Cruising Life

Solar Panels Everywhere on Fabiani 77

By Peter Janssen on June 21, 2022 Cruising Life

At first glance, this may seem to be too much of a good thing; on the other hand, it may be the start of a new trend. In any event, all those solar panels do provide a good deal of eco-friendly power to the Wedgewood Hybrid, 77, now under construction at the Fabiani Yacht yard in Livorno, Italy. When extended, the solar “park” has 1,200 square feet of panels to supply power to the yacht’s batteries that then can drive two electric motors. The yacht can cruise for up to 16 hours at 6 to 8 knots under solar power…

Two Killed, Ten Hurt, in Crash near Miami

By Peter Janssen on June 20, 2022 Cruising Life

Two people were killed and ten injured when two boats collided at night near Key Biscayne, Florida, the Coast Guard reports. One boat was 21-feet long, and the other was 30-feet long; seven people were on one, and five on the other. All the people were in the water about one mile west of Key Biscayne when the Coast Guard and other boaters arrived at the scene about 10:30 at night. Jose Hernandez, a Coast Guard spokesman, said, “They were all launched out of their boats.” Xavier Ruiz, who was boating nearby at the time, told Local10.com that he heard…

Dunkirk Little Ships Parade for Queen

By Peter Janssen on June 19, 2022 Cruising Life

In one of the most awe-inspiring events in modern history, a flotilla of 850 “little ships” managed to evacuate the battered remains of the British Army from the shores of Dunkirk, France, over just a few days in 1940 at the start of the Second World War. The Germans sank about 200 of the ships, but all in all the collection of private yachts, launches and various other vessels managed to rescue 338,228 British, French and allied soldiers from the broad beach at Dunkirk ahead of rapidly advancing German forces. Now, some of the remaining little ships held a parade…

Yacht Burns, Sinks, Off New Hampshire

By Peter Janssen on June 19, 2022 Cruising Life

A 72-foot yacht caught fire and was quickly engulfed in flames in the Piscataqua River near New Castle, New Hampshire, on Saturday afternoon. The three people and two dogs on board were rescued from the water by a good Samaritan boat. The burning boat drifted out of the harbor with the tide and across the state line into Maine. It sank near buoy 2KR buoy off Kittery just two hours after the first emergency radio call, according to the New Hampshire Marine Patrol. The yacht, named Elusive, caught fire as it was cruising down the river, heading for the Wentworth…

Marine Sanctuary Proposed for Hudson Canyon

By Peter Janssen on June 16, 2022 Cruising Life

The Biden Administration recently proposed a new marine sanctuary for the Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York and New Jersey. The White House said the sanctuary, an underwater valley about 100 miles offshore, would help to “conserve and restore the health and productivity of the ocean for the benefit of all Americans.” The Hudson Canyon is a rich fishing area and is one of the largest underwater canyons in the world, up to 2.5 miles deep in some areas and 7.5 miles wide. It’s the favored habitat of sperm whales, sea turtles, octopuses and deep sea corals. It…

China Starts Sea Trials for Autonomous Ship

By co_admin on June 15, 2022 Cruising Life

China just launched a fully autonomous, “revolutionary” research ship that is powered by artificial intelligence and that the director of the Southern Ocean Laboratory there calls a new “marine species.” The ship, Zhu Hai Yun, can carry drones, submersibles and smaller ships on its deck to carry out marine research, and can navigate the ocean waters via remote control. The state-owned Science and Technology Daily said the ship is equipped with an Intelligent Mobile Ocean Stereo Observing System (IMOSOS), described as a one-of-a-kind artificial intelligence system. The Zhu Hai Yun is 290 feet long, with a 45-foot beam and a…

Do You Need an EPIRB or Just a PLB?

By co_admin on June 14, 2022 Cruising Life

Do you need a PLB or an EPIRB to keep you and your crew safe this summer? Here’s the answer from BoatUS: ANNAPOLIS, Md., June 14, 2022 – The proliferation of personal locator beacons (PLBs), whose diminutive size belie their enormous on-water safety advantage, are no longer thought of exotic rescue electronics. “PLBs are user-friendly and easy to maintain, and we are seeing more boaters using them as a mainstream rescue device,” said BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water Assistant Director of Boating Safety Ted Sensenbrenner. However, do recreational boaters fully understand the difference between a PLB and…

Altena 53: Sturdy, Steel, Blue-Water Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on June 14, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

With the current trend for long-range cruising and expedition yachts, you might want to take a look at the Dutch-built Altena 53 Blue Water Trawler, a sturdy, safe, steel-hulled cruiser. Altena has been building custom canal and blue-water explorer yachts since 1969. The 53 is one of five models in the 48- to 58-foot size range of blue-water cruisers. You can order it with one or two engines, but the standard 215-hp Cat 3306 diesel produces a top speed of 9 knots. At 5 knots, the boat has a range of 5,000 nm. If you order the single engine, you…

New Invictus GT320 with Marble Decks

By Peter Janssen on June 14, 2022 Cruising Life

Here’s something you probably haven’t seen before: A new cruising boat with marble decks. The brand-new Invictus GT320 Versilys is a world-wide first, at least to my knowledge, using super-thin grey Versilys marble slabs on the decks, the swim platform, the dinette in the cockpit and even in the head. The company says that the marble only adds 154 pounds to the 11,200 pounds of the standard Invictus 320, which was introduced in 2016. The boat uses carbon parts, in the hardtop and for the support poles for the aft awning, to reduce weight. Christian Grande, who has collaborated with…

Vicem Building New Cold-Molded 93

By Peter Janssen on June 13, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Vicem, the high-end Turkish builder, just announced that it’s building an all-new, cold-molded Vicem 93, the start of a new series, for an Australian couple. The new Vicem, scheduled for delivery next spring, will have four staterooms on the accommodations deck, and quarters for three crew aft. With a semi-displacement hull, the 93 will cruise at 14 knots and to out at 18 knots. The 93 is a bit of a departure for Vicem, which has concentrated in the 46- to 65-foot range in the past few years. Signifying the move to larger yachts, it delivered hull number one of…

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