To the editor: Weather forecasting is both an art and a science, and sailors and power cruisers have become major consumers of a wide array of this crucial information. The three big weather questions we face are: 1) how much…
To the editor: As Jimmy Cornell, the offshore sailing guru, comments in his recent book, A Passion for the Sea, “Few other items on an offshore cruising boat have been debated more fiercely than these two stepbrothers who…attract love and…
To the editor: A couple of comments about the recent piece by Peter Stoops on recoating a head (Powder coating tames the head, Issue #191). It is nice to know more about powder coating, a process I have been curious…
Following the untimely death of renowned naval architect Bill Langan in December 2010, the Newport yacht design firm that bears his name will continue as Langan Design Partners, LLC. Langan’s longtime associates Thomas Degrémont, Antonio Ferrer, and Samuel Howell have…
Weathertrack is a new, straightforward interactive GRIB-viewer application for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (iOS 3.0 or later). It’s an intuitive meteorological tool that puts vital weather information in the palm of your hand. With a GPS enabled iPhone, iPad…
My hands clenched the steering wheel as the radio announcer’s voice broke news of the execution of Scott and Jean Adam, Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay on Feb. 22 by Somali pirates about 100 miles south of the Yemeni coast.…
Canadian Forces MetOc (Meteorology and Oceanography) Halifax ceased high frequency weather and fax broadcasts on Sept. 2, 2010. According to Senior Staff Officer Lt. Darryl Williams, “Canadian naval vessels are no longer using it because they receive weather information by…
Cruising Club of America (CCA) Commodore Sheila McCurdy presented the 2010 Blue Water Medal to Australian sailor Alex Whitworth during CCA’s annual meeting in March at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan. The honor comes to Whitworth following his…
Twenty years since it was introduced as a “gentleman’s daysailer” the distinctive Alerion Express 28 continues to raise the bar as an amalgam of new technology, performance, and classic design. To mark the legendary yacht’s 20th anniversary the Pearson Marine…
The Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance (LSA) is well underway with the restoration of Canada’s iconic schooner, Bluenose II. The alliance, which includes Covey Island Boatworks, Snyder’s Shipyard and Lunenburg Foundry was awarded the contract for the restoration in July 2010. According…
When the VHF DSC radio system was first developed, the idea of automated distress calls seemed an idea with only upside. What could be better than a system that ensured a call for help got sent and received, even if…
Practical Sailor has recognized the Alpenglow 9W overhead as the PS Best Choice among galley lights, in our recent evaluation of this product group, which was published in the May 2010 issue. The designation is awarded to products featured in…
Dana Point, CA -- (March 31, 2011) – Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc., builder of Nordhavn yachts, is pleased to announce that it has obtained a new location for its headquarters, which will house sales, project management, engineering, accounting, commissioning and…
In the early 1980s I designed a small research and utility vessel for the Shoals Marine Laboratory, operated by Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire, that needed to be wide and shallow because of her docking situation and…
The Pentagon and the Department of Transportation have sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission concerning possible interference issues with LightSquared's proposed wireless communication system that will operate on frequencies very close to those used by the GPS navigational…
Camas, WA – March 29, 2011: The spring fitting season is here and with so many options available to you, we know it takes a truly amazing deal to capture your attention. Furuno just created that deal with their recently…
National Geospatial Agency (NGA) charts of waters outside of United States coastal and inland waters are once again being made available for online ordering or print-on-demand (POD) at chart resellers, according to Landfall of Stamford, Connecticut. After a nine-month hiatus,…
Dodge Morgan, former Air Force fighter pilot, working journalist and successful entrepreneur, first dreamed of sailing solo non-stop around the world in the 1960s. Morgan spent a couple of years living aboard his 36-foot schooner, Coaster, and sailing from New…
Heat is the greatest enemy of all things electrical, and your alternator is no exception. Alternators come equipped with cooling fans, either internal or external, but with a tightly enclosed engine compartment, high ambient temperature means an even hotter alternator.…
To the editor: A couple of comments about the recent piece by Peter Stoops on recoating a head (Powder coating tames the head, Issue #191). It is nice to know more about powder coating, a process I have been curious…
Canadian Forces MetOc (Meteorology and Oceanography) Halifax ceased high frequency weather and fax broadcasts on Sept. 2, 2010. According to Senior Staff Officer Lt. Darryl Williams, “Canadian naval vessels are no longer using it because they receive weather information by…
My hands clenched the steering wheel as the radio announcer’s voice broke news of the execution of Scott and Jean Adam, Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay on Feb. 22 by Somali pirates about 100 miles south of the Yemeni coast.…
Florida Sea Grant has published a booklet titled Anchoring Away: Government Regulation and Rights of Navigation in Florida, authored by Thomas T. Ankersen, Richard Hamann, and Byron Flagg. The booklet addresses the federal, state, and local regulatory regime for anchoring…
This statement from the FCC announces that from here on out all VHF DSC radios must be equipped with a test function. The test function should help alleviate some of the problems the Coast Guard is having with VHF DSC…
