Voyage of a message
Dec 16, 2011 12:00 amJust before embarking on his most recent circumnavigation (his third) in the Velux 5 Oceans race, solo ocean racer Brad Van Liew had one final bit of family business to attend to. His eight-year-old daughter, Tate, had a special request. She had prepared a message in a bottle that she wanted him to send when he crossed the equator.
Etchells racers go electric
Dec 16, 2011 12:00 amAfter hard fought seasons of campaigning, when their racing career ends, many Etchells owners are reluctant to part with their 30-foot racing machines. But what to do with them? Etchells aren’t really comfortable as daysailers. Enter Anders Langendal and his two sons, Erik and Christian, shipwrights in Greenport, Long Island, N.Y. They have, since 2008, been converting Etchells into what they refer to as “gentlemen’s daysailers.”
iPad navigation around Hatteras
Dec 16, 2011 12:00 amI have been a user of the iNavX marine navigation application for Mac for several years now and have been impressed not only by its ease of use and accuracy, but also by the company’s outstanding customer support and frequent upgrades. An e-mailed query gets an almost instant response — the problem is usually operator error!
Rig for a replica schooner
Dec 16, 2011 12:00 amCovey Island Boatworks, Nova Scotia’s premier wooden boat builder, announced that it will be providing spars, standing and running rigging, mast hoops and rig metal work for the schooner Columbia, a replica of the 141-foot Gloucester fishing schooner designed by Starling Burgess and built by Arthur Dana Story in Essex, Mass., in 1923.
North American Rally struck by tragedy
Dec 16, 2011 12:00 amThe 2011 North American Rally to the Caribbean (NARC) which began on Oct. 30, 2011, in Newport, R.I. was marred by two tragic events as the fleet made its way south.
NOAA conducts seafloor surveys along Long Island coast
Oct 21, 2011 12:00 amNOAA ship Thomas Jefferson is conducting a three-month survey of the seafloor off the coast of New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island, as part of a multi-year effort to update nautical charts for Block Island Sound.
The data acquired by the 208-foot hydrographic survey vessel will also support a seafloor mapping initiative by Connecticut and New York.
Matt Rutherford’s solo voyage around the Americas
Oct 20, 2011 12:00 amIt has been four months since Annapolis, Md., sailor Matt Rutherford set out from Chesapeake Bay aboard a 27-foot Albin Vega sloop. His intent — to sail single-handed, east to west through the Northwest Passage, south to Cape Horn and back to the Chesapeake — a 23,000-nautical-mile journey around the Americas. If he succeeds he will become the first person to complete the challenging trip solo. Rutherford is undertaking the voyage to benefit Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, a group that makes sailing a reality for the disabled.
Chuck Husick Marine Technology Award
Oct 20, 2011 12:00 amOne thing every reader of this magazine knew about our late contributing editor Chuck Husick: he loved marine technology. Everything from raw water strainers to batteries to engines to electronics — they all were fodder for his active, inquisitive mind. Chuck knew how everything worked, and could take anything apart and rebuild it. He often did rebuild gear and usually added his own unique modifications to make them work better.
10th annual Sail for Pride regatta
Oct 20, 2011 12:00 amIn the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Pennsylvania in 2001, a few Newport, R.I., sailing enthusiasts organized a regatta to honor and support those affected by the tragedy.
The first Sail for Pride regatta rallied more than 180 boats and raised $110,000 designated for charities to support the New York firefighters, police, and the victims of the attacks and their families.
First annual Penobscot Bay Rendezvous
Oct 20, 2011 12:00 amThe first Penobscot Bay Rendezvous, held August 18 to 21 and presented by Wayfarer Marine and Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, was just what the organizers, participants and sponsors hoped for: great weather, a fantastic mix of boats, some challenging sailing and three nights of great parties.
The event kicked off at Lyman-Morse in Thomaston, Maine, with boatyard tours followed by cocktails, an “all local fare” barbeque and a brilliant fireworks display as the finale.