The Whitsunday Islands, a collection of 74 largely uninhabited islands between the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia, and the Great Barrier Reef, are some of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world. The water is filled with coral and marine life, while the islands are speckled with white sand beaches, rainforests and hiking trails. And that’s before you get to the Aboriginal caves, fjord-like inlets, or bays overflown by colonies of butterflies. Now MarineMax Vacations has teamed up with Cumberland Charter Yachts and Luxury Yachts Whitsundays to offer the popular Aquila 44 power cat for charter in the Whitsundays…
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What is billed as the world’s first underwater villa will open at the Conrad Maldives Rangall Island Resort in November. If you’re tired of cruising on top of the water, you can book the villa, called The Muraka, and relax more than 16 feet under the water in your king-sized bedroom with a living room, bathroom and butler on call. Once there, you can enjoy the 180-degree view of marine life passing by your Japanese-designed, minimalist-inspired 193-square-foot suite. Above the surface, the villa has a much larger, 5,921-square-foot living area with another king-sized bedroom and bathroom (where the tub faces…
Located along the east shore of the Adriatic in some of the world’s most spectacular cruising grounds, Montenegro is rapidly becoming a favorite summer yachting and charter destination. And Porto Montenegro, with its 450 slips, upscale marina village and five-star hotel, is emerging as the host of a series of events this summer, including regattas, a fashion show, concerts, and art exhibitions. Montenegro has a long and rich history, dating to the Roman Empire, Byzantine rulers, Ottoman invaders and more recently the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and its subsequent breakup. Montenegro declared its independence in 2006, and the new government decided…
“That’s right, lobster boat racing fans and racers. The 33rdseason begins right here in Boothbay Harbor at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 16, with the Charles Begin Memorial races.” That announcement of the start of Maine’s iconic lobster boat racing season from the Boothbay Register is just one of the many reasons to head Down East this summer, but it’s certainly one of the most enjoyable. In case you’ve missed all this, a lot of Maine’s lobster boat fishermen love to soup up their vessels and race against each other in these summer festivals, which are held in ports throughout the state.…
The good news is that Willy T, the iconic party barge in the British Virgin Islands, is coming back soon. Just don’t look for it at its old spot anchored off The Bight on Norman Island. Instead, it will be moving almost next door, to Great Harbour on Peter Island. The problem is that Willy T was seriously damaged in Hurricane Irma last September; it washed up the beach. Now it’s found a new home. Ewan Anderson, Willy T’s owner, announced the move after meeting with the local government. The necessary paperwork and permits are now being processed so…
If you’re heading Down East to Maine this summer, take this story with you. It’s a great list of the best lobster rolls you can buy in the state of Maine, stretching from the border with New Hampshire to the border with Canada. Put together by Coastal Living, the list has 17 spots where you’ll find Maine’s best lobster rolls; most are along the water, in one way or another, but all of them serve fresh lobster almost right off the lobster boat. Number one on the list is The Clam Shack in Kennebunk, which features locally caught lobsters on…
Le Boat, the largest boat rental company in Europe, just opened its first operation in North America on the historic Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Canada. The company, which has 16 bases in eight different countries, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Kilmarnock Lock Station on the Rideau Canal, with three of their new Horizon Cruisers among the first vessels to transit the lock to start the 2018 boating season. The Rideau Canal winds 125 miles through picturesque towns, unspoiled lakes and rolling pastoral countryside from Kingston, on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence, up to Ottawa,…
Thinking about a new place for a cruise, a charter or just a vacation? Take a look at some of these islands, which Coastal Living calls the “best secret islands on earth,” with white-sand beaches, fresh seafood and, best of all, no crowds. Skopelos, in Greece (pictured above), caught my eye, with its hidden coves, blue-roofed tavernas, Byzantine churches and endless views of the turquoise Aegean. It also has the beach that Hollywood used for scenes in Mama Mia. In Belize, Caye Caulker is a laid-back, five-mile-long strip of land where you can snorkel among the nurse sharks and rays at…
The British Virgin Islands have been a cruising and chartering paradise for generations; the waters are clear blue, the winds usually mild, the navigation easy and often line of sight, the people are friendly, and when you get tired of one island, it’s easy to head for another one. And then there’s the snorkeling. The BVI were hit hard by the hurricanes last fall, but now things are getting back to normal. The only problem with snorkeling in the BVI now is deciding where to go first, or second, or…To help you decide, here’s a list of the top five snorkeling…
If you want to get away from the crowds and experience some cruising in deep-blue waters, where rocky green coastlines are dotted with small coves, islands and potential anchorages, head all the way up to the top of Maine to the U.S.-Canada border and turn into Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick. And as you pass Eastport, Maine, the last town in the U.S., take a look a mile across the strait to Campobello Island, the summer home of FDR and the site of the East Quoddy Lighthouse with its absolutely iconic red Cross of St. George. I took this trip a…