Cruising Life

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…

Great Video of Yachts Being Moved Around Pendennis Yard

By Peter Janssen on March 5, 2017 Cruising Life

We usually don’t cover megayachts, but this video is just too good to miss. Talk about basic boat handling. It’s a time-lapse video of how yachts are moved around the Pendennis shipyard in Falmouth, England, particularly dealing with Aquila, at 281 feet the largest yacht ever refitted in the U.K. Don’t try this at home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gFvbJFU9w4

112′ Ferretti Custom Line Yacht Sinks in Mallorca Harbor

By Peter Janssen on March 5, 2017 Cruising Life

Ouch. This does hurt. The story is that a severe wind roared through this harbor in Mallorca, Spain, breaking a dock line on Paradise, a 112-foot Ferretti Group Custom Line yacht built in 2003. The boat, with a composite hull, then slammed into the dock and started to sink. Paradise had been for sale for 3.4 million Euros. Read the story here: https://yachtharbour.com/news/34m-yacht-sinks-in-mallorca-1525?src=home_page_latest_main

Want a Glamorous Cruise or Charter? Try the Cote d’Azur

By Peter Janssen on March 2, 2017 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

There are vacations and there are vacations, but where else in the world is as appealing and as glamorous as the Cote d’Azur, the 60-mile stretch of absolutely gorgeous blue water from Monaco to St. Tropez? Think Princess Grace, Brigitte Bardot, Cary Grant and James Bond, not to mention F. Scott Fitzgerald. Now you can get there yourself on a cruise or week-long charter from MarineMax Yachts. Here’s a sample itinerary to whet your appetite: http://www.marinemaxyachts.com/private-yacht-charters/cote-dazur

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