Saturday, September 30, 2017

It's Always 'Five O'Clock Somewhere' at These Top 10 Key West Bars


It’s Always ‘Five O’Clock Somewhere’ at These Top 10 Key West Bars

With more bars per capita than anywhere else in the United States, Key West has a smorgasbord of watering holes. The island’s “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere mantra” means daytime drinking is perfectly acceptable, and…

Claudia Miller
Saturday, September 30th, 2017

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Minor Light Symbols in OpenCPN

OpenCPN is a powerful open-source (free to the user) navigation program that has many features of top of the line commercial programs. Downloads and detailed documentation are at www.opencpn.org. There is a Mac and PC version, as well as Linux. It shows both raster navigational charts (RNC), which are graphic images of the paper charts, as well as electronic navigational charts (ENC), which are vector products that include extended navigation information and offer many user display options. We cover ENC usage in our new book Introduction to Electronic Chart Navigation.

OpenCPN is also unique in offering one of the truest presentations of vector chart (ENC) symbols as specified in the IHO standard S-52. This is a complex system, and many navigation programs have either taken shortcuts to simplify the presentation, or they willfully decided they have better ways to present certain symbols that are more useful to the mariner, and they use those, rather than the ones specified in S-52.  Some of the diversions from the S-52 standard are minor and do not matter much. Others can be distracting, and hinder the use of ENC charts.

We see numerous examples of this in several nav programs, but as noted this is extremely rare in OpenCPN, which is very good with the S-52 standard of presentation. The one exception I note now has to do with the presentation of minor lights… and I must add immediately that they are aware of this, and it will be fixed shortly, at which time this note will be deleted.  But since we use this fine program in our navigation courses, we point this out for now.

Continue reading the full post on David Burch Navigation Blog.

Read More Here ….

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Crowther Multihull Regatta

With the Multihull Nationals in Brisbane being held on the same long weekend as the LCMR this year and with various boat owners currently overseas or with family commitments, or boats not being ready, as was Bulletproof’s unfortunate recent discovery of some main halyard issues forcing a last minute withdrawal, numbers were looking likely to be on the light side for this year’s event however the fleet of 15 entries to date is quite pleasing.

It shoud be a fun weekend. The weather is looking nice and the generous sponsors including Musto, Maui Jim, ScottSails, Two Rivers wines, Hoods sails, Summit Coatings, Johnsn Bros Mitre 10, Vacuwash, Pittwater Online News, Geddes Optical and Multihull World Magazine will make for a gala Prize giving presentation dinner on Sunday evening.

The optimum number for this regatta is around 20 -25 so the organisers would like to encourage all multihull owners and crews to join in and enjoy the racing in either the racing division with spinnakers etc or the cruising division with working sails only and to take advantage of the late fee amnesty.

The diversity of boats is fascinating and anyone with an interest in multihulls should check out this fleet over the weekend.

Crowther Multihull Regatta ©

Crowther Multihull Regatta ©

F-82R Orca of Kurt Ottowa, Seawind 1000 of Ron Bickerstaff, Corsair Dash Xena of event organiser Alan Brand, Vient, a Schionning Waterline of Mike Kirby, Geoff Floyd’s Corsair 28-R Fifty-Fifty, Crowther 41 Quickstep of Jason Geddes, Bluey Zarzoff of Joe Finch which has just received a much bigger rig handed down from his dad’s now defunct Twiggy. The speedy Barrink Nusa Tiga 9 of Robin Ottowa who is away but generously gave the Keys to his crew, Farrier F-82R Freelance of Nelville McElroy, perennial Jim Geddes in his perennial Crowther Spindrift 45, Crowther 12.2 Coconut Airlines of David Bishop, Barry Allertz’s Corsair F-82R, Crowther Windspeed 31, Bob, of Greg Bridges, Shane Russell’s Lynx 8.8 Foxy, and the glamorous Nautitech Open 40 Zephyr of Mark Blake and co.and my Pescott Whitehaven, J’ouvert.

We hope you can make it.

by Stephen Barton

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$450,000 Price Drop on Newcastle Motoryacht

The 114-foot Newcastle Madcap is now for sale at an asking price of $7.5 million.

The 114-foot Newcastle Madcap is now for sale at an asking price of $7.5 million.

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Preparing your boat for Alaska

Every year, boaters from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia head north up the Inside Passage to cruise the incredible waters of Southeast Alaska. And now that summer has come to an end, it’s time to start planning for next year. But for those who are thinking about making the voyage north, there can be lots of questions to answer, especially about preparing your vessel for the trip.

In this informative video, our friends from Slowboat.com offer helpful advice on preparing your boat (and yourself) for a trip up the Inside Passage to Alaska.

Read More Here ….

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Friday, September 29, 2017

A Yacht—of Some Sort—is in Build at Lürssen

Design firm Bannenberg & Rowell acknowledges 285-foot project with few details.

Design firm Bannenberg & Rowell acknowledges 285-foot project with few details.

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New IGY Marina in the Mediterranean

IGY Marinas announces construction of a superyacht marina in Sète, France.

IGY Marinas announces construction of a superyacht marina in Sète, France.

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80-Foot Lazzara Joins HMY Yachts Charter Fleet

Pastaio will base in the Abacos, Bahamas, with charters open as of mid-December.

Pastaio will base in the Abacos, Bahamas, with charters open as of mid-December.

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Readers' Choice: Your fall favorite winners


Readers’ Choice: Your fall favorite winners

We’re celebrating the arrival of autumn by crowning our readers’ fall favorites – Halloween events, escape rooms, apple orchards, Oktoberfest celebrations and seasonal beers.

10Best Editors
Friday, September 29th, 2017

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MOB myths busted – Part 2

British sailor Jeanne Socrates in new record attempt

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Exploring Victoria: Gorge Waterway and Fisherman’s Wharf

The other day Kevin and I decided to take the dinghy out to explore the Gorge. The Gorge Waterway is a narrow tidal inlet that connects Victoria Harbour to Portage Inlet. Here’s what it looks like on the chart (with the yellow line being our cruise from Causeway Floats, up and back about 7.2 nautical miles):

From Victoria’s Inner Harbour the scenery changes from city, to industrial, to urban nature park. The speed limit is 5 knots, so we just puttered up about 3.5 miles and then back. It was a beautiful day for it!

As we returned to the Inner Harbour, the bridge was up to let a big tug and barge through.

This handsome vessel was docked nearby and we got a good look at her from the dinghy. Launched in 1930 as The Chieftain (she’s now called the St. Eval), she spent 60 years operating under the British flag escorting British warships during WWII. In 1992, she was purchased by Dennis Washington, and after extensive renovation (including a hot tub on the top deck with wood that matches the pilothouse perfectly!) she now operates as a personal pleasure yacht and is based here in Victoria.

Evening light on The Empress:

On

Continue reading the full post on the Riveted blog.

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Sailing Champions League & Sailing Association

The environmental sustainability initiative promoted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in its 50th anniversary year in the form of the One Ocean Forum and presentation of the Charta Smeralda in Milan on third and October 4th, has garnered the support of the Sailing Champions League (SCL) and the International Sailing Association (ISLA).

On 23rd September, during the Audi Sailing Champions League event in Porto Cervo, both associations signed an agreement undertaking to promote the principles of the Charta Smeralda to an audience of more than 150,000 members of international yacht clubs.

The Sailing Champions League launched a new type of sail racing competition in 2013 which would revolutionise the sport. The League sees individual yacht clubs competing in national leagues within a dedicated circuit. The ISLA was created successively and encompasses each of the individual national leagues.

‘I am pleased that two associations such as the SCL and ISLA, which oversee all of the national leagues and their respective members, have given their support to our environmental sustainability initiative, undertaking to promote the Charta Smeralda to a wide audience that is closely linked to the sea.’ commented Riccardo Bonadeo, YCCS Commodore and Vice President of the One Ocean Forum.

Oliver Schwall, Managing Director of the SCL declared: ‘Behind the Sailing Champions League and the International Sailing League Association (ISLA), are up to 300 sailing clubs from 15 countries involved with more than one hundred and fifty thousand members. This gives us a great opportunity to make the ideas of the Charta Smeralda known throughout Europe. We are thrilled to integrate the One Ocean Initiative into our communication activities and I am convinced that many of the clubs will follow the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and will adopt the ideas of the Charta Smeralda to protect the sea.’

The signing of this agreement underlines one of the primary objectives set by the One Ocean Forum: raising awareness of an environmentally sustainable culture. Awareness is being promoted principally towards realities close to YCCS, such as yacht clubs and associations like the SCL and ISLA which are intrinsically linked to the sea; the element that plays host to their activities.

The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, promotor of the One Ocean Forum, will be the first organisation to sign and adopt the principles of the Charta Smeralda which is to be presented on October 4th in Milan.

by YCCS

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CELLweaver admitted to prestigious Deutsche Yachten (Superyacht Germany)

lang: en_US

CELLweaver, the company behind the unit allowing yachts to connect to the internet at multiple 4G speeds, has now been admitted to prestigious yachting association Deutsche Yachten.

The exclusive association is comprised only of specially selected companies who work with 30m+ yachts, and is a sub-group of the Association of German Boat and Shipbuilders. Catch up with CELLweaver to ask them all about it at MYS -the team will be based at the association’s stand AL5 on Quai Albert 1er.

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CELLweaver range extension more than triples 3G/4G reception

lang: en_US

CELLweaver, the company behind the unit allowing yachts to connect to the internet at multiple 4G speeds, introduced its new auto-gain control amplifier/range extender, the CELLweaver RX, at MYS 2016.
Today, CEO Wilko Darger reports how well it has been selling as a straightforward bolt-on to the main CELLweaver product. The product more than triples the 3G/4G reception range from 6-7 nautical miles up to 25 nm from the shoreline, meeting the needs of the vast majority of yachts when they are cruising with guests on board.
The CELLweaver team will be at MYS this week – catch them at the Deutsche Yachten’s stand AL5 on Quai Albert 1er.

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ISA’s Clorinda Debuts

Clorinda, ISA Sport 120, ISA Yachts

The ISA Sport 120 Clorinda recently made her world debut in Europe.

The ISA Sport 120 Clorinda recently made her world debut in Europe.

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Simrad Partners with Sea Ray

Starting with model year 2018, some Sea Ray boats will have Simrad helm electronics.

Starting with model year 2018, some Sea Ray boats will have Simrad helm electronics.

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Plans for a deposit return scheme for bottles and cans in Scotland

5 Perfect Holiday Destinations for Shopaholics

ShopaholicsDubai

Dubai is one of the cities in UAE considered to be a paradise for shoppers. From buying gold in souks to buying designer handbags in malls, there are certainly plenty of shopping opportunities here! Malls in Dubai not only have shops but also theatres, child minding centres, art galleries, cafes, middle eastern styled bazaars and even mosques.

You can choose everything from cheap trendy clothing to the latest couture. The only limit is your budget. Dubai is also one of the cheaper places to buy used exotic cars as long as you factor in the cost of shipping it to your own country. If you need to cool off from the Dubai heat, there is also a mall that offers indoor skiing.

Milan, Italy

Milan is a great city for architecture, art galleries and fantastic shopping stores. It has extensive designer stores and boutiques that have a wide price range. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is considered one of the earliest shopping malls built in the world. This mall has beautiful architecture and a wide array of stores.

The best boutiques are found in the Brera District, which is known for its art galleries and Italian made products. If you is looking for high-end international brands the Corso Buenos Aires has the largest concentration of stores. Via Montenapoleone, Corso Venezia, and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II are some of the streets that have luxurious designer stores for brands such as Prada, Gucci and Valentino.

New York City, USA

New York City could be categorized as an outdoor shopping mall. Some of the popular destinations to shop are Macy’s which has ten floors of almost everything from food to fashion and furniture. 5th avenue is popular for stores like Tiffany & Co, Armani, Bergdorf Goodman and a massive Apple store.

For great vintage clothing you can go to Bedford Avenue and Brooklyn Flea Market. FAO Schwarz is a fabulous place to go if you are looking for toys and it is the oldest toy shop in the US. If you are looking for books visit The Stand. Madison Avenue is great for designer wear, Soho is filled with chic boutiques, and Chinatown is great for knockoff designer goods.

India

Delhi is considered a shopping hub in India. Malls in Rajouri, Vasant Kunj, Dilli Haat or the flea markets of Sarojini Nagar and Palika Bazaar are places you can visit for all your shopping needs. You will find clothes, handicrafts, automobiles and many other items. Mumbai is known as the city of dreams and it is perfect for shopaholics.

Fashion Street, Linking Road, Colaba Causeway and Zaveri Bazaar are prominent locations to find what you need. Kolkata is one of the largest destinations for shopping in the eastern part of India. You can visit craft emporiums that have Assam and Nagaland handicrafts at great prices. Laad Bazaar in Hyderabad is famous for Hyderabadi Pearls and other semi precious jewellery.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is known for its low priced products. Mong Kok is a good place for markets and food stalls and it is also great if you want to bargain. Sham Shiu Po is well known for gadgets, electronic appliances and computer products. Tsim Sha Tsui is where you can go for a luxurious shopping spree. Causeway Bay also has a wide variety of shopping malls, boutiques and bargain street markets.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Fines for red diesel remain suspended in Belgium

Yachting Tests the Riviera 68 SMY

Yachting takes the Riviera 68 SMY for a spin during the Sydney International Boat Show.

Yachting takes the Riviera 68 SMY for a spin during the Sydney International Boat Show.

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Coast Guard Foundation Activates Disaster Relief and Response Fund

The fund will assist Coast Guard members affected by Hurricane Harvey.

The fund will assist Coast Guard members affected by Hurricane Harvey.

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Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Engines: what can go wrong, and how are they rebuilt?

If you have ever wondered exactly what happens to your yacht’s engine when it goes in for refit, the video above will show you. As well as feeding your curiosity, we hope it also gives you a better idea of the issues that can occur within an engine.

Remember, you should always stick to the engine manufacturer’s maintenance schedule. This has been calculated on the type of wear expected on various items at certain completed hours/fuel consumption levels. Therefore, to ensure the engine parts remain in good working order for their designed purpose and to try and ensure the correct running of your engine, it is important to never skip recommended inspections or works.

Failure to follow certain maintenance schedules can cost you more money in the long run. The maintenance intervals of other engine parts may get shorter as a result of negligence, meaning larger works are required more frequently. Furthermore, it is dangerous. To completely ignore the schedules for the major works could lead to catastrophic failure, or at best multiple parts needing replacement. Engine failures mid-season don’t tend to please owners and their guests.

0.08 maintenance

0.08

Here is the basic engine block ready for rebuild to commence. Ensuring cleanliness is the most crucial step before replacing any parts, as the smallest particle can cause major issues after the works are complete.

 

0.20 installation

0.20

Installation of the piston liners. The most important part of installation is the use of the manufacturer’s special tooling and setting equipment data/procedures to be strictly adhered to.

0.32 installation

0.32

Installation of the pistons into the liners, again all thoroughly cleaned prior to installation and using the correct special tooling.

0.53 maintenance

0.53

Correctly locating and tightening the lower conrod bearing housing. Final inspections are completed before the final torqueing of the fixings.

01.05 installation

01.05

Designed fabricated lifting structure to aid the installation of the cylinder head.

01.06 maintenance

01.06

Video endoscopic inspection of the cylinder head’s internal parts prior to installation.

01.54 installation

01.54

Final installation of the bare cylinder head to the correct torque sequence and following settings laid out in the CAT workshop manual. It is important that all procedures are followed correctly otherwise again major failure may occur.

02.11 rebuild

02.11

Oil pan, exhaust manifold and the rebuild of the top end progresses following the workshop manual instructions.

Final stages of the top end being completed using the correct torques

03.06

Final stages of the top end being completed using the correct torques. Parts are continuously referenced direct from the CAT online system.

Installation of the cooling heat exchanger.

03.32

Valve settings ongoing alongside the installation of the cooling heat exchanger.

Final installation

04.12

Final installation of the electronic and electrical systems.

Final priming

04.37

Final priming of the fuel system and inspection of all hoses and connections prior to start up.

A major overhaul has been completed

04.51

A major overhaul has been completed to the highest level ending with a sea trial, very proud AJ Marine engineers and of course a very happy customer.

L.N.C Engineering

Have an MTU engine? Contact our sister company L.N.C Engineering

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CELLweaver product available for tutorial at MYS

lang: en_US

CELLweaver CEO Wilko Darger and his team will be at MYS this year offering tutorials of the CELLweaver product, which claims to provide the fastest and most reliable internet service to yachts. It works by combining up to four 4G or 3G SIM cards from the same network in a unit to create a single data stream, ensuring 3G speeds of around 15-40 Mbits/s are readily obtainable and that 4G delivers speeds of up to 600Mbits/s.The CELLweaver team will be based at the Deutsche Yachten (Superyacht Germany) stand AL5 on Quai Albert 1er.

Want to try out the device for yourself? A demonstration CELLweaver unit will also be hosted by partners AGC Marine Telecom on stand DSP6 in Darse Sud Plongeur. Any interested parties are invited to come and test it out, and staff will be on hand to answer any questions. See the testimonial video above for more information.

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Hinckley Yachts Announces Picnic Boat 40

Hinckley Yachts expands its Picnic Boat line with the new 40.

Hinckley Yachts expands its Picnic Boat line with the new 40.

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Just ETOs course documented by Superyacht Technology adds new date after sell-out success

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Just ETOs has announced another date for its Yacht Entertainment Systems training after two sellout courses in October and November. The new dates will run from December 6th to 8th and interested parties would be advised to sign up quickly!

This follows the exclusive Superyacht Technology News mini-documentary on the unique course, which explored what goes on at the training as well as interviewing the key people involved. The documentary reached a total of 48,885 industry professionals including over 25,000 on Facebook.

With Crestron Technician certification included, it’s the yacht AV course everyone’s talking about…
Register your interest at training@justetos.com or go to http://ift.tt/2xkNxMi to find out more.

See the full documentary here.

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Yachts Miami Beach Gets New Name

The boat show will now be known as the Miami Yacht Show @ Collins Avenue.

The boat show will now be known as the Miami Yacht Show @ Collins Avenue.

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Monday, September 25, 2017

10 things you shouldn't miss at the Henry Ford Museum


10 things you shouldn’t miss at the Henry Ford Museum

The best museums are both educational and fun, and the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation has figured out a perfect combination that lets guests in on both.  

Elizabeth Xu
Tuesday, September 26th, 2017

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Amels Unveils the Concept Yacht Pollux

Pollux is a 364-foot concept yacht from Amels and H2 Yacht Design.

Pollux is a 364-foot concept yacht from Amels and H2 Yacht Design.

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Refit for Sir Alec Rose’s Lively Lady ahead of 50th anniversary celebrations

Flying Flipper’s Superfly GT 42

Superfly GT 42, Flying Flipper, RED Yacht Design

Flying Flipper calls the Superfly GT 42 “the first real superboat.”

Flying Flipper calls the Superfly GT 42 “the first real superboat.”…

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This must be the place

A steady rain pitter-patters on the deck above the nav station while I type. Magnus naps in the V-berth and Porter is taking some time to himself after we finished working on reading, writing and making a map of Seward. Jill, well, she’s off at work earning that cheddar to keep everything afloat and to improve our sailing home.

After visiting friends and family in various locales throughout the lower 48, we arrived back in Seward on Monday night. When we dropped down the companionway for the first time in many weeks, we were struck by a couple things. The first for me was that it was great to be home — great to be back in Alaska and on the boat again. I love this place and this boat. And the other feeling was that we couldn’t wait to get going with our life here.

Sure, the air down below was cold and clammy upon our return and a musty odor was pervasive. But the bilge and most of the boat was was dry, and we all couldn’t wait to climb into our bunks after weeks of sometimes restless slumber in foreign beds. We always sleep best at home on the boat.

Jill was off to work the following morning under a brilliant sunshine that illuminated the mountains encircling Seward. For the boys and me, the start to daddy preschool was to move Yahtzee to her assigned slip for the winter, and they stepped right back into boat work and life like the old habit that it is. Watching them on deck brought a smile to my face.

Porter on Yahtzee’s stern in her new slip.

Tucked into her new spot, we plugged into shore power and got the battery charger going. I flung all the hatches and ports open, and with a perfectly crisp breeze the boat was soon aired out. Yahtzee seemed like she was breathing a sigh of relief, happy to have us home too.

D-Dock, Seward Harbor.

Throughout the rest of the week, we fell into our new routine. While Jill was off at work, I took the boys to play time, story time, playgrounds and walks on the beach and waterfront. But I also want them to keep learning by getting their hands dirty and feet wet exploring the incredible natural world around them. So, one day’s lesson was to catch, fillet and freeze salmon for the winter, and the teaching included parts of the fish and how to safely use a filet knife. Also, they got to spray the hose a lot.

My pupils showing off their fresh catch.

Play time at the library.

Historic Mile O of the first Iditarod Race.

The next step for our crew is to start unloading the boat into our winter cabin in the woods. We’ve never felt like we have a lot of things aboard Yahtzee until now. But while taking stock of what we have and need to move off, I’m amazed at what a 40-foot boat can accumulate throughout five years of living aboard and cruising.

Overall, we’re excited for our new chapter and to start in on boat projects — stripping Yahtzee from the inside out, cleaning and working on her. After all the years and thousands of miles she’s safely carried us, she surely deserves the love that we’ve got to give. And we’ve got a lot.

Tip of the cap to The Talking Heads for the title inspiration. 

Read More Here ….

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Sunday, September 24, 2017

10 reasons to get off the Strip and head to downtown Las Vegas


10 reasons to get off the Strip and head to downtown Las Vegas

Odds are you’ll be happily surprised by the renaissance occurring in downtown Las Vegas.

Lois Alter Mark
Monday, September 25th, 2017

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