The USCG is out on the waters. The NTM (Notice to Mariners) report many damaged and destroyed ATONS in the area affected by Florence. The changes are already too numerous to list here and will certainly grow. In the past two years we have been very impressed by the speed with which the USCG attended to the hurricane damaged ICW ATONs. There are ATON crews from the Great Lakes and from New England who have been transferred to this area to work through all the damaged ATONs. Be sure that ...
#243. James Aiken is a filmmaker and single-handed sailor that Mia & I met in Ireland after our passage south from Iceland. At the dock in Bangor, James saw our 59 North flag and as a fan of the show, came over to say hi! Coincidentally, five minutes earlier I’d been admiring this beautiful dark-blue boat at the other end of the dock, which turned our to be James’ OAKEN YARN, a classic Tradewinds 33. Thus began a week-long interaction with James that included chasing him down under spinnaker in the Irish Sea and sailing less than a boat-length apart ...
Fears of disaster at sea can loom large; even for adrenaline junkies, misadventure is not the desired companion to adventure. Jamie shares one facet of thinking around avoiding crises at sea here; for more, join Cruisers U and attend seminar at the Annapolis Boat Show next month.
Some boaters will experience a crisis situation. All come close, repeatedly… You know, like that time during the headsail change when the halyard slipped away, and then… Oh wait, that one became a crisis. How could a loose halyard go so wrong, right? Let’s let the halyard dangle, for now, while we talk ...
As previously suggested and as hoped, the Northern part of the ICW between Norfolk and Beaufort NC is partially operational. Some facilities are fully up and running. Some facilities are damaged but running. Some facilities are closed. However the ICW seems passable with dockage, fuel and water available in places between Norfolk and Beaufort, NC. Those facilities which are open for business are anxious to have cruisers come through. But be aware that many homes and businesses are flooded and already damaged. Be even more careful about your wake, as in flooding conditions your ...
Jeanneau Owners in 2016 on the beach at Pirate’s Bight on Norman Island
If ever there was a year not to go to the British Virgin Islands (BVI), this year is it. Or is it? Yes, the BVI got trounced by Hurricane Irma back in September. Yes, there was a huge number of boats lost. And yes, many of the areas best known resorts such as The Bitter End Yacht Club and Peter Island Resort and Spa, have been forced to close their doors and sit out the season until repairs are made. Despite all this, the British Virgin ...
This great aerial image from Marinas.com shows the peaceful, safe harbor I so enjoyed while keeping Gizmo at the New Bern Grand Marina last winter, and across the Trent River at Bridge Pointe Marina three winters before that. Well up the Neuse River from the Outer Banks and below the normal ice and snow belt, these well-managed operations seem like cruising boat havens and that’s reflected in the large, active liveaboard communities.
But New Bern got pummeled by hurricane Florence last night, and it’s hard to tell the amount of damage or how worse it may get. I find myself ...
#242: Fredrik Molin is another 30-something out sailing the world on his own terms. We’ve met several like-minded young people this summer in the Arctic, and it’s super inspiring to me to know they’re out there – we just gotta look in the colder places apparently. After building a successful career as a sommelier and chef, opening and later selling his own restaurant in Bergen, Fredrik needed a new challenge. With some adventurous (and at times crazy) friends, he taught himself how to sail and then went all-in, buying a 53-foot steel ketch and set out for Svalbard. We met ... Read More
This definitely denotes a trend. A curse even. Call it the Curse of Famous Circumnavigating Sailboats That Have Been Donated to Non-Profit Organizations. The latest victim, you may have noticed, is Laura Dekker’s bright red 40-foot Jeanneau Gin Fizz Guppy, which carried her around the world back in 2010-11 and helped her become the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the world alone. Laura has posted details on both her blog and one of her Facebook pages, so I’ll let her tell the story:
I loaned Guppy long term in full faith to a non-profit organization [Ed: LifeSail, based ...
If you’re coming by car: There are lots of parking spaces in a lot just before the Marina. It’s a 5 min walk to the breakwater. Please note, due to safety ...
For the most part, the boating season here on the Chesapeake Bay is pretty much toast. Oh, there are still a few boats running around and of course the diehard racers are still out there but for all practical purposes the season is over. Last week however, we had a nice stretch of indian summer with unseasonably warm temps in the mid-seventies, clear blue skies, and plenty of sunshine. This, along with the fall foliage being just about at its peak, served up the perfect conditions to head out onto ...
Old Ben E and new Ben S aboard M/V Gizmo in Hampton, Virginia, June 2018
Ben Ellison: Except for the possible name confusion, I’m very pleased to report that Ben Stein has become Panbo’s new Publisher while I get to focus entirely on the Edit side. As you may know, “new Ben” has been serving as a Contributing Editor since January, we walked the Miami Show together, and it was “Ben S” who spearheaded the Panbo website rebuild that went live in late March. We’ve been working together closely for eight months, and I know beyond a doubt ...
There are already a goodly number of southbound cruisers in the Chesapeake Bay. With the expected approach of Hurricane Florence, it is time to start considering where to hide if the storm comes into the Chesapeake. We have lived on and cruised the Chesapeake for 30 years. We’ve experienced many tropical storms and a few hurricanes. With that experience here are some observations about Chesapeake hurricane holes. As a general observation, marinas and anchorages below the Rappahannock are going to feel the full effects of a coastal storm. Further up the Bay the winds may be somewhat mitigated going over ...
