Travels with Faith

Travels with Faith: "When I sold my house to buy “Faith” it was much more difficult than I had anticipated. For so many years I had dreamed of ‘selling the house and the stuff and sailing off into the sunset’ that I was taken quite by surprise at the emotional distress I suffered when it came right down to the act of giving up my cute little house and most everything I had accumulated in the previous 20 years of living. I had carved myself a very comfortable little niche and, even though I wanted very much to go cruising, it was a niche I felt great trepidation about leaving. Every dream, though, has its price. Since I couldn’t afford both a house and a large cruising boat it was imperative to shake off the chains of dirt living. If I didn’t, I would forever be doomed to the land of “what if…” and “I wish I’d…”"

Boatnames and the stories that drive them. - DayDream...

from the Marine Graphics vault...: "is a Tayana 37 bluewater cruising sailboat that we plan one day to use as a retirement home. She is a constant source of content for daydreams, hence, the name. Not fancy but descriptive! Im sure your boat is source material for your daydreams and sometimes nightmares too"

The Anarchist Yacht Clubb: Hold Fast

The Anarchist Yacht Clubb: Hold Fast
Stories of maniac sailors, anarchist castaways, and the voyage of the S/V Pestilence.

Watch it on Vimeo here.

Awesome boatname, by the way!  I love this stuff.

Moby Dick Online | Chapter 1

Happy Anniversary Herman Melville! : "I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me."

'We're gonna need a bigger boat'.

Angler lands biggest ever blue shark caught in British waters | Mail Online: "But despite his achievement the awesome fish cannot be officially recognised as a record - because Wayne didn't kill it."

Sailing and origami boat.

German artist sails a paper boat down the Thames - Odd News | newslite.tv: "A German artist yesterday set sail on the Thames, in an origami paper boat which he'd folded on the river bank.

Frank Bolter had created the boat -- named To The World's End -- with the help of members of the public as part of the Drift10 art exhibition.

After carefully folding the giant sheets of paper, which were reinforced with lightweight metal poles he jumped in and sailed in the Canary Wharf docks."

Will Ferrell Wants to Sail Around the World...

in Handmade Boat: "WILL Ferrell says he has “always wanted” to sail around he world in a handmade boat."

Record size alligator

Orlando man's alligator 'bigger than (his) boat': "An Orlando hunter nabbed the largest alligator in Florida history from the St. Johns River on Sunday, state officials said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed Monday that the alligator was 14 feet, 3.5 inches, besting the state record by almost 3 inches. The 654-pound alligator was taken in Lake Washington in Brevard County. The previous record alligator was taken in 1997 in Lake Monroe, between Volusia and Seminole counties."

Algae based fuel

U.S. Navy Tests Boat Powered by Algae: "The navy plans to roll out its first green strike force, a group of about 10 ships, submarines and planes running on a mix of biofuels and nuclear power, in 2012, with deployment in the field scheduled for 2016.

The green trend runs across all military services. The air force has been testing jet engines on a mix of conventional fuels and camelina, a crop similar to flax, and the Marine Corps recently sent a company to Afghanistan's Helmand province equipped with portable solar panels and solar chargers for their radio equipment."

Zipper Boat - What the?

Zipper Boat 

Alaska & British Columbia

Yacht Charter: "The geography of the Alaskan Inside passage, stretches 1,000 miles from Puget Sound, Washington, to Skagway, Alaska. From there, thousands of glaciers line the next 500 miles around the Gulf of Alaska. Among the most famous and visited sites for charter boats are: LeConte outside Petersburg, the southernmost calving glacier in North America, Tongass National Forest, which is the largest national forest in the United States, Admiralty Island with the largest concentration of Brown Bears in the world and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is the largest national park in the United States."

Sailing Ship of Yore

Ernie's Place: Sailing Ships: "The sailing ship was man's finest technological achievement for many years. From the invention of the first sail, to the industrial revolution; the sailing ship was a machine of the ages. No wonder a ship was built with such perfection. Owning a ship was a high-status symbol. Nothing freed mankind from his boundaries like the sailing ship. Ships were the fastest moving machine for centuries. Both men and women worked to build the fine ships. Men used their brawn, and women used their dexterity, but they both used their intellect."

Scripps dives in

Study of marine sounds: "With sensors, the group of biologists and acoustic experts spent two months tagging seven species of marine mammals, including blue whales and killer whales, off the Southern California coast."

Romancing the Stone - getaway boat.

Famous Boatname: Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas sailaway downtown NYC...with alligator boots.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

The first person to sail the Arctic solo

CLOSE UP News: "But it's all in a days work or 12 days work for Graeme Kendall. He is the first person to sail the Arctic North West passage solo."

The Witte Boneyard

A Different Kind of Graveyard - WNYC: "On the wooded side of Arthur Kill Road, which winds towards the southern tip of Staten Island, sits Rossville Cemetery — a small patch of cleared ground spotted with broken and eroded gravestones from the 17th and 18th centuries. It’s the type of place that on Halloween could scare anyone with an active imagination; forgotten, decrepit, and filled with details of lives extinguished."

Holy (Flipping!) Island Homes

5 Upside-Down Boat Houses: "The stern of these converted structures becomes the broad entry face, set with a door – the only necessary exterior modification. Then interior then tapers in all directions, narrowing toward the bow but also port and aft on either side. They may be small and cozy, but designed to weather storms on the water they can surely take a few on land as well."

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."

Creative Review - The art of sailing

Creative Review - The art of sailing: "We've watched this rather marvellous nautical installation by Josh Beckman taking shape over the last few weeks, and LA's Machine Project gallery sent us some images of the final piece in place, just in time for the new issue...

Beckman's shipwreck installation, Sea Nymph, forms a centrepiece for Machine Project's current season of talks, events, workshops and performances, which include, as they say on their website, an opera by and for dogs. Aha, 'sea dogs' no doubt."

Wakeboarding San Diego

San Diego try #1 on Vimeo: "A couple of the West Coast wakeboarders tried to change up the scenery and shoot in the bay. The fog rolled in and only allowed us an hour of light so we made the best of it!!! check it out!"

Oh Man!

Give it up for Oman!

Global Arab Network | Oman Grabs First, Second Posts in Italy Extreme Sailing Series: "Italy (Trapani) - The two sailboats of the Oman Sailing Team, Mawj and Masirah obtained first and second positions in the conclusion of the fourth round of Extreme Sailing Series held in Trapani, Italy from September 23rd to 26th 2010."

Titanic-themed cruises?

Set to sail: "Commemorative cruises of the “unsinkable” ship are planned to set sail across the Atlantic in April 2012 for 10-day journeys, visiting the fateful site of the Titanic which struck an iceberg and sank in the frigid northern waters 100 years earlier.

The cruises — intended by organizers to be a learning opportunity and to remember victims — are being rebuffed by some as being in poor taste, according to CNN.com.

Two cruises that are planned so far: one on the Balmoral departing from Southamption, England, and the other on the Azamara Journey departing from Boston, Mass.

Both will to sail to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the resting place of many of the victims who went down with the Titanic on April 15, 1912. The ships also will hold memorial services at the sinking site."

Colourful Boats

Colourful Boats, originally uploaded by albireo2006.

Beautiful

Ft. Lauderdale

Triton Boat Show Kick-off Party: "Kick off the Ft. Lauderdale boat show season with The Triton's 7th annual Boat Show Kick-off Party. This year's theme is Oktoberfest, a German-inspired festival that began as nothing more than a wedding celebration. (Now it's the largest fair in the world and celebrates its 200th anniversary in Munich this fall.)"

This lady drives a cracker box boat

This lady drives a cracker box boat : "Jerry Ross remembers his daughter’s first ride with him in a two-seat cracker box sprint boat as a trip that showed no indication she was destined to be a racer.

“She was 16, and I remember her holding on for dear life and only looking down,” said Ross, who drives a competing cracker box boat, The Enemy, in the sprint series, the undercard of this weekend’s Air Guard Championship on Mission Bay.

These days, Amy Ottinger, 33, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., drives Arizona Girl, a sleek little 15 1/2-foot speed boat that is a throwback to what racing was like in the 1930s. While the H1 Unlimited boats go over 200 mph on the Bill Muncey Memorial Mission Bay Course, the cracker box boats “chug” along at 100 mph. Ottinger is the only woman driver in this weekend's races."

'Bail Out' makes list of top 10 boat names

The McPherson Sentinel: "Boat names can reveal much about the personality of a boat owner. They also can serve as signposts of the modern era.

With the release of the annual top ten list of most popular boat names by the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.), one newcomer to the list stands out. “Bail Out, the No. 5 pick, clearly speaks volumes about what’s on boaters’ minds,” said BoatU.S. President Nancy Michelman.

“With today’s economic uncertainty, naming a boat Bail Out could indicate that boating is a survival mechanism for the family that will keep them afloat,” she said.



The list is assembled each year by the BoatU.S. Boat Graphics service, which offers a library of more than 8,500 boat names and also allows boaters to select, design and preview boat names online.

Here is the Top Ten List of Most Popular Boat Names:



1. Second Wind 

2. Seas the Day

3. Lazy Daze
4. Jolly Roger
5. Bail Out

6. On the Rocks
7. Pegasus

8. Serenity Now
9. Namaste

10. Comfortably Numb
"

What's Cookin - On Today's Show: CRNtalk.com

America's Cup Multihull Rule

US SAILING to Draft Multihull Rule for 34th America’s Cup

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (September 15, 2010) – Competition details for the 34th America’s Cup were announced during Monday’s press conference in Valencia, Spain. The extremely fast AC72 wingsail America’s Cup catamaran has been tagged as the chosen boat for the 2013 race. US SAILING, in partnership with Morrelli & Melvin Design & Engineering, is the neutral party responsible for managing the development of the multihull rule.

To ensure that no team would have an unfair advantage by creating the rule, US SAILING was approached by the BMW ORACLE Racing Team to provide oversight of the rule drafting process. Pete Melvin, a two-time A Class catamaran world champion, has independently drafted a rule for the race. The final AC72 rule, including details on measurement instructions, materials used, wing definitions, scantlings, and other requirements, will be specified by September 30, 2010.

“In the upcoming weeks, the team at Morrelli and Melvin will be polishing the rule and coming up with details,” said offshore director of US SAILING, Dan Nowlan. “US SAILING is really proud to be part of this effort and supporting them, and the 34th America’s Cup. It’s going to be interesting, so stay tuned.”

Best boating photos

Best boating photos 11 - 17 September 2010 | General | MBM: "US and South Korean marine landing crafts sail to shore in a smoke screen during a commemoration event for the Incheon Landing Operations. Incheon is the coastal city where United Nations Forces led by US General Douglas MacArthur landed in September, 1950 just months after North Korea invaded the South."

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pets-can-stand-on-sea-legs-too-2010-09-15?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Healthcare reform

Why arre Blue Whales still endangered?

Buzzle citing. In 1931 about 30,000 were killed. Today there are only less than 15000 alive.

Interesting factoid for the day.
Marine mammal enthusiasts getting a show from blue whales: "Blue whales need about 1.5 million calories a day to satisfy their energy requirements. To maintain their weight, they lunge at dense concentrations of krill, taking in as much as 15,000 gallons of food and water in a single mouthful."
"We spotted our first blue whale in 2004," said Dan Salas, captain of Harbor Breeze Cruises' 65-foot vessel, Christopher. "Now, it's crazy how many blue whales are out there. One day last week, we had 30 blues circling our boat."

How many yachts or luxury boats are sold each year in the US?

2003 stats
Lengthin feet Number of Vessels
40 to < 45     38,102
45 to < 50     17,363
50 to < 55     9,191
55 to < 60     4,584
60 to < 65    3,147
65 to < 70     1,817
70 to < 75     1,486
Total
40 to < 75     75,690

Better Bait -- Fishing Lures withstand over 90 lbs of force.

Mechanical Engineers Reinforce Flimsy Fishing Lures: "12-thousand tons of those plastic lures end up in lakes and waterways every year. But now, polymer scientists and one savvy fisherman may have the solution.

Fishing lures. For competitive fishermen like Drew and Derek Frederixon are as much a part of the sport as the rod and reel. But they're hardly indestructible. Drew goes through dozens of bags of lures in a single day. And it all adds up. In fact, more than 12-thousand tons of plastic lures wind up at the bottom of lakes and waterways every year, creating environmental and health hazards."

Cruising Beautiful British Columbia

The Waggoner Cruising Guide, Annual Guide to Northwest Boating from Weatherly Press: "These destinations could contain a lifetime of cruising, and they’re still south of Cape Caution. North of Cape Caution, the boats are fewer and the destinations are wilder: Smith and Boswell inlets, at the back of Smith Sound; the head of Rivers Inlet; Draney Inlet, branching off Rivers Inlet; the Hakai area, including the remarkable Goose Group; and the maze of channels, inlets, coves and tidal lagoons bordering Queen Charlotte Sound between Hakai Passage and Seaforth Channel."

Bucket list! - Sailing to the Galapagos

Sailing the Galapagos Islands in style: "With its Giant Tortoises, fearless Sea Lions, colorful crabs and endless other vivid and unusual species, the Galapagos Islands maintain an almost mythical status among the world's must-see natural wonders."

Sail - Wikipedia

Sail Aerodynamics : "Sails propel the boat in one of two ways. When the boat is going in the direction of the wind (i.e. downwind - see Points of sail), the sails may be set merely to trap the air as it flows by. Sails acting in this way are aerodynamically stalled. In stronger winds, turbulence created behind stalled sails can lead to aerodynamic instability, which in turn can manifest as increased downwind rolling of the boat. Spinnakers and square-rigged sails are often trimmed so that their upper edges become leading edges and they operate as airfoils again, but with airflow directed more or less vertically downwards. This mode of trim also provides the boat with some actual lift and may reduce both wetted area and the risk of 'digging in' to waves."

Boating on the L.A. River?

Boating on the L.A. River | Los Angeles Times: "It is a rambunctious urban patch of rumbling water, serene greenery and occasional homeless encampments, framed by slanting concrete walls rising to electrical power-line towers, set to an endless soundtrack of freeway traffic. Paddling on the murky water, the kayakers surprised hundreds of shorebirds and waterfowl. Huge carp darted past like bronze torpedoes."

Plastiki crosses Pacific

Boat made of plastic bottles crosses Pacific - World news - World environment - msnbc.com: "The Plastiki, kept afloat by 12,500 plastic bottles, completes her 8,000-nautical mile voyage from San Francisco as she passes the Sydney Opera House on Monday. Bottles stacked in rows make up the hull, and they are held together with organic glue made from cashew husks and sugarcane. Recycled aluminium irrigation pipe was used for the mast."

The liveaboard life...

Great article on the pros and cons: "If you want to know what it's like to live on a boat, put everything you own into your living room, close all the doors and try to live in a space that small."

14 year old Laura Dekker sails to the start of her solo voyage with dad.

Sail-World.com : Dutch teen solo sailor, 14, begins her voyage: "'Laura Dekker steers her boat, with her father, Dick Dekker, at left, as they depart the harbour of Den Osse (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)'"

Breaching whale crash-lands on sailboat

Breaching whale crash-lands on sailboat - CNN.com: "A sailor has described her 'miraculous' escape after a whale leapt out of the water and crash-landed on the deck of her boat off the coast of South Africa.

Giant Killer whale

Whale named for 'Moby Dick' author: "– This artists' rendering provided by the journal Nature shows a raptorial sperm whale Leviathan melvillei …

LONDON – Scientists have discovered an ancient whale whose bite ripped huge chunks of flesh out of other whales about 12 million years ago — and they've named it after the author of 'Moby Dick.'

The prehistoric sperm whale grew to between 13 and 18 meters (up to 60 feet) long, not unusual by today's standards. But unlike modern sperm whales, Leviathan melvillei, named for Herman Melville, sported vicious, tusk-like teeth some 36 centimeters (14 inches) long."

Take me to the River....

Topock Marina will be replaced this fall � Route 66 News: "The Topock Marina on Old Route 66 in Topock, Ariz., will be replaced with a $14 million, 102-room hotel, spa, nightclub, microbrewery, restaurant, and conference center starting this fall, owner Chet Hitt told the Mojave Daily News."

Rogers riffs on "Row row row your boat."

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - King Friday's Version

Propel, propel, propel your craft
Gently down liquid solution.
Ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically
Existence is but an illusion.

The lonliest whale in the world

Scientists baffled by grey whale sighted off Israel : "Every spring, grey whales head north to the icy Arctic Ocean to feed. But the ice there has been melting at an alarming rate. So the theory is that after the whale left its mating grounds near Mexico, it travelled to the North Pacific, then travelled though the now open Northwest Passage and found itself in the Atlantic.

From there, it must have kept going, turning left when it reached Gibraltar, into the Mediterranean, before finding itself off the shores of Israel.

'If it did in fact go through the Arctic, it would be one of a number of species that are recolonizing the Arctic where they've never been known before in human memory,' says Barrett-Lennard."

Whales, oceans, wildlife rescue

Gray whale is freed from web of nets, swims off: "It took about four hours for a team of marine animal rescue workers to remove the mesh rope knotted around the whale's head and tail, said Tim Sullivan of the Ocean Institute in Dana Point.

Rescue workers freed the whale from a snarl of fishing nets, and it swam back into the Pacific. The whale was docile and calm throughout the rescue operation, rescuers said.

It was a happy ending to a tense, two-day episode that involved some of the nation's top marine biologists and drew hundreds of spectators to the shore. And it was first time in more than a decade that a whale has been successfully freed from nets in Southern California."

Jessica Watson's homecoming

Broadcast LIVE this Saturday: "Sydney planners have put it on the scale of New Year's Eve celebrations, but solo adventurer Jessica Watson's weekend homecoming is now officially a national event with the announcement of a live television broadcast.

Network Ten has set aside two hours of programming on its free-to-air and digital channels for the 16-year-old's arrival in Sydney Harbour on Saturday, enlisting some of its leading lights to officiate."

BP Describes Race to Fix Well

Gulf Oil Spill: "The root of the problem appears to be a towering stack of heavy equipment 5,000 feet below the surface of the gulf known as a blowout preventer. It is a steel-framed stack of valves, rams, housings, tanks and hydraulic tubing that is designed to seal the well quickly in the event of a burst of pressure. It did not work when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded."

Aspiring sailor trying to sail round the UK circles the Isle of Sheppey instead - Telegraph

There is a hidden lesson in this story. See if you know what it is....: "Aspiring sailor trying to sail round the UK circles the Isle of Sheppey instead"

Just in time for Father's Day-- a mega-yacht with missile defence

WOW: "Built at an estimated cost of $500 million to $1.2 billion Cdn, the Eclipse is reported to have two helipads, a three-man submarine, multiple hot tubs, a discotheque, a pool, a missile-detection system and a laser shield to deter the paparazzi. The vessel is believed to be 164 metres long (or more), making it the longest private yacht in the world"

Repairs end Abby Sunderland's shot at record nonstop sail - LA Daily News

That's too bad - I was pulling for her: "'I gave it my best shot and made it almost half way around the world. I will definitely keep going, and whether or not I will make any more stops after this I don't know yet,' Sunderland wrote on her blog Saturday."

Sail Canada!

This year its Sailing the San Juans and Canadian Gulf Islands for us!

Congressional resolution

Promote recreational fishing & boating: "So all over the nation, if the resolution passes, the House will want us to get out our power boats, fishing boats, yachts, houseboats and others. We'll get an official blessing for sport fishing, walleye fishing, fly fishing, salmon fishing, saltwater fishing, trout fishing, lake fishing, etc. Get out your fishing reels, lures and tackle! Earth Day can mean Ocean Day too."

Charter in the Galapagos Islands

Eco-luxury Tour of Galapagos Islands on 210-foot Yacht: "Luxury Cruising: Island hopping the Galapagos Islands is a unique way to put nature and luxury on the same map in equal measures. Thinking big, we selected the Eclipse as our yacht charter of choice. This 210-foot Eclipse accommodates up to 48 passengers with 26 cabins and has a crew of 35."

World marine debris totals 10 mln pieces in 1-day cleanup

Reuters: "'We saw flip-flops washing ashore on these islands in far northern Norway near the Arctic Circle,' Cousteau, a conservationist and grandson of famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, said in a telephone interview.

Cousteau was commenting on marine debris statistics released Tuesday by the Ocean Conservancy group.

'People don't wear flip-flops in the Arctic, at least not if they're sane,' Cousteau said. 'I think people are starting ... to realize that this is a global problem.'"

Nature-Inspired Yachts

Rivers and Waterfalls on my boat? "The Aliz Yacht would feature a deck to deck waterfall. The top deck would have a river running through it. The hydraulic lift surrounded by gardens. The gardens change deck to deck, giving you a foresty feel even when you’re out at sea. I think I’d rather walk around the Aliz Yacht than walk around an actual forest. Sorry forest."

Sail Timer now for iPhone, iPod or iPad AND with a waterproof bag

I remember when windows apps were always leading the charge, now I've got to get an iphone, to keep up with the Jones': "The SailTimer app - a quick and simple way to get your Tacking Time to Destination - from iTunes can now be used on the new iPad tablets, in addition to iPhone and iPod, and currently comes at a marked-down price of US$3.99.

Ordinary GPS units do not account for the fact that sailboats zig-zag, when calculating ETA. The SailTimer app does, and can also show you the optimal tacking angles."

Remote Controlled Fishing Boat

Delivers the bait right to the fish: "Most fishers know that the best spot is always beyond the casting range of an average person, so normally you need to have a boat to be able to fish further. Well not anymore! Our RC Fishing Boat can help increase your casting range to drop your bait at any spot of your choice. Why spend days in frustration while trying to cast to the best spot when you can simply get a RC Fishing Boat that does all that hard work for you …"

Teen sailor clears hurdle in voyage

Go Abby! “I rounded Cape Horn today!!” a Thousand Oaks teen wrote in her blog Wednesday, sharing news of a feat that she and her supporters say is a record.

Rounding Cape Horn makes Abby Sunderland the youngest person in history to sail through one of the most treacherous places in the ocean, Abby and her supporters believe.

Located at the tip of South America, “Cape Horn is considered by some the Mount Everest of sailing and I believe I am the youngest person to ever sail around it alone,” Abby Sunderland wrote."

Ellison's goal to market the America's Cup to the U.S. - CNN Money

Oracle's Larry Ellison talks about winning the America's Cup: "Oh yeah. It shouldn't be about money. It should be a little bit about technology and a lot about sailing. And it's got to be a great experience for viewers. It's got to be something kids want to watch. Quite frankly when I'm watching the Olympics I watch downhill racing. My kids watch the snowboarders. Okay. We've got to pay attention to that.

I kind of like monohulls. All my racing experience is on monohulls. But if what the kids want to watch is multihulls because it's more exciting, we'll go multihulls. We've got to make this a great sport from the point of view of the participant, especially the kid who's just getting into the sport, and from the point of view of the viewer on television."

New round the world record.

The Jules Verne Trophy: "French skipper, Franck Cammas and his nine-men crew onboard their 105 ft trimaran, Groupama 3, has broken the around-the-world sailing record by finishing in 48 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes and 55 seconds late Saturday afternoon, March 20 in Brest, France. With achieving this they took the Jules Verne Trophy."

Boating Suite • Log Book & Expense Log for iPhone,

Attention boat/geeks: "Boating Suite is a professional, full-featured app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that is designed to help you manage all aspects of your boating life. But it’s not just a boating app. It’s the first and only app designed by boating enthusiasts, for boating enthusiasts."

10 Best Places to Live And Boat

Washington - my home port!: "Somewhere the grass is always greener and the water always bluer. The question: Don't such thoughts have more to do with fantasy than reality? Maybe not. We investigated boating communities throughout the country, looking for the variety of boating opportunities, boat-friendly regulations, water access, availability of waterfront homes, health of the local economy and overall lifestyle for boaters. The following 10 locations are where boaters might find that imagination meets reality."

Santa Monica sushi restaurant to close after serving whale meat

Whale -- it shouldn't be for dinner: "While the restaurant immediately took responsibility once it was charged, the charges came only after an undercover sting operation that was orchestrated by animal activists and the associate producer of the Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove.”

The activists used a tiny video camera to record their payment of $600 for the omakase, or chef's choice, which included eight pieces of whale. The activists bagged samples of the meat and sent them to the Marine Mammal Institute, where they were determined to be Sei whale, an endangered species."

Linda McMahon's yacht is named what?!

News from southeastern Connecticut: "If SB does McMahon any damage, it wouldn't be the first time a boat with an inappropriate name helped sink a candidate for national office. Remember how Monkey Business quickly dashed Gary Hart's presidential hopes?"

Sailing Around the World for Records and Recreation | YachtPals.com

Circumnavigation is a dream for many sailors, but the dream itself can be very different. Most imagine taking their time, setting off on their self-contained mobile islands, and discovering the world one slow mile after another. For them, going around fast is counter productive - something like rushing through a holiday vacation so you can get back and look at the photos of all the fun you didn't have. For others, though, the accomplishment is the thing. They want to tick 'sailed around the world' off of their lists, so that they may move on to the next big project. Then there are the sailors for whom this is a job - those who strive for a record. They don't just want to girdle the globe, they want to do it younger, faster, or with more difficulty than anyone has ever done before."

Epoch Times - Oil Slick Traced to 60-Year-Old Shipwreck

Epoch Times - Oil Slick Traced to 60-Year-Old Shipwreck: "A sunken Canadian steamship that played an important role during the second world war and then provided luxury cruises between Vancouver and Alaska has begun leaking oil into the waters off Juneau.

The historic Princess Kathleen, a Canadian Pacific passenger liner that went off course and sank off southeast Alaska almost 60 years ago, has been identified by the U.S. Coast Guard as the source of oil in the waters north of Juneau."

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The Battle over Maine's Sea Worm Trade

This becomes an interesting American dilemma: "When it comes to the biggest fisheries products in New England, most people might think of lobsters or clams, not worms. But sea worms -– big slimy ones -– are the fourth most-valuable creature fished off Maine's coastline."

The couch boat

Arrgh the rugged life of a sailor: "The curiously named 'sofa boat' was a star attraction at the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show last week, ferrying visitors and VIPS alike around the superyachts, marinas, and pontoons, all under the power of an electric engine.

The electric boat, who was enjoying its maiden voyage at ADYS, is a 3.5m 'floating fun platform' - designed, developed and built in the UAE with a folding sun canopy covering the seating area, joystick steering, and a soft-foam bumper to allow easy manouvrability among other craft in crowded marinas."

America's Cup trophy to visit Anacortes

A well kept secret last year in my home port. I wonder how much of the 138 million dollar project was spent locally? "The America's Cup trophy, shown here during a reception in San Diego earlier this week, will be brought to Anacortes for a visit, probably in early April, according to Mayor Dean Maxwell. The winning boat, build here by BMW Oracle Racing, won the cup in races off Valencia, Spain earlier this month.

Maxwell says he's working with Cord Builders, the Chamber of Commerce and EDASC, The Economic Development Agency of Skagit Council, for some kind of public event, probably on April 10. But, he stressed the date could change as plans aren't locked up yet."

Medwyn Williams will attempt to sail in a pumpkin to the Isle of Man | Metro.co.uk

I'm not really sure what to think about this one: "The gardening buff is growing a 725kg (1,600lb) gourd to be his craft in a stunt to raise money for the Help for Heroes campaign.

The walls of his pumpkin vessel with be 15cm (6in) thick and it will be fitted with a seat and outboard motor.

‘I am totally confident this can be done – we shall call her HMV Cinderella... Her Majesty’s Vegetable,’ said the 67-year-old from Llanfairpwll, Anglesey."

City Taking Gamble On Seaplane Marina - County By County News Story - WFTV Orlando

6 Weeks out....we'll see how this flies:
"TAVARES, Fla. -- The city of Tavares is already calling itself America's seaplane city even though its multi-million dollar seaplane marina is still under construction. City leaders are taking a gamble on whether their new marina will attract tourists.

For the last two years, city leaders have said, 'If they build it, people will come.' The new marina on Lake Dora is taking shape, but some critics still insist a seaplane base will never fly.

Construction crews are in the home stretch. In six weeks, Tavares gets a brand-new image."

BBC News - Vast Antarctic iceberg 'threatens marine life'

BBC News - Vast Antarctic iceberg 'threatens marine life': "They say the iceberg, which is 78km long and up to 39km wide, could have consequences for the area's colonies of emperor penguins.

The emblematic birds may be forced to travel further afield to find food.

The iceberg calved from the Mertz Glacier Tongue after it was hit by another huge iceberg, called B9B."

Sailing Around The World With Solar

Artist's Rendering of the Solar Powered Catamaran
You’ll be able to admire the solar ship in person at its two U.S. stops, New York and San Francisco. PlanetSolar is committed to solar education and a lower-carbon way of doing business, to boot: the company’s website is hosted on a server powered by a solar installation, employees ride electric bikes instead of cars when taking short jaunts, the offices are in a partially solar-powered building, and they’ve been keeping track of the carbon impact of their project with the nonprofit MyClimate."

Serial Killer Whale

These aren't domesticated animals, just really smart.

The scary thing is that is could have been any of us who have been so close we could touch him.