power voyaging - Ocean Navigator

25 Jul

Crossing the Atlantic: left or right?

Laurie ThyrreSeamanship & Navigationpower voyaging, voyage planning, voyaging in Europe

By Laurie Thyrre We are planning to cross in 2025 aboard our Nordhavn 64 Gratitude and we need to decide whether to go left or right (from the Azores). This is the question that every voyager must ask when crossing the Atlantic from North America to Europe and it isn’t as straight forward to answer as one might expect. Due to the lovely Bermuda/Azores high pressure that dominates the North Atlantic in the month of May, most people will opt to cross eastbound at this time. Logical stops for weather or fuel are Bermuda and the Azores. But from there,…

07 Mar

Nordhavn 625 hull No. 1

Ocean NavigatorBoat & Gear NewsNordhavn, Nordhavn 625, power voyaging

Dana Point, CA – The first Nordhavn 625 arrived at Nordhavn world headquarters in Dana Point, Calif., over the weekend and will undergo commissioning for the next several weeks before being delivered to her Nevada-based owners. The Nordhavn 625 is based on the very popular Nordhavn 55/60/63 hull. Altogether more than 100 of the three iterations of this well-proven hull have been sold. “It’s been a solid performer for us,” Chief of design Jeff Leishman said of the hull design. “I believed doing an update would provide us with another outstanding derivative.” The result is a fresh, modern exterior that’s…

27 Jul

Stroke survivor completes transatlantic crossing

Tim QueeneyHome Page Hero, Ocean Voyagingdisabled voyagers, Nordhavn, ocean, power voyaging, transatlantic

Any transatlantic crossing is an achievement, no matter the vessel or the crew. For Nordhavn 40 owner Philippe Guglielmetti, however, his June/July 2022 crossing contained an impressive level of personal accomplishment. In 2015 Guglielmetti suffered a a pontine hemorrhagic stroke that left him in a wheelchair. Guglielmetti departed Miami aboard his Nordhavn 40, Embracing Life on May, 28 and arrived in Tarragona, Spain on July 12. The passage was completed in three legs: Miami to Bermuda, Bermuda to the Azores and Azores to Tarragona. Guglielmetti had other crew with him on the passage, the mix changing with each leg, but including Adelaide…

01 Sep

Engine room checks

Phil NancePower Voyagingengine room check, engine rooms, fluid levels, fuel vacuum gauges, infrared pyrometer, marine systems, oil leaks, power voyaging

During a recent over-the-phone troubleshooting session, a client and I were trying to determine the source, as well as the rate, of an oil leak. I asked, “was it there the last time you did an engine room check, and how long ago was that?” His response took me aback: “I checked the engine room before we got under way yesterday.” You can’t check the engine room too often. Some do them hourly, which is very conscientious, while I suggest no less than every four hours. Pre-cruise walk-through When I evaluate a vessel, I carry out a pre-start up inspection…

03 May

Ocean NavigatorMarine Technology, Power Voyagingboating tips, marine gear, power voyaging, voyaging tips

[gtx_gallery] I’m often asked by my power voyaging clients, “What do I need to know about making good crimp connections?” Fortunately, not very much. Material selection High quality solderless or “crimp” connectors start with high quality materials. When a connector is manufactured, a die stamps it repeatedly. This helps to cut and form the metal, but it also work-hardens it. Work-hardened metal is brittle and difficult to form. As a result, it is not preferable for crimping. Annealing returns the copper to a softer, more malleable state. The barrel portion of a quality connector appears seamless. This is because it…