Destinations

What are Best Beach Bars in Caribbean? Here’s Coastal Living’s List

By Peter Janssen on December 7, 2016 Destinations

Here’s a fun list of what Coastal Living magazine thinks are the best beach bars in the Caribbean. Even if you don’t agree with them, take a look – and long for your next cruise or charter there. Yes, I know that cruising on the boat is fun and all that, but getting off the boat and relaxing at a great bar on the beach….well, that certainly adds to the fun – and makes for great memories. See if your favorite bar is on the list: http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10/best-caribbean-beach-bars

Great Guide to Soper’s Hole: Welcome to the British Virgin Islands

By Peter Janssen on December 3, 2016 Cruising Life, Destinations

It’s hard not to want to go back to the British Virgin Islands once you’ve cruised there. In fact, I keep going back again and again, discovering something new in some of the best, easiest and most welcoming cruising grounds on the planet. Here’s a guide to Soper’s Hole, at the end of Tortola, the largest island there and the base of most of the BVI’s charter fleet. The story is geared a bit toward sail, but all the points apply to powerboats as well. Indeed, the last time I was there was to clear Customs on a trawler my…

Old Bahama Bay Resort & Marina Set to Reopen after Matthew

By Peter Janssen on December 1, 2016 Destinations

The Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbour on Grand Bahama Island was hit hard in October by Hurricane Matthew, with wind gusts over 100 mph. But now the resort and marina, with 72 slips, will reopen on December 19. During the storm, Old Bahama Bay lost electricity and water service and sustained some minor damage, but now it will have a renovated pool, Dockside Grille and shopping deck. The marina has a fuel dock, eight feet of water at mean low tide, and on-site customs and immigration service. For more: http://megayachtnews.com/2016/12/old-bahama-bay-reopen-hurricane-matthew/

Burlington, Vermont: Historic, Lively Cruising Center of Lake Champlain

By Peter Janssen on November 29, 2016 Destinations

Named after French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who first went there in 1609, Lake Champlain is one of the premiere cruising destinations in the United States. First off, it’s enormous, some 163 miles long and 14 miles wide, with Vermont on the eastern shore and New York to the west. One of the many things that make it interesting, however, is that the northern tip is part of Quebec province, and if you want to practice your French (but with a distinct Quebec flair), or cruise through a part of the country that could have come from a Monet painting,…

Martha’s Vineyard, Off Season, Better than Ever

By Peter Janssen on November 15, 2016 Destinations

On our summer cruises, we often put into Edgartown on our way to, or from, Nantucket, as a way of spending a night or two on Martha’s Vineyard, one of the premiere cruising destinations on the East Coast, or anywhere else, for that matter. Or, if I had a vote, we’d head for Menemsha, the small fishing village on the other end of the island (think Jaws); not as well-known, but that’s one reason I like it. During the summer, however, anywhere on the Vineyard is crowded. Now, in the off season, the entire island has a quiet charm of…

Devastated by Sandy, Freeport, Long Island, Makes a Comeback

By Peter Janssen on November 9, 2016 Destinations

Four years ago, Hurricane Sandy ripped into Freeport, a major boating area on the south shore of Long Island, NY, destroying boats and marinas and damaging 3,500 homes. Now Freeport has come back. Its famed Nautical Mile is open with its traditional seafood restaurants, bars and boat slips. The water taxi and sunset cruises were busy this summer; so was the waterfront steel band. Here’s a great story from The New York Times about how Freeport made a comeback. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/23/realestate/freeport-ny-a-waterfront-community-rebuilds.html

Monhegan: An Iconic Art-Colony Island in Maine

By Peter Janssen on October 25, 2016 Destinations

If you haven’t been to Monhegan Island, about 12 miles off the tip of Port Clyde in mid-coast Maine, go. Well, wait for summer, and then go. This is laid-back Maine at its best, a summer art colony with a terrific hotel overlooking the harbor and walking trails that don’t end. There are no cars, and about 75 people live there year-round. Picture an iconic Maine waterfront scene in your mind and you’ll find it on Monhegan. There is no marina (it’s not that kind of place). Instead, you hail the “harbormaster” when you arrive and he’ll come out in…

The Best of the Canadian Gulf Islands: Go Next Summer

By Peter Janssen on October 10, 2016 Destinations

A lot of us are familiar with the San Juan Islands, just above Seattle, which offer some of the best cruising grounds in the United States. But just above them, the Canadian Gulf Islands are just as appealing as cruising destinations, perhaps even more so, since they’re a bit off the beaten path and they may get a little more sunshine. Here’s a list of the top eight Gulf Islands compiled by Northwest Explorations, a first-class charter company located in Bellingham, Washington. I’ve been to about half of these; the others are on my list. Take a look:http://www.nwexplorations.com/2016/10/10/8-must-see-gulf-island-boating-spots/

Go Fishing on Your Moorings Charter in the BVI

By Peter Janssen on August 9, 2016 Charter, Destinations

Good news for fisherman. Now you can go fishing on your charter vacation on The Moorings in the BVI. Indeed, The Moorings just registered their entire fleet of power cats in the BVI as fishing vessels, meaning they are legal for fishing there. A recent regulation imposed by the BVI government requires all vessels to have an official registration number in order to engage in any fishing activities; as of July 1, all Moorings power cats, from 39 to 51 feet, have the official registration numbers. These boats are in addition to the entire fleet of Moorings crewed yachts, which…

30 Nordhavns in Alaska: Great Video

By Peter Janssen on August 8, 2016 Cruising Life, Destinations

In the largest owners’ rendezvous in the company’s history, 32 Nordhavns cruised to Petersburg, Alaska, this summer, surpassing the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally, with 17 boats, in 2004, and anything since. In addition to the owners who arrived on their own boats, many other Nordhavn owners flew in for the event. Here’s a great video showing how proud these owners are of their boats, and of their own cruising accomplishments. .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vx0EiNf5wQ&feature=em-upload_owner

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