Plastiki crosses Pacific

PLASTIKI crossing: "The boat, named the Plastiki, sailed from San Francisco, California, to Sydney, Australia, traveling around the Eastern Garbage Patch—a floating mass of plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean twice as big as Texas."

Allstate-Boat Insurance Safety Tips

Check out these safety videos: "Being out on your boat puts you further from help than you might expect, even if you’re just a few hundred feet from shore. Play it safe by following the guidelines below. But don’t stop there—learn as much as you can about boating safety from reliable sources like the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power Squadrons. (You can even get a discount for certain courses.)"

University robot yacht missing in Atlantic

BBC News - Aberystwyth University robot yacht missing in Atlantic: "'The sailing robot Pinta has now stopped sending tracking signals after surviving for a total of 17 days during which time it travelled around 650km,'"

Scuttlebutt Photos: Sailing photos

Scuttlebutt Photos: Sailing photos

Jacksonville Sailfishing

Outdoors: Ringing up the sails: "Bonito began busting up bait schools pushed up from the depths. Birds were wheeling, diving and rafting. The ocean came alive. And the sailfish were there to take advantage of it all.

By around 3:30 p.m., we'd lost count. It was either 10 or 11 sailfish caught and released. The action was fast. Fish bit. Lines, teasers and dredges came in on one side of the boat as Wheeler kept the fish perpendicular to the hull"

Giant Pumpkin Regatta

Madison, Wisconsin: "Saturday warm weather greeted competitors in an unusual annual fall race in our state’s capital.

The 7th annual Giant Pumpkin Regatta took place on Madison’s lakefront.

A sailing club and UW-Madison’s Horticulture Department teamed up for the event.

Horticulture students grow large pumpkins, carve them into boats and then race.

'It's pretty fun,” said Margaux Stutz. “How often to get to race a giant pumpkin with a paddle? Probably nowhere. You'll probably never see a pumpkin this big again.'

The pumpkins average a diameter of three feet."

The Largest Sailing Yacht Ever Built

Dream Symphony: The Largest Sailing Yacht Ever Built: "At the Monaco Yacht Show 2010 Dream Ship Victory signed a contract with Dykstra & Partners for the Naval Architecture and Ken Freivokh Design for the design and styling of the 141-metre sailing yacht Dream Symphony.

Dream Symphony will be the largest sailing yacht ever built. The yacht will be classical with a twist and will feature the unique all wood construction."

Sea-lion has a go at rowing boat

Sea-lion has a go at rowing boat: "Eight people were on the boat, which was damaged and took on water.

Matt Smail says he regularly sees sea-lions while rowing and the attack came as a surprise."

New World Speed Sailing Record

New World Speed Sailing Record - David Beats Goliath"


500 Meter Sailing Records:
54.10 knots: New outright world speed record under sail achieved in October 2010 by Alexandre Caizergues on a kite board.
51.36 knots: World speed sailing record for a sailboat achieved by Hydroptere in September 2009."

Name of Mass. town's sewage boat?

Not Poop Sloop: "The vessel's unglamorous job is to travel from boat to boat and pump out onboard septic systems. The craft was paid for in part by a state environmental grant and will help keep the harbor clean in the town near the New Hampshire border."

How to Sail a Small Boat Across a Big Ocean. Good science fair project | Technology for world

How to Sail a Small Boat Across a Big Ocean. Good science fair project | Technology for world: "A small power boat, perhaps in the 40 foot size, only carries enough fuel to get you a few hundred miles. So now you are 400 or 500 miles offshore and run out of gas. What to do next? Do not take a power boat. Get yourself a sailboat. Just how big should it be. The space between the crests of the ocean waves dictates that you should have about 35 feet or more at the waterline, accordingly, you will need a vessel of 40 feet or more."

TANG

Luxury Yacht Stores Wind Power For Later: "There’s a long history of boats traveling emissions-free — we’re pretty sure the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, more than 500 years ago, didn’t burn any hydrocarbons. But luxury yachts are a different story, so it’s news when the largest plug-in, hybrid-electric yacht ever, a 60-footer whose motor runs on wind-generated electricity, hits the water."

From global sea census

... a treasure trove: "A lone deep-sea snail living within a hot-water fissure on the ocean floor. The migratory tracks of great white sharks crossing ocean basins. Audio recordings of schools of fish the size of Manhattan, swimming in concert.

These are just a handful of the discoveries that came out of the Census of Marine Life, a decade-long project completed Monday."

US close to unveiling flying car as Iran...

.. Iran reveals hybrid flying boat squadron - The Economic Times: "MELBOURNE: Two major superpowers - US and Iran - have been involved in building flying hybrid vehicles presumably for patrol and reconnaissance.

While US is close to unveiling a helicopter-Humvee, Iran reportedly already has several squadrons of small reconnaissance boat-planes called Bavar 2.

Both are designed to move between air and ground or water as easily as possible.

The basic functionality of the US vehicle seems to be that it is a Humvee with Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capabilities.

The 'flying boat' is intended to be used for both patrol and reconnaissance, and is apparently able to evade radar, presumably by flying at low altitudes."

Yacht & Lifestyle Event Hosted in...

San Diego!: "What’s the best thing to do when living in a city with an average temperature of 70 degrees and bright sunshine year round?

Take a spin in your vessel, of course.

DeLUXE San Diego, announced at the 20-th Monaco Yacht Show, is a brand new event that celebrates yachting and the luxury lifestyle."

Clipper Round the World Race

The Race: "40,000 miles of ocean racing and around 450 people facing the challenge of a lifetime. When the starting gun goes off for the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race in August 2011 the fleet of ten sleek, stripped down 68-foot yachts will embark on a full circumnavigation of the globe."

2010 Fleet Week celebration will be the biggest in 20 years.

California Beat: "SAN FRANCISCO — This year’s Fleet Week celebration, an annual event that celebrates the city’s rich contribution to the United States armed forces, will be the largest one held in 20 years, organizers and city officials said Wednesday."

Top 10 Boating States in the U.S.

Top 10 Boating States in the U.S. | WaterBlogged: "Each year, the U.S. National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) announces the top boating states in the U.S. based on annual sales of new powerboats, motors, trailers and accessories. Although annual sales are not the only way to measure overall boating activity, it is a good indicator of the popularity of boating in a particular area."