On the Water

My daughter’s already got the disease. We spent the holiday at my family’s summer place, and after her first spin on the first day, the words she most often uttered henceforth were, “Boat ride.” The key, we found, was to keep the boat expeditions short and sweet. Usually half an hour, never longer than an [...] …Read More

I’m a big believer is stealth fishing and keeping your boat as quiet as possible when sneaking up on the fish, but boat camo never came to mind until I heard about Water Wraps. Just what the heck are these things? They’re a camo patterned “wrap” that’s based on underwater photography with a skyward focus, [...] …Read More

Broker Michael Sawyer at Infinity Yacht Charters sends word from Vancouver that the 114-foot classic motoryacht Pacific Yellowfin still has availability for charters this summer in the Pacific Northwest. You may remember this interview that I conducte... …Read More

Today I checked out some just-received Garmin gear prior to installation on Gizmo, and I noticed some nice little changes.  For instance, this AIS 600 has an automotive blade fuse instead of a glass cartridge and its relatively flimsy holder (wh... …Read More

One hurdle to staging the next America’s Cup on San Francisco Bay is the locals’ expectation that we’ll F it up, given the opportunity. There’s still room for that, but there is no excuse. I get two things from today’s announcement by BMW Oracle Racing that, “San Francisco has put forward a strong, well-rounded venue [...] …Read More

Renting an EPIRB from BoatU.S. for the occasional offshore passage might just save your life; like it did for these three sailors off the coast of northern California. Check out the video for the dramatic Coast Guard rescue. …Read More

The BP oil spill in the Gulf hasn’t come close to being contained. The company’s getting a slight reprieve from media scrutiny while LeBron James decides where he’s going to play basketball next year, but the oil is still flowing. We’re looking at mid-August for relief, according to this CNN report. According to this USA [...] …Read More

The ASA (American Sportfishing Association) just released a study that finds angler access to fishing spots is a major issue, possibly the biggest problem among fishermen today. The study, conducted under a multi-state conservation grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and administered by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, included interviews with over [...] …Read More

Management firm Edmiston and Company tells me that the 98-foot Pendennis sailing yacht Nostromo is offering a 20-percent discount for charters in Croatia this July and August. Nostromo's regular weekly base rate is €50,000 for as many as seven guest... …Read More

Paneltronics new load shedding system is somewhat related to my battery/monitor/charger travails.  Boaters of all sorts are struggling to manage their electrical appetites, and the line between electrical and electronic is getting fuzzy indeed.&n... …Read More