Author Archives: andrew
Siblings Swim for 14 Hours After Boat Sinks in Caribbean

The fishing trip off the rugged north coast of St. Lucia was supposed to last all day, but about four hours into the journey, the boat’s electric system crackled and popped. Dan Suski, a 30-year-old business owner and information technology expert … Continue reading
Yacht Robbery Thwarted in Thailand

Witnesses reported at least two shots fired in the dark on Chalong Bay, Thailand on Saturday night as a gang of thieves gave chase to a Phuket boat captain who outfoxed the criminals until the police arrived in force. Capt … Continue reading
Hydroptere to go for Pacific Record

While purists have dubbed the state-of-the-art vessel Hydroptere as “the flying boat” because it combines leading technology from both the aeronautic and marine industries, it is determined to take the record, which stands currently at five days and nine hours … Continue reading
Crew Team Finds Giant Floating Head

Anyone lose a giant head made of Styrofoam and fiberglass? That’s what officials at Marist College in Poughkeepsie are asking after the men’s crew team found the unusual object floating in the Hudson River. The team was practicing earlier this week … Continue reading
Bio-Boost™ is Like Adding Rocket Fuel to your Bottom Paint

For the ultimate in antifouling performance for sailboats, Sea Hawk has developed Bio-Boost – an antifouling performance-boosting activator, loaded with the newest biocide technology available that can be added to specific brands of Sea Hawk bottom paint. Its potency adds … Continue reading
Ready, Set, Launch

Many sailboat owners haul out annually, either to store them for the winter or to perform routine maintenance and paint the bottom. If the boat has been out of the water for a while and you (or others) have worked … Continue reading
Posted in Boat Rat's Tip of the Week
Tagged hauling out, Sailing Tips, spring maintenance
2 Comments
Boat Review: Lagoon 52

FLYING THE 52 The sun was getting a bit low when we got the Lagoon 52 away from the marina docks and headed out the cut toward the open sea. Compared to the 39, the 52 felt vast yet was … Continue reading
A Cruise Ship for Techies?

While the world has no shortage of pie-in-the-sky renderings for floating cities, a new proposal by Silicon Valley start-up Blueseed is perhaps the first to invoke entrepreneurial spirit and the American Dream in its soapbox pitch. Looking for a way to give foreign-born tech … Continue reading
Explore Ireland with a New Rally

Up to 100 boats are expected to gather in ports around southern Ireland for a cruise in company to explore the Emerald Isle. The Gathering Cruise starts at Dun Laoghaire on July 17 and port-hops to Dingle in the south … Continue reading
Solar Electric Boat Makes Record Catalina Cruise

A small craft advisory warning did not prevent Billy Dutton from pushing off from the Newport Boat Show docks April 19 to begin his quest to circumnavigate Catalina Island aboard his solar-powered Duffy electric boat, Riding Currents. He did just that, … Continue reading
Lifejacket Loaner Program

The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water began distributing kits to sites across the nation in 1998 and it’s been growing ever since. There are now over 500 loaner sites nationwide, which loan our jackets more than 140,000 … Continue reading
For the Hungry Crew

Have you wanted to make your own conch fritters while out cruising the tropics? Well, here you go! American Conch Fritters Recipe Look for multi purpose flour (about eight ounces) Three tablespoons of cornstarch 3 fresh eggs (free range if … Continue reading
Mindbender
Who was the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world? Send your answer to cruisingcompass@bwsailing.com. A winner, who will receive a Blue Water Sailing hat, will be selected at random from the correct answers. Thanks to last week’s Mindbender winner, Bob Vogel, for … Continue reading
Cruising Shot of the Week
Broad Reaching with Andrew Cross

Savor the Flavor We are underway and pushing north through glass-flat water between islands. The sun has cleared the tall, snowcapped Cascade Mountains to the east, only to illuminate its sister range to our southwest, the Olympics. Two geese fly … Continue reading
Man Lost at Sea Found Alive After 27 Hours

A father of two who fell overboard from a tour boat off the coast of Indonesia has been found alive after floating for 27 hours without a lifejacket. Brett Archibald, from Camps Bay, South Africa, was plucked from the Mentawai … Continue reading
ORACLE TEAM USA Captures Overall ACWS Season Championship

Three America’s Cup World Series regattas this season, and three match racing titles for ORACLE TEAM USA. On Sunday in Naples, Italy, skipper Tom Slingsby and crew secured the third, defeating Luna Rossa Swordfish in the match race final. After … Continue reading
Dismasted Russian Solo Sailor Rescued in Bass Strait

It was a quest that many dream of, but few see to fruition. 47-year-old Sergey Zjukovbuilt his own 24ft boat and sailed it across the Atlantic twice before setting off from Portugal on a solo round-world journey. He had successfully … Continue reading
Magnus Olsson Passes Away at Age 64

Magnus Olsson competed in the Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race in six editions from 1985 to 2008, tasting victory with EF Language in the 1997-98 race. He was named a Volvo Ocean Race Legends Ambassador in recognition of his enormous contribution to … Continue reading
Search Ends for Fishermen Missing Off Texas Coast
John Reynolds and the four others aboard the Nite Owl weren’t worried when the thunderstorms made it impossible for the commercial fishing boat to return back to shore. They’d seen this kind of weather before. They did what they normally would, tying the … Continue reading







