Cruising Life

This Couple, New To Boating, Trade Up to Prestige 550, Cruise from Annapolis to Palm Beach

By Peter Janssen on January 23, 2017 Cruising Life

Three years ago Jonathan Murray and Desiree Van Welsum weren’t out to buy a boat. Instead, they were were living in New York City and were looking for a weekend home in the country. After several potential deals fell through, they decided to try a boat as a floating second home. They then moved to Washington and bought a 41 footer that they used just enough to decide they needed a bigger boat. Then came a 51 footer, and just last spring they traded up again, to a Prestige 550. They love the boating and cruising life, and here in…

Top 10 Spots to Snorkel: Go Now!

By Peter Janssen on January 18, 2017 Cruising Life

After you’ve dropped the hook, either on your own cruise or on a charter, one of the first things you’ll probably do is break out the fins and mask and go snorkeling. It’s easy, it’s fun, and almost everyone has a good time in or under the water. But where to go? Here’s a list from Coastal Living magazine about the ten best snorkeling destinations, from Florida to Catalina to Hawaii. See if your favorite snorkeling spot is here: http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10-spots-to-snorkel

New 27-Knot Aquila Power Cat with Twin Outboards

By Peter Janssen on January 18, 2017 Charter, Cruising Life

http://aquilaboats.comAquila is launching a new 36-foot power catamaran that makes cruising or chartering easy, comfortable and fast. Indeed, the new Aquila 36 has two staterooms and two heads and is powered by twin 250-hp Mercury Verado four-stroke outboards that top out at 27 knots. If that’s not fast enough, twin 300-hp or even twin 350-hp Verados are options. With the standard 250s, the new cat cruises at 21 knots and delivers a 282-nm range. Performance is one thing. Cruising comfort is another. With its 14’7” beam, the Aquila 36 offers room to spare, inside and out. The staterooms in each…

How To Dock in a Cross-Wind: Video and Detailed Story

By Peter Janssen on January 16, 2017 Cruising Life

At some point, we’ve all been there. It’s time to back into a slip, but the wind is blowing and the bow wants to go one way and the stern another. Even if no one is watching (and they usually are) you don’t want to mess this up. Here’s a great video, plus a long story, showing how to accomplish this without an injury either to your boat or to your reputation. See the video first here: https://youtu.be/MmaYOXulaGM For the detailed story, click here: http://www.mby.com/maintenance/windier-berthing-32638

Toys, Tech and New Boats: The Best of the London Boat Show

By Peter Janssen on January 16, 2017 Cruising Life

Here’s a great look at the best toys, technology and boats at the London Boat Show, in a CNBC video. Take a look at how you can use your Apple iWatch to control all the lights on your boat (pictured above), for example. Oh, you don’t want to do that? Well, try a ride on the Seabob instead. In the middle of winter here in the northern half of the U.S., it’s easy to forget that boating is fun. Here’s an easy reminder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ9sGUn6JZs

The Folvigs from Sarasota: Living the Dream on Their Nordhavn 62

By Peter Janssen on January 12, 2017 Cruising Life

We all know about Nordhavn owners who circle the globe, head for high-latitude explorations or spend seasons island-hopping in the South Pacific. More typical, and realistic for the rest of us, are families who embark on coastal cruises or take off for the Caribbean, having adventures together and living the dream. Count the Folvigs from Sarasota in this group. The captain of this crew, John Folvig, bought a brokerage Nordhavn 62 last April. It was his first trawler, so he and his wife Jen and their three sons spent the summer cruising up and down the East Coast, getting used…

Most Expensive Yacht Ever Sold in Australia Loses Steering, Takes on Water; Passing Cruise Liner Comes to the Rescue

By Peter Janssen on January 10, 2017 Cruising Life

You don’t see this very often. A passing Carnival cruise liner rescued two crew members from the 121-foot Masteka 2, the most expensive yacht ever sold in Australia, when the yacht lost its steering and started taking in water at the stern. The Masteka 2 charters for $3,000 an hour, but no guests were on board at the time. See the video below: http://www.oceanofnews.com/two-saved-121-sinking-yacht-masteka-2-nearby-cruise-ship/

Coast Guard Cutter Becomes Disabled Trying to Tow Disabled Fishing Boat in Alaska; Coast Guard Chopper Rescues Four. See Video.

By Peter Janssen on January 10, 2017 Cruising Life

Bad things can happen in the Gulf of Alaska, particularly in January. First, the commercial fishing boat Lady Gudny had fuel problems and became disabled 230 miles east of Kodiak in 20-foot seas and 42-knot winds (pictured above). The 225-foot Coast Guard cutter Spar went to the rescue, but when it started to tow the Lady Gudny the tow line separated and caught in Spar’s props, disabling it. A Coast Guard helicopter flew in to rescue the four crew members from the Lady Gudny, while two commercial tugs went out to retrieve the cutter and the fishing boat. Read about it here and…

Azimut Magellano 66 Named Best Passagemaker of the Year

By Peter Janssen on January 10, 2017 Cruising Life

The British magazine Motor Boat & Yachting has just named the Azimut Magellano 66 the best passagemaker of the year during a gala awards dinner at the London boat show. The magazine’s annual Motor Boat Awards cover eight categories, ranging from sports boats to 100-foot custom yachts. The magazine said the Magellano won the Passagemaker category because it is “a boat that encapsulates everything wanted from a passagemaker: masses of storage space, a safe deck layout and a hull that is comfortable across a wide range of cruising speeds.” You can read our review of the Azimut Magellano by going…

Miami Boat Show: More Boats, Buses and Water Taxis. See the Video

By Peter Janssen on January 5, 2017 Cruising Life

The National Marine Manufacturers Association seems to have learned some lessons from last year, the first time its Miami boat show was on Virginia Key on Key Biscayne. Mainly, that it was hard to get there. Now, for the show starting Feb. 16, the NMMA has lined up more buses, more water taxis, and more parking spaces to make it easier to get to the show. And, the real point, there will be a lot more boats to see once you get there. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnZvcGzRI48

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