It’s blue skies and smooth sailing for this Antares 44i as it cruises into St. George’s, Grenada. Submitted by Salwa Farah.
Got a cool cruising shot to share? Send it to us at comments@cruisingcompass.com.
Dekker Becomes Youngest to Solo Circumnavigate the World
Kudos to Laura Dekker! With determination, strength and capability, she achieved a dream that many never will, no matter their age.
The Dutch teenager finished her solo sailing journey around the world late last week in good spirits, despite endless debate about the terms under which she is allowed to be at sea.
She completed her 518-day trek after docking her yacht Guppy in St. Maarten, ending a yearlong expedition that supposedly made her the youngest person ever to sail alone around the globe, though her trip was interrupted at several points. Continue reading
New Procedures and AIS Requirements in Singapore
Singapore has changed its Notification of Arrival as of January 1, and it is now necessary to notify the Port Master at least 12 hours prior to arrival in Singapore. Cruiser Paul Rice has forwarded along the new procedures via Noonsite.com.
The Notification of Arrival report must be addressed to the Port Master and sent via email to noa@mpa.gov.sg or telefax (65) 6224 5776. The following information must be provided in the format as shown: Continue reading
IYRS to Offer Six New Scholarships
If you’ve always had a passion for restoration and boat building, you’ll be happy to hear that IYRS is making it a little bit easier for six dedicated people to follow their dreams with new scholarships.
The opportunities are expected to draw a large field of applicants to the school’s full-time programs beginning this fall. Two of the opportunities—the IYRS Craftsmanship Scholarship and the Marine Systems Scholarship—will cover 50 percent of the awarded student’s tuition.
In recent years, the school has placed a strong emphasis on building scholarship funding, and in 2011 IYRS set an ambitious goal of raising $4 million for scholarships during the 2011–2015 period. Continue reading
European Yacht of the Year Announced
During a formal reception of over 400 guests at the Dusseldorf Boatshow in January, this year’s European Yacht of the Year winners were announced. The four catergory winners were awarded their trophies by the youngest ever America’s Cup winner, Oracle’s Jimmy Spithill, who had flown from Australia especially for the event.
The winners are:
Oyster 625 – Luxury Cruiser
Pogo 1250 – Performance Cruiser
Beneteau Oceanis 45 – Family Cruiser
Esse 750 – Special Yacht
Courtesy of www.yachtingworld.com.
What do you think? Did they get it right? Tell us in the comments.
Sailor’s Death a Reminder of Dinghy Danger
It’s something that all sailors do: row their dinghies to and from shore, rarely while wearing a life jacket. But even though there doesn’t appear to be much danger, there are many stories of dinghy accidents that could have possibly been prevented. It’s a good reminder to all to always use plenty of precautions.
It started as a mystery and ended with an all-too-familiar explanation. The long-time sailor had rowed his dinghy to his yacht in high winds and without a life jacket, probably because the anchor was dragging, then lost his footing and was drowned in the turbulent seas, his dinghy tied to the yacht but found upside down.
Good sailors prepare for the worst when sailing, but the focus is usually on what can happen at sea. The simple dinghy trip between shore and yacht is vastly underrated as a source of danger, with too many incidents that result in either drowning or being swept to sea. Continue reading
Free Digital Cruising Guide to Puerto Rico Released
With all things moving digital, we always love to see a new digital cruising guide come available–especially when it’s free!
Free Cruising Guides has released A Cruising Guide to Puerto Rico, by Frank Virgintino. The guide is available for download as a free PDF at Free Cruising Guides and will shortly be available at Amazon Kindle and other ePub bookstores. A Cruising Guide to Puerto Rico covers the entire island of Puerto Rico, with in-depth treatment of the islands of Vieques and Culebra. Virgintino also covers Puerto Rican culture to give the cruiser insight into what a Michigan University study deems “The happiest people in the world.”
The author reminds readers that Puerto Rico is part of the Greater Antilles and that the northern part of the Caribbean is often overlooked as cruising boats rush east to get to the Lesser Antilles. Continue reading
Expanded Marina Plans for Porto Montenegro
You’ll soon have more options for marinas and repairs in the Adriatic.
Porto Montenegro Marina has plans to expand its mooring capacity with the construction of 270 berths for yachts up to 328 ft. in length.
Located in Bay of Kotor, near Tivat city, the marina currently has 185 berths ranging from 139-164 ft. The expansion project will enable the marina to allocate a total of 455 boats, with 50 new berths reserved for vessels over 147 ft. and up to 328 ft.
Work is scheduled to begin in October to be fully operational by winter 2013/2014.
In addition, Porto Montenegro has teamed up with Adriatic Shipyard Bijela to develop a repair and refit facility in the Boka Bay.
Planned in two phases, the refit and maintenance facility will occupy a six acre site provided by ASY Bijela. The project, worth $18 million, will see the construction of a concrete platform, offices, concrete piers carrying a travel lift, as well as the refurbishment of the existing 558 ft. concrete pier. A second phase of development will include the purchase of a floating dock and expansion of the platform. The facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2012.
Continue reading
Looking for the Latest Technology in Antifouling Paint?
Crossover to Pacifica Plus! Pacifica Plus is a high performance copper-free antifouling that keeps your hull clean – any waters, any boat type!
Pacifica Plus was launched three years ago and was the first of its kind in the yacht market. Since then, the product has continued to impress, and fans of the product continue to rave about its performance. Pacifica Plus is also formulated to meet the most stringent VOC regulations in the country,
This Interlux product contains Econea to combat shell fouling & Biolux(r) Technology to control slime. Pacifica Plus erodes away over time, which reduces paint build-up and minimizes surface preparation when it is time to recoat. The fast-dry properties of Pacifica Plus allow boats to be painted and launched the same day.
Available in clean, crisp colors including blue, black and red. Compatible with most other antifouling paints. Ideal for use on all underwater metal surfaces including fiberglass, wood and aluminum. Manufactured and for sale in the USA only.
More info: www.yachtpaint.com/usa or call 1+800.468.7589.
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SafeLink R10 Increases Chances of Survival in MOB Situation
Safety first! We think that anything that increases your chance of survival in a dire situation is pretty cool, and this takes the EPIRB to the next level in a man overboard situation.
The SafeLink R10 transmits target survivor information, including structured alert messages, GPS position information and a unique serialized identity number back to the onboard plotter. An inbuilt high precision GPS receiver provides accurate position information to assist in quick recovery of survivors. It will transmit continuously for a minimum of 24 hours and has a seven-year battery storage life. It also features a flashing LED indicator light; to aid detection at night and a self test facility with battery use indication. Continue reading
Posted in Tech Talk
Tagged Kannad Marine, Man Overboard Safety, SafeLink R10 SRS, Safety Gear
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How to Save Your Sailboat from Being Eaten Alive!
Captain John from www.skippertips.com shares tips on how to prevent damage to your boat in the long run.
Do you know the #1 problem professional boat surveyors run across time after time with used boats? Hull blistering? Nope. Deck core water damage? Uh-uh. Cracks in the hull or gel-coat? Not even close!
Galvanic corrosion wins the prize–hands down–as the biggest problem for both sail and power boats anywhere in the world. Master surveyor John Marples says “This is the most common fault in the boats I’ve surveyed in the past 10 years”.
It’s simple to prevent but easy to forget until it’s already taken a firm grip to destroy your costly sailing rigging and equipment. This creeping-crud disease can topple your boat mast, destroy a boat boom, or cause your winches to rip from their bases under the enormous loads of a headsail or spinnaker.
Look at this simple chart, called a “Galvanic Series” table. It shows those metals that are less noble (most likely to corrode) and those that are noble (less likely to corrode). Continue reading
Posted in Boat Rat's Tip of the Week
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Built for Strong Currents
Rolls Marine batteries are built tough, hassle-free and headache-free. With our all-new AGM line of batteries, now your voyage can be maintenance-free. Designed for unrivaled dependability and backed by our industry-leading warranties, you can be confident that a Rolls Marine battery will weather any storm. Contact your Rolls Marine Battery dealer or visit our website for more product information. www.rollsbattery.com
John and Amanda Neal to Present Seminars at Strictly Sail Chicago
Veteran sailors John and Amanda Neal will present a series of FREE seminars at Strictly Sail Chicago from January 26 to 28. The offerings include Galley Essentials with Amanda, Diesel Engine Essentials, Ocean Cruising Countdown, South Pacific Cruising from Panama to New Zealand, Mastering Storm Avoidance, and the Mahina Offshore Cruising Seminar. The complete schedule can be found at www.mahina.com.
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Strictly Sail Chicago is Here!
Strictly Sail Chicago is coming to the windy city’s Navy Pier from January 26-29. This is the nation’s largest indoor all-sailboat show and BWS is sponsoring the seminars! Many free seminars are included in the show’s admission price, but there are also several specialty seminars worth considering including Safety at Sea, Long Distance Cruising with Jimmy Cornell, Radar -The Most Powerful & Least Understood Tool and Troubleshooting Your Diesel Engine. Many more can be found at www.strictlysailchicago.com.
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New England Boat Show Approaching Quickly
The Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center from February 11-19, with more than 700 power and sail boats, dozens of educational programs, and the latest gear for every on-the-water enthusiast. This year’s show is 40% larger than previous years, offering the opportunity to compare and shop the newest vessels and equipment during.
“With the show’s 100,000 square foot expansion, there truly is no better place for area power boaters, anglers and sailors to get their boating fix in the off-season, and for new boaters to discover the pleasures of the on-the-water lifestyle,” says Joe O’Neal, show manager. “Serious shoppers can take advantage of exhibitor specials while those looking to improve their on-the-water experience can participate in a wide variety of free, hands-on boating and fishing courses and bring the family for a variety of activities sure to get everyone in the spirit of summer.” Continue reading
Solar Sailor Harnesses Both Wind and Solar Power
This is both very cool and very sensible. Not only that, but unlike many designs we see in solar sailing, this one has actually been successfully implemented in real life.
The Solar Sail is comprised of a unique rotating mounted airfoil. The joint is attached in such a way as to be able to angle to the sun and/or the wind to harness solar power and sail, folding away when not in use. It can be used either as a single sail or in multiples and is controlled by software that operates the sail automatically. The software tracks the sun for optimal solar and the wind for optimal sail power. Depending on weather conditions, these two sources are used simultaneously or singularly.
When both sun and wind are present together the sail has the ability to “motorsail” or “solarsail” – i.e. harness a positive feedback loop between true wind and relative wind increased using solar power.
The Solar Sail is engineered and DNV approved for 44 knots of wind with a 100% margin of safety. Depending on conditions, it can offer a fuel savings of 5 to 100 percent. The average capital cost is equal to 10 to 15 percent of the cost of the vessel with a return on investment of 2 to 4 years depending on application.
For more information, go to www.solarsailor.com.
No Greater Passion for the Craft
Rockport Marine has launched a blog called No Greater Passion for the Craft, which takes an inside look at the restorations and repairs that their 50 employees are working on. Whether you enjoy reading about creative solutions to complicated problems or just want to get a behind-the-scenes peek at some amazing wooden boats, this blog is sure to please. It’s updated a few times a month, so go to www.rockportmarine.blogspot.com and add it to your RSS feed so you don’t have to keep checking it. You’ll be glad you did.
Revolutionary Tank Monitors from Gobius
Do you know how full your holding tank is? Not knowing can be a problem and an embarrassment–just as bad or worse than not knowing how much water and fuel you have left. The all new Gobius Tank Level Indicator will measure the contents of all of your tanks cleanly and easily, no matter what material your tanks are made of–aluminum, fiberglass, plastic or stainless steel. Gobius measures your tank’s contents from the outside of the tank. There are no holes to drill at installation and no need to clean the inside of the tank. You calibrate the tank yourself. Only one button controls all features of the Gobius. It is easy to install and easier to use. For more information or to order call 800-801-8922 or visit us at www.AB-Marine.com.
Make Your Own Bagels
These don’t exactly look like bagels, but they’re still delish!
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup + 2-3tbsp hot water
One beaten egg for the egg wash
Mix all ingredients except the egg. The wetter the dough, the crispier the bagels. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for 30 minutes. Break dough into shapes and boil two minutes on each side. Remove from water, brush with egg, and put on greased cookie sheet. Bake in 350-degree oven until golden brown.
Courtesy of S/V Third Day at www.sailblogs.com.
Mindbender
In the nautical world, what’s the origin of the phrase “devil to pay”?
Send your answers to comments@cruisingcompass.com. A winner, who will receive a Blue Water Sailing hat, will be selected at random from the correct answers.
Congratulations to Jill Wright of Chicago, IL who correctly named Jessica Watson as the previous title holder of youngest person to solo circumnavigate the world before Laura Dekker.
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