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This summer my husband, Paul, and I bought our fourth offshore cruising boat, a new Southerly 480 built by Discovery Yachts in the UK.
Read more: Mediterranean Shakedown: A Summer Cruise in Spain
This month, Spirit of Portopiccolo, steered by Furio Benussi, with Alberto Bolzan at the mainsail, and tacticians Lorenzo Bressani and Gabriele Benussi, won the 50th edition of Barcolana, the largest regatta in the world held in Trieste, Italy
I don’t know what I expected the first time we made landfall in the Canary Islands but I have to admit that after sailing from the lush mid-Atlantic island of Madeira, I was seriously surprised when the barren desert-like landscapes of the Canary Islands came into view.
We did breakfast yesterday in the Greek port of Piraeus, just outside Athens:strong coffee, crisp bacon, fresh bread, and omelets spiked with Feta Cheese.
After much speculation Prince Harry finally popped the question to American actress and longtime Toronto resident Meghan Markle and people are EXCITED.
We had been out on the ocean for 17 days, just the two of us, keeping watch around the clock. One of us was always asleep while the other kept a sharp...
The sun rises over green hump-backed hills, backbone of an island called Prvic in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Croatia, in the region of Dalmatia. We’ve docked overnight in one of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world. The hills look across a blushing expanse of water riffled by winds whose names we discovered yesterday morning at the chart briefing that began our Sunsail charter flotilla near a village called Primosten.
By Greg NicollIt was great to get back on Le Boat this past summer, this time on the historic Thames River. Our vessel was the Royal Mystique, a 43 footer with everything we needed for a week’s cruise in style.
John Burns, an English politician and noted London historian from the late 19th century coined the phrase “The Thames is a liquid history.”
Paul and I seem to love the extremes of cruising – long ocean passages where our skills and stamina are tested followed by lots of gunkholing where we poke along exploring creeks, rivers, cuts and canals to gain insight into the heartland of our destination. Boating began for both of us on the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario and after setting sail for foreign ports in 1989 we have travelled through numerous canals including the Erie Canal and Intracoastal Waterway of the USA, the Corinth Canal in Greece,
Completing the Tour of the Six Celtic Nations. Sheryl and Paul Shard continue their sailing adventures with an autumn cruise of the Brittany coast of France aboard their Southerly 49 sailboat, Distant Shores II. It was a chilly and challenging summer aboard our Southerly 49 sailboat, Distant Shores II, exploring the beautiful west coast of Norway as far as 61°N and also the Celtic nations of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Wales and Scotland including the Shetland and Orkney Isles.
Lifestyle
From the Helm of Adamant 1: Blog 30 – Hudson River and the Erie Canal
On a sunny and windless day we led Alicia and another sailboat into New York Harbour. There were lots of cargo ships and navy destroyers coming in, but they had their own deep-water channel so our trip was an easy one. Once inside the harbour it was unusually quiet. Even the Staten Island ferries were absent. We were able to get up close to the Statue of Liberty and we took some great pictures. Alicia was headed up the East River on the first leg of their trip back to Sweden, so we said goodbye to them and we headed into the Hudson River. There the traffic got crazy. We found the ferries, taxi boats, tow barges, pleasure craft of every description and for good measure a fleet of very small sailboats from a local sailing school.
Read more about The Adamant 1........................
DIY & How to
Good Samaritans -- Rules and Risks
By Joan Wenner, J.D.
Sailboat under cloudy sky by Bill Cox-Unsplash
Have you ever needed on-the-water assistance due to a mechanical breakdown, running aground, taking on water (perhaps from striking a submerged or floating object), having a mishap with another vessel, or have a medical emergency and the authorities are not near, but another mariner answers your mayday or perhaps observes your predicament. Another boater is in the vicinity, but will, or should, that person offer to help perhaps at his peril? What if you were that pleasure craft operator?
Read more about Good Samaritans............
Boat Reviews
An Elegant Motor Yacht at the Cutting Edge of Design
The launch of the new Monte Carlo 52 will be one of the highlights of the Cannes Yachting Festival 2019. This 50-foot high-end motor yacht is eagerly awaited and will introduce the Monte Carlo “Smart Luxury” generation. The stylish flybridge powerboat has inherited all the superb signature features of a successful range: modern design, elegant lines, distinctive character, incredibly well-used spaces and a careful focus on details, not to mention the iconic large porthole, distinguishing the 15 m (50’) to 18 m (60’) class of yachts made in Vendée. The Monte Carlo 52 has greatly improved all these features.
Read more about the Monte Carlo 52..............
Jeanneau Media Event in Florida – New Models
Our Canadian Yachting test team, John Armstong and Andy Adams, were at a Jeanneau media event called “Throttle Down” in St. Petersburg, Florida. The media event was held to highlight the Jeanneau Power Boat Line with the emphasis on their outboard models.
The media event was scheduled to follow their Jeanneau dealer meetings, held earlier at Thunder Marine International in St. Petersburg. The Thunder Marine location is on the water and has a cooperative agreement with Jeanneau to host the full line of Jeanneau power boats in the water for dealer demonstration to their clients.
Read More about the Jeanneau Media Event...........
Chicago: A Water Wonderland
By Mark Stevens
Photos by Sharon Matthews-Stevens
From my perspective on the observation deck of 360 Chicago in the John Hancock Building, I have an eagle’s-eye view of this Lake Michigan metropolis.
The city stretched out before us is a forest of concrete. Toward the lake – right below us – there’s a beach volleyball game in progress. White triangles crisscross Caribbean-blue waters in the distance. Sunday morning must be race day – just like home.
Read more about Chicago....................
Marine Products
Big Bumper provides protection
Protecting your boat from scratches and dents isn’t always easy. That’s why the Big Bumper Company worked for almost two years to develop a simple and inflatable bumper system. Lengths include 2, 4, 6, and 12 footers! And comes in 18 & 24 inch diameters!
These new bumpers offer a solution for these challenges:
. works as a permanent bumper on boat docks (easy to attach / remove)
. a remedy for boat to boat tie-ups – with easy storage onboard
Read more about the Big Bumper........
