorings.com/blog/four-fabulous-destinations-cruise-your-favorite-films

New Purse from Mantus that Floats: See Video

By Peter Janssen on March 8, 2017 Cruising Life, Gear

This is a hoot. First off, the waterproof purse is a great idea. It’s large enough to hold a woman’s phone, sunglasses and wallet, etc., but it also floats. No more worries about things falling overboard or getting wet. But then the video is great, particularly the music. Take a look/listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH0831FDIX8&utm_source=MANTUS+ANCHORS+ADDS&utm_campaign=9506b36e1c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b290768734-9506b36e1c-100618365

Almost Here: Elegant, Fast, Fuel-Efficient MJM 35z with Outboards

By Peter Janssen on March 8, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

MJM’s latest yacht, the 35z, is nearing completion at Boston BoatWorks in Charlestown, Mass., and is scheduled to be launched in June. The latest in the collaboration between Doug Zurn, the designer, and Bob Johnstone, the founder of MJM Yachts, the new 35z will be powered by two outboards, giving it both speed and power, while keeping the fuel-efficiency for which the brand is famous. It’s no surprise that the new boat has all the classic Down East lines of earlier MJMs, with its low profile, gentle tumblehome and long sheerline. Or that it’s a serious offshore boat, with a…

Trump Budget Cuts $1.3 Billion from Coast Guard, Hurting Drug Interdiction and Arctic Exploration

By Peter Janssen on March 7, 2017 Cruising Life

Although the Trump Administration wants to increase spending for some parts of the military, the President’s new budget cuts $1.3 billion from the Coast Guard, which has already been suffering from previous cuts. The new cuts would particularly affect the Coast Guard’s efforts at drug interdiction and its presence in the Arctic. Admiral Paul Zukunft, the Coast Guard Commandant, said that last year the service had been very successful in drug interdiction, seizing more than 200 metric tons of cocaine, the most ever. But it also had to ignore 500 other “events” – signs of possible drug smuggling – because…

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