Destinations

St. Michaels, Maryland: A Historic Gem on the Eastern Shore, with a Great Maritime Museum and the Crab Claw

By Peter Janssen on August 28, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

The first time I went to St. Michaels, Maryland, a gem of a small (pop: 1,029), historic (dating to 1677), waterfront community on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake, was about 35 years ago with my friend and colleague, the late Dan Fales. We were delivering a Bertram 46 from Norfolk, Virginia, to Norwalk, Connecticut, and stopped for the night. Actually, we stopped so we could have a crab dinner sitting on the porch of the Crab Claw, looking out over the Miles River and the flow of boats in and out of the harbor. Over the years I’ve gone…

St. Lucia: A Charter and Cruising Jewel in the Windward Islands with a Rich Life on Shore and on the Water

By Peter Janssen on August 22, 2018 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

With The Pitons, iconic twin volcanic peaks towering some 2,000 feet above Soufriere Bay, St. Lucia is easily the most recognizable islands in the Windward chain in the Caribbean. But St. Lucia also is one of the jewels of the Windwards, just south of Martinique and north of St. Vincent, a rich and rewarding charter and cruising destination with protected harbors, golden beaches, inviting diving sites, and lush mountain rainforests beckoning with wild orchids, giant ferns and tropical birds. The 27-mile-long island has two state-of-the-art marinas. IGY Rodney Bay is in the north of St. Lucia, nestled in an inner…

To Totally Relax, Take a Le Boat Charter Through the Canals in the South of France

By Peter Janssen on August 15, 2018 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

For a different kind of charter vacation, think about an idyllic, serene and totally relaxing canal cruise in the Petite Camargue area in the south of France. Life on a 49-foot canal boat from Le Boat, with three staterooms, all with en suite heads and showers, is about as easy as it can ever can be, and watching the sun go down from the top deck, eating some local cheese and oysters and sipping some of the local rosé is pretty hard to beat. Here’s a first-person story from The Guardian about four people spending five days along the Canal du…

For a Cruise Off the Beaten Track, Here Are 19 European Islands, from Norway to the Med

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

Summer seems to be speeding by, but there’s still time for a special cruise this year, and there’s always time to plan for a special cruise in the years ahead. For something different, here’s a look at 19 often-overlooked islands in Europe, from the far north of Norway down to the Med, that could make it to your eventual bucket list, as developed by mydomaine.com. In the north, Denmark’s Faroe Islands (pictured above) are a string of volcanic islands in the North Atlantic between Norway, Iceland and the UK. They’re rocky, with jagged, steep cliffs, lots of hiking trails and…

From Harbor Cruises, Free Concerts and Pool Parties, Lots Going on at Marina del Rey This Summer

By Peter Janssen on August 1, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re cruising in Southern California for the rest of the summer, check out the schedule at Marina del Rey next to Los Angeles; there’s a lot going on. For starters, Marina del Rey is one of the largest and most attractive marinas not only on the West Coast but anywhere in the U.S., so a visit at any time is a treat. Over the years I’ve always had a great time there. But this summer the schedule includes Marina Fundays, free concerts, food on the beach, a farmer’s market and more. Throughout August and September, the Marina Fundays offer…

16 Great Cruising Destinations on the South Shore of Cape Cod and the Islands

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

Some of the best cruising grounds in the U.S., if not the world, are found off the south shore of Cape Cod and the nearby islands – the Elizabeth Islands stretching southwest between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, and then Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket offshore. Here’s a look at 16 great cruising destinations there from New England Boating. You can easily cruise to two or three of them (or more) in the same day, but each one is worth a long visit in its own right. First on their list is Cuttyhunk, as it would be for mine too, not…

The 5 Best Islands in Maine; Plan Your Cruise Now

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

The iconic, rocky coast of Maine, filled with finger-like peninsulas, hidden coves and welcoming harbors, is one of the great treats awaiting cruising boat owners. And then there are the islands. Here’s a look at five of Maine’s most beautiful islands from New England Today. If you’re cruising Down East this summer, you’ll want to visit at least some of them, if not all. My personal favorite is Monhegan, pictured above, a small (one square mile) outpost about ten miles off the coast at Port Clyde, which is a great destination in its own right. And it has a fairly…

Port Washington, NY: Think Gatsby, Plus Great Marinas and Waterfront Dining

By Peter Janssen on July 11, 2018 Destinations

Here’s a story I wrote a while ago for Southern Boating, about Port Washington, New York, one of the best boating destinations on the East Coast. It has great marinas, waterfront restaurants, parks, easy train and car access to New York City, and a touch of literary fame and glamour as the setting for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Here’s my review: If you’re cruising east of New York City this summer, think about a stopover at Port Washington, on Long Island’s North Shore. With its large marinas and mooring fields, waterfront restaurants and marine services, “Port,” as locals…

Looking for a New Spot in the Bahamas? Try the Beautiful Beaches of Rose Island, Four Miles from Nassau

By Peter Janssen on July 2, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re cruising near Nassau in the Bahamas, you may want to head about four miles east to Rose Island, an 11-mile-long thin strip of land with some of the best beaches in the islands. Rose Island once was a pineapple plantation, but that was hundreds of years ago. Now it has no infrastructure or roads, and a shallow lagoon lies in the middle. The highest point of land is just 52 feet above sea level. Rose Island doesn’t have much in the way of civilization. What it does have, in spades, is terrific beaches. Before you get to the…

Top 40 Boating Destinations in the U.S. See if Your Favorites Are Here

By Peter Janssen on June 26, 2018 Cruising Life, Destinations

What are the best boating destinations in the United States? Or more precisely, what are the 40 best boating destinations in the United States? To find out, the people at Dockwa, which is, after all, a high-tech operation, crunched the numbers on their app and web site to compile a list of the most-searched-for destinations. They say this is not a ranking, where the first on the list is Number One, and the fortieth is Dead Last, but simply a listing. To my mind, there aren’t any surprises here. The list starts with Block Island, Rhode Island, and ends with…

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