Destinations

Bar Harbor, Maine: All the Way Down East

By Peter Janssen on March 31, 2021 Destinations

If you’re thinking of cruising to Maine this summer, you might as well go all the way Down East and head for Bar Harbor, a bustling vacation destination with lots to do and the gateway to Acadia National Park, with some of the most beautiful vistas in the United States. Bar Harbor is on Mount Desert Island, all the way around, past the iconic boating communities of Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor, across the way and the start of Somes Sound. Overlooking all this is Cadillac Mountain, the highest mountain on the eastern seaboard. As a community, Bar Harbor was…

Top 10 Charter Destinations in the World

By Peter Janssen on March 17, 2021 Charter, Destinations

Many countries still have Covid-related travel restrictions, but now is a good time to plan for better times ahead. To help with that, Marina Nazario at Denison Yachting put together a list of the top ten charter destinations in the world. Take a look, and start dreaming: 1.Florida Keys. You don’t need a passport here, just a change in attitude to go with the change of latitude. You can cruise down the Atlantic to Key Largo, Islamorada and Key West, where you might even be able to capture the green flash as the sun goes down. If you go, you…

Top 15 Whale-Watching Spots in the U.S.

By Peter Janssen on March 10, 2021 Destinations

There’s probably nothing so dramatic when cruising than seeing a whale, or pod of whales, in their native state. It can be an absolutely awe-inspiring experience, one you’ll never forget. (If you’re downwind, you also won’t forget the fish smell when they breach; it’s terrible!) But where to find them? Here’s some great advice about the 15 best whale-watching destinations in the U.S. from localadventurer.com, with advice about when to go. Read on: Thar she blows! If you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these massive and majestic creatures, there’s nothing quite like it. Before you go on your…

St. Michaels: Historic Gem on the Eastern Shore

By Peter Janssen on March 4, 2021 Destinations

A historic waterfront town on the eastern shore of Maryland, St. Michaels is one of the favorite stops for people cruising on the Chesapeake. With several marinas and a lot of waterfront activities, it can seem like boating central during the season; on the other hand, it’s small enough (only one square mile with about 1,200 people) so you can get away from it all, if that’s what you have in mind. St. Michaels’ appeal is not a secret. Indeed, USA Today once named it one of the Top 10 Best Small Coastal Towns, and Coastal Living said it was…

A Possible Comeback for Historic Miami Marine Stadium

By Peter Janssen on February 24, 2021 Destinations

Miami’s historic Marine Stadium, closed since it was condemned in 1992, may be in for a revival – finally. But it’s been a long time coming. The 6,566-seat stadium opened in 1963 as a venue for powerboat racing, and then special events. Located on Virginia Key and accessible by Rickenbacker Causeway, it offered spectacular views of downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay. The stadium was designed by Hilario Candela, then 27 and a Cuban immigrant, and featured a 326-foot-long cantilevered roof, supported by eight slanted columns. It was the longest span of cantilevered concrete in the world at the time. And…

Good News for the Erie Canal…Maybe

By Peter Janssen on February 17, 2021 Destinations

There seems to be the prospect of good news for people planning to cruise on the historic Erie Canal this summer. It is scheduled to be open from mid-May to mid-October, according to Gil Quiniones, the president of the New York Power Authority; the Authority has owned the New York State Canal Corporation since 2017. First opened in 1825, the Erie Canal runs 363 miles from Albany, on the Hudson, to Buffalo, on Lake Erie, a crucial waterway for cruisers on the Great Loop. (Another section runs up to Lake Champlain, leading to Canada, for anyone cruising to the St.…

Bravada Launches Head-Turning Houseboat on Lake Powell

By Peter Janssen on February 2, 2021 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you don’t want to cruise outside the United States because of the pandemic, you might want to think about Lake Powell, on the border of Arizona and Utah, where you could enjoy all the amenities of home, plus some, offered by the new 75-foot Bravada Yachts luxury houseboat. Whether you’re on the Bravada or some other boat, at Lake Powell you won’t feel lonely. About two million people a year (in non-pandemic years) visit the lake. Basically a man-made reservoir on the Colorado River, and part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the lake is about 200 miles…

Big Plans for a Comeback at Walker’s Cay

By Peter Janssen on January 28, 2021 Destinations

Walker’s Cay, the northernmost island in the Bahamas and once the home to world-class fishing tournaments, will return to its former glory, if Carl Allen, a retired Texas businessman and avid fisherman and diver, has his way. The 100-acre island, with its airstrip, marina, hotel and cottages, has been basically empty since hurricanes swept over it in 2004. Now Allen, who’s living there on Gigi, his 164-foot Westport, just needs the Covid pandemic to end so he can return to the business of bringing it back. For Walker’s, location is everything. It’s about 105 nm from Jupiter, and 53 from…

The Moorings Opens New Charter Base in St. Thomas

By Peter Janssen on January 9, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

The Moorings is opening a new charter base in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, offering a variety of charter options for some of the most beautiful destinations in the Caribbean. Crewed charters will be available in February, The Moorings said, while bareboat sail and power charters start in March. The charters operate out of Yacht Haven Grande Marina in Charlotte Amalie, just a ten-minute drive from Cyril E. King Airport, with many direct flights from the U.S. Yacht Haven Grande (pictured below) is a luxury full-service marina, with immigration services, shopping, dining, pool, tennis courts, Wi-Fi and a business center.…

Iconic Hurricane Hole Marina To Reopen in Bahamas

By Peter Janssen on January 5, 2021 Cruising Life, Destinations

A new and improved version of the iconic Hurricane Hole Marina on Paradise Island in the Bahamas is being built now, with 6,100 linear feet of deep-water concrete docks and slips for up to 420-foot superyachts. The new marina will be renamed Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina at Paradise Landing. It’s scheduled to open by the end of this year. Hurricane Hole, within easy walking distance of the Atlantis Resort, has been a favorite destination for yachts cruising in the Bahamas for years. The new marina is designed to offer boat owners even more, including gourmet dining, exclusive retail stores and…

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