On Watch with Peter Janssen

Doug Zurn's latest: a John Williams 38 with IPS drives.

Doug Zurn’s New Williams 38

By Peter Janssen on June 24, 2016 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life, On Watch with Peter Janssen

At first thought, this doesn’t seem like a logical partnership: Doug Zurn, who’s designed the sleek, fast MJM 50Z; the sleek, fast Shelter Island Runabout 38, and the sleek, fast 57-foot Vendetta for Billy Joel, has joined forces with John (Jock) Williams, who designs and builds the most traditional of all Maine lobster boats, originally for commercial fishermen and now for well-heeled owners who appreciate the “lobster yacht” aesthetic. But come together they did, with the new Williams 38 as the result – a classic-looking lobster boat above the waterline, with a state-of-the-art hull design below. The visible part of…

Incredible Coast Guard Rescue in Alaska

By Peter Janssen on June 19, 2016 Cruising Life, On Watch with Peter Janssen

This is one of the best Coast Guard rescue videos ever. It’s all in a day’s work for these people, but here a Coast Guard helicopter crew put their own swimmer the water in Alaska to hoist four fishermen to safety as their boat sinks behind them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S12DrHyQXUg

See Alaska Cruise Liner Slam into Pier

By Peter Janssen on June 4, 2016 On Watch with Peter Janssen

https://gcaptain.com/watch-celebrity-infinity-slams-into-pier-in-ketchikan-alaska/

Logs, Swirling Currents on Erie Canal

By Peter Janssen on June 2, 2016 Cruising Life, On Watch with Peter Janssen

Several cruisers have reported problems on the Erie Canal in the past few days, the result of heavy rain and flooding in the areas of Locks 9, 10 and 11 near Amsterdam, NY. Locks 10 and 11 were closed for a while at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, although they have reopened. And one captain reported on the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association blog that “the swirling current going 9 was vicious.” Another, Clay Logan on SaSea Sally, a Mainship 43, said he encountered “LOTS of logs and debris” in the area. On Seasons, a Tayana 42 trawler, John…

Aussies Tackle Great Loop; Winning So Far

By Peter Janssen on May 25, 2016 Cruising Life, Destinations, On Watch with Peter Janssen

This isn’t exactly the New York Yacht Club annual cruise, but it is two Aussies on a leased C-Dory 26, with a single 150-hp Honda outboard, doing the Great Loop. They started this spring in Florida and they’re now in Canada. Good on ’em. Here’s their daily blog. http://balakera.com

Circling the Atlantic, Heading Home

By Peter Janssen on May 12, 2016 Cruising Life, Destinations, On Watch with Peter Janssen

Sean and Lois Johnson, two Brits with a lot of salt water in their veins, are now in the Dominican Republic on their Nordhavn 64, Kapowai, after a circumnavigation of the Atlantic – from Miami up to Canada, across to Europe, and then back to the Caribbean. They had already crossed the Atlantic twice since they bought Kapowai just two years ago. If you’re interested in learning about long-range cruising from the people who’ve been there, here’s their latest blog postings before they head back to Miami.http://www.kapowaicruising.com

Sea Trials Start for Sabre 66 Flagship

By Peter Janssen on January 24, 2016 Boat Reviews, On Watch with Peter Janssen

Sabre Yachts has just started sea trials on its new 66-foot flagship Dirigo on Penobscot Bay in Maine to test its twin Volvo 900-hp engines and all the yacht’s systems before heading south to deliver it to the owner in Palm Beach and then the Miami boat show. Dirigo, in case you’re wondering, means “I lead” in Latin; it’s also the motto for the state of Maine, where all Sabres are built. It’s particularly appropriate for the new 66-foot express-style yacht, since the largest Sabre so far is a 54-footer. The move up to 66 feet comes after owners told…

Twin Disc’s New Thruster Panel Makes Your Helm Look Good

By Peter Janssen on January 8, 2016 Cruising Life, Gear, On Watch with Peter Janssen

Twin Disc’s New Thruster Panel Makes Your Helm Look Good We all know about the trend toward making docking easier, with pods, joysticks, thrusters and much more. But now Twin Disc has come up with something to make your helm station look better while you’re using this new technology: a new Digital Thruster Panel, which works with the company’s Express Joystick System and Power Commander electronic propulsion control, that not only looks good but is also easy to use. The new upscale panel is made of polished stainless steel, designed for the marine environment, and works equally well with lower…

Nordhavn’s Alaska Rendezvous

By Peter Janssen on January 3, 2016 Cruising Life, Destinations, On Watch with Peter Janssen

It’s no secret that Nordhavn owners are an adventuresome group. After all, the brand has built its reputation on crossing oceans and circumnavigating the world. Now a group of Nordhavn owners is organizing a rendezvous this July in Alaska, and they already have commitments from owners coming from Africa, Australia, the Caribbean and various ports in the U.S. So far some 30 owners have signed up for the Nordhavns2Alaska rendezvous (N2AK, for short) from July 8-10 in Petersburg, which is about halfway between Ketchikan and Juneau along the Inside Passage. Petersburg is a small (pop: 2,824), old commercial fishing village…

Severe Shoaling Along the ICW in North Carolina

By Peter Janssen on January 3, 2016 Cruising Life, Destinations, On Watch with Peter Janssen

It’s not getting any easier to cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway this winter. Indeed, the Coast Guard is reporting four more spots with dangerous shoaling conditions from mile marker 237 to mile marker 321 along the Waterway in North Carolina. The new shoals are at: Mile marker 237, Browns Inlet intersection near Bogue Sound, where a 200- yard shoal extends into the channel with depths from less than one foot to five feet at mean low water. Mile marker 271, Howards Creek Intersection near the New River-Cape Fear River buoy 99A, where a 350-yard shoal extends into the channel with…

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