Destinations

Fort Pierce, Florida: A Historic, Boater-Friendly Stop on the ICW

By Peter Janssen on November 19, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re cruising through Florida, you may want to think about stopping at Fort Pierce. It’s a major boating center right on the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Fort Pierce Inlet gives easy access to the Atlantic, if you want to go outside, or to the Bahamas. Hutchinson Island, the long, thin barrier island, separates the Waterway from the ocean there. Fort Pierce is called the “sunrise city,” because of the clear view to the east. One of the oldest cities in the area (with roots dating to 1567), it’s on Florida’s Treasure Coast, so-named because of all the tons of…

The Favors Keep Cruising: Now Down the Historic Trent Severn Waterway on Their Ranger 29

By Peter Janssen on November 19, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Many cruisers consider the historic, pastoral 240-mile Trent Severn Waterway the most beautiful part of the entire 5,000-mile-long Great Loop. Connecting Trenton on Lake Ontario to Port Severn on Georgian Bay, the waterway runs through small villages, farmland and lakes, and has no fewer than 44 locks. Jim and Lisa Favors, two experienced cruisers (they’ve already completed the Loop, for example), now write about their north to south passage on the Trent Severn, including their transit of the Peterborough lift lock, which is so unique it has been designated a Canadian National Historic Site. Built in the early 1900s, the…

Cruising in Mexico This Winter: Nine Destinations, Strung Like Jewels on a Golden Crown

By Peter Janssen on November 13, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re on the West Coast, you may want to think about taking a cruise to Mexico this winter. The weather’s great, the anchorages and marinas aren’t crowded, and you can enjoy a different kind of cruising vacation. Here’s a compelling story about the advantages of taking such a cruise this winter, with a sample itinerary, from Sea magazine. Take a look: Mexico’s Gold Coast: a series of nine beautiful boating destinations and pristine anchorages strung like jewels on a golden crown. Together they provide several months’ worth of winter cruising pleasure. Here’s one winter cruising itinerary for Mexico’s Gold…

Key West: Home of the Colorful Conch Republic and a Great Cruising Destination

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Key West is a lot of things. The Conch Republic. The end of the road, or at least the end of the 127-mile-long Overseas Highway. It’s irreverent, different, fun. And it’s colorful: Consider the daily scene where hundreds, or thousands, of people, plus various fire-eaters, jugglers and tightrope walkers, gather on Mallory Square to look for the green flash as the sun goes down. Or the annual Fantasy Fest parade (pictured above right) or the New Year’s Eve blowout (above left). Most of all, Key West is a great cruising destination. If you’re looking for a weekend or more, head…

The Hamiltons’ Latest Cruise: The Stunning Lysefjord in Norway

By Peter Janssen on October 17, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Dirona is on the move again. The 2009 Nordhavn 52 owned by James and Jennifer Hamilton just cruised up the Lysefjord in southwest Norway, one of the cruising world’s major – and hard to get to – attractions. A remnant of the ice age, Lysefjord (light fjord) is 26 miles long and is bordered by steep granite cliffs that often rise 1,300 feet above the water. Underwater, the depths start at 43 feet and then plummet to more than 1,000 feet as the fjord moves inland. This summer the Hamiltons, a high-tech couple from Seattle who’ve been cruising since 2012, took…

Pusser’s To Open New Restaurant and Painkiller Bar on Cane Garden Bay in the BVI

By Peter Janssen on October 17, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Here’s some really good news if you’re heading for the British Virgin Islands any time soon. Pusser’s will open a restaurant, bar and company store at Myett’s Hotel on the beach at Cane Garden Bay. The new Pusser’s will replace Myett’s existing restaurant there, and will open around the end of November. Cane Garden Bay is on the northwest side of Tortola, basically across from Jost Van Dyke. It’s one of the prettiest spots in the BVI, which is so full of pretty spots that it’s become a worldwide cruising and chartering favorite. The area was hit particularly hard by…

Ten Things To Do in Fort Lauderale

By Peter Janssen on October 16, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

So you’re thinking about heading to Fort Lauderdale for the big boat show? Great. But what do once you’re there? Here’s our list of ten things to do to make your visit truly memorable. 1.Go to the show. It’s one of the best, and largest, in the world, with 1,500 new boats and 1,200 exhibitors. This year it runs from Wednesday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 4. You’ll find everything from megayachts to jet skis, Ferraris and helicopters. There’s so much that the show can be overwhelming, and crowded; it had 110,000 visitors last year. If you get tired of…

Architectural Digest: Will Bermuda Become the Next Hamptons, Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket?

By Peter Janssen on October 8, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Now that the America’s Cup has come and gone, Bermuda is back to its natural state: One of the best cruising and vacation destinations in the world. Indeed, Architectural Digest, an arbiter of such things, says Bermuda is on track to become the next Hamptons, Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, a prediction that could make some old Bermudians wonder what’s happening to their favorite island. The fact is, however, that Bermuda has a lot going for it, other than being at the other end of the Bermuda race, or a stopping point for a transatlantic crossing (as it was for the…

In Light of State Department Warnings, How Safe is Mexico Today? The Log Has Some Answers

By Peter Janssen on September 30, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Travel advisories are often issued by the United States, but how dangerous is it south of the border? MEXICO — There are certainly a fair share of boaters who navigate to and from Mexico’s many marinas and boating destinations on a regular basis, giving no mind to the travel advisories issued by the U.S.’s State Department. Yet others might buy into this notion of Mexico being a drug cartel playground, with innocent U.S. tourists caught in the middle of heated gun battles. Traveling always comes with risks, to be sure. Some people will invariably have bad experiences, even if they…

Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island Resort To Reopen Soon, Rebuilt After Irma. See His Video

By Peter Janssen on September 29, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

Sir Richard Branson is going to reopen his exclusive and beautiful vacation property on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands in a few weeks. It had been seriously damaged by Hurricane Irma last fall. “Delighted that Necker Island will soon be open again as we continue the recovery,” Branson wrote. Branson bought the 74-acre island in the ‘70s for $180,000 and spent millions making it one of the most sought-after luxury resorts in the world. Over the years, the guest list has included royals, Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, the late Nelson Mandela, and former President Barack Obama and his…

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