Sea Songs:

I came across a tune on MySpace today that I can't get out of my head; and when I hear it - in my head - I think I can actually smell salt water in the air and hear the currents gently spray waves against the wooden hull of an 18th century ship. I'm down below, and it's night.

Visit Alice Rose's MySpace page and if it doesn't play automatically, click on A Tale of Sailing and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Here's what somebody more professional than me said:

Featuring 13 tracks by the Danish musician and songwriter, 'Tales of Sailing' is a blend of mesmerizing vocals, viola, keys and beats which spans a range of styles folky trip-hop, modern electro, lo-fi experimental, and up-tempo dance. From the simple vocals & accordion sea shanty of 'A Tale of Sailing', to the dancy 'Rare Bird' and Trash, from the electronica of Absent Lover and Dark Cloud to the tweaked drum-n-bass of German pop song 'Schön Wäre es'the unifying force in all of them is the achingly beautiful voice of Ms. Rose. Aside from her own compositions, she also collaborated with major electronic musicians Gabriel Ananda and Frank Martiniq, as well as others.

Buy it at Audio Lunchbox.

Weekend in Paris

From December 2nd to December 11th, the premier marine event in Paris is scheduled at the Porte de Versailles.

The show will have 1,200 exhibitors and 1,400 brands for an attendance of more than 271,000 visitors.

Go to the show.

Boat of the Week - For Kids

How much would you bid on a 30 year old sailboat?

What if I told you it was donated to a charity that helps raise money to send needy kids to college?

What if this 26' sailboat, with a 9.9 Evinrude outboard motor that runs fine, and that all the sails and rigging are in good condition?

And what if you could get it for just a few hundred dollars?

When I last checked, the bidding was up to $100 - so act fast!

Bid on the boat now.

Merry Christmas Captain

Or, Happy Holidays if that makes you feel better.


In any event, your holiday gift recipients will love a shirt, sweatshirt or hat that let's everyone know who is in charge of the boat. And at 15 to 30 bucks each, these items won't break your bank - so you can save your money for the holiday regatta.


Check out all the gear here.

Caution: Machine Gun Fire

Floating debris; other boats; large animals; icebergs; rocks; low tide; pirates.

The list of things to worry about running into while you are boating are endless, but when you are sailing on the Great Lakes in the United States of America, bullets from machine guns should be one of them.

Unfortunately, if the US Coast Guard moves forward with its plans to resume live-fire training exercises on the Great Lakes.

Read more here, here and here.

Turkeys

Enjoy the week, and check back for new content on Daily Boater after Thanksgiving weekend, 2006.

Sea Songs: All At Sea

No, I'm not actually addicted to YouTube, but seriously - how cool is it that I can google "sea songs youtube" and come up with a great tune like this:



Really, I may have never come across a hot young artist like Jamie Cullum without the wonders of Google and YouTube. Like last week's featured artist on Daily Boater, David Hasselhoff, this Cullum guy is HUGE in Europe.

But the real question is, which performer do YOU think is more likely to have a hit music career in the United States?

Weekend in St. Pete

This weekend, visit the 29th Annual St. Petersburg Boat Show in Florida.

It's happening at the Bayfront Yacht Basin in St. Petersburg, FL, now through November 19th (Sunday).

For show hours, directions and more, visit this site.

BOTW (boat of the week)

This week's Boat of the Week is...


YOURS!

A couple of weeks ago we marked the end of the summer, and many people are now considering selling their boat in hopes of buying a new one next spring, or perhaps taking a year off from activity.

We're always looking for interesting new or pre-owned boats to post on DailyBoater's Boat of the Week each Wednesday, and there's no reason next week's featured boat can't be yours.

Simply list your boat for sale at FirstBoat.com, here, and it will be considered the following Wednesday for the DailyBoater Boat of the Week.

Why else should you sell your boat at FirstBoat.com? Well, FirstBoat itself has some pretty great visitors. In fact, a survey we conducted a few months ago told us that 31% are planning on purchasing a boat within 6 months. You won't find that many boat buyers in your local newspaper, and on a big site like Yahoo your boat will get lost.

Best of all, every boat listed for sale on FirstBoat is also sold on a network of other boating sites, including UsedBoats.com, MarineWeb.com and SunNews.com.

Sell your boat here, now, and YOUR boat could be the next Boat of the Week!

Floating cans and other garbage

I was surprised to read this sentence in the article about a bathroom that has been built upon a docked boat for use by people at a Hilton Head marina:

"Another grant was issued to the marina for a pump-out boat to transport waste from the floating restroom's two 750-gallon tanks into a sewer system."

I thought for sure they would say the boat simply went out to sea and flushed.

Here's some advice. Print this story out and read it in your own head... it makes it more interesting.

New Zealand Rescue of "Foolish Fishermen"

I love this story because the author, Patrick Crewdson, is so condescending towards these saved souls that it makes you think they likely teach boating safety right along side reading and arithmetic in New Zealand grade school. Hey, who knows, maybe they do!

Read on...

Here's a more dragnet version.

Sea Songs: Hooked

I came across this video on YouTube today, and couldn't avert my eyes. It's such an intentionally whacky video, that it should be bad, but it's actually quite good.

Luckily for Daily Boater, I believe David Hasselhoff is actually standing on the bow of a boat at one point towards the middle of this video. In any event, he's definitely holding a fish, so we've got that excuse to put it on this site.

See for yourself, it's whacky:

Weekend: Queensland Boat Show

This weekend, why not visit the North Coast International Boat Show and Fishing Classic?

When? 10th - 12th November 2006
Where? Quad Park - KAWANA , Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Visit the show's web for more info, mate.

Boat of the Week: Dinner Cruiser

Now you can go on one of those dinner cruises every night in your very own paddlewheel dinner cruiser.

Make an offer, and you can be hosting your own dinner cruise tonight!

More info.

Gone Fishing

No new Daily Boater today, as we took the day off to go fishing. While we still can.

Planning to retire and go fishing? Not so fast.

Many of us dream of retiring after 40 or 50 years of hard work to a cottage near the ocean, with days spent fishing instead of pushing paper or pencils or whatever your boring job is. Well, there's one more thing you might not have to look forward to anymore.

Or so warns a team of ecologists and economists in a report in Friday's issue of the journal Science. These dream-bashers suggest that if current trends of overfishing and pollution continue, the populations of virtually all seafood will be gone by the year 2048.

In 2048, I'll be in my 70's, and was hoping to use "fishing" as an excuse to go relax on my boat at least four days a week. Now what am I going to use as an excuse?

Read more about this research at SlashDot and at CBS.

Sea Songs: The Beach Gets Cold

It sure does this time of year, at least up here in New England.

I found this song by Michael Leviton, and I think I like it as much as I like finding tunes and videos on YouTube. Check it out below, and if you like it, go buy it at iTunes or Amazon.

Weekend: Barcelona (All Next Week, Too)

The 45th Barcelona International Boat Show (Salón Náutico Internacional de Barcelona) kicks off this weekend, and expects to receive over 175,000 visitors to view yachts, boats and accessories for sailing, fishing, surfing and scuba diving.

The show will occupy all five pavilions of Fira de Barcelona's Gran Vía exhibition centre from November 4th through the 12th.

While you're in Barcelona, visit the Port Vell On-Water Show, which will feature 231 large boats.

Interested more in what's going on UNDER the sea? You're in luck, because the 45th Barcelona Boat Show will host the first ever BCN Dive, dedicated to the underwater world, during November 4-7.

Before you go, visit the boat show site here.

Boat of the Week: Coast Guard Ship

I scoured the web today and found the most unique boat for sale I have ever seen: A Coast Guard motor life boat.

This 44' ship has a characteristic that you find from your run-of-the-mill Bayliner or Viking: She's a self righting ship.

That means that if she is overturned, the vessel will return to an upright position in 30 seconds or less.

This ship was designed to operate up to 50 miles offshore in 30 foot waves and 20 foot surf close into shore. They have room for 21 survivors below decks and have approximately a 250 nautical mile cruising range. This ship was also designed to tow up to 125 tons.

More info about this boat

On the Web: RescueTape.com

Out on the water, your fancy 65-piece marine toolset in its bright yellow plastic carrying case probably WILL sink if you drop it over the side, and it probably WON'T save your hide as many times as Rescue Tape will.

Rescue Tape is small enough to justify keeping a couple of rolls on the boat (and one in the truck). It's actually a self-fusing silicone tape so there is no adhesive to wear away; it seals air- and water-tight.

At 700 psi, it should keep any hose leaks at bay until you can get assistance.

With the ability to resist 8,000 Volts and 500° F (260° C), temporary electrical cord repairs are not a problem.

For more information, or to buy a couple of rolls, visit RescueTape.com.

Rather Blustery Day

They say that the difference between sailors and powerboaters is that powerboats are often intimidated by windy weather and waves, while sailboats thrive in blustery weather.

Not so this past weekend in New England, as demonstrated in this video posted on YouTube this past Saturday from Massachusetts. Check it out:

Sea Songs: Sails

How many songs named "sails" are there? Tons, but not many by female independent artists that can jam. That's what I found when I listened to a few songs by Megan Slankard, including Sails which is from the album A Little Extra Sun.

I found the video you see below of a live performance at a site called acousticvids.com, and since Daily Boater only gets about 3 hits a day (and 1 of them is me), I figured this page would not be violating their creative commons license. So here ya go:

Weekend: FLL, here we come

Today marks the first day of the 47th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. With the weather starting to chill in most parts of the country and an extra hour to kill this weekend, why would you go anywhere else?

The event is being billed as the world’s largest boat show, but I thought that as such it would contain more than 1.6 billion dollars worth of boats, yachts, superyachts, electronics, engines and thousands of accessories from every major marine manufacturer and builder worldwide. I wouldn't be surprised to see that number advertised as $2 Billion by the time the 50th annual comes around given the recent trend towards bigger and bigger mega yachts.

Still not convinced? What if I told you that Ft. Lauderdale liked to call itself the Venice of America? I'm serious.

If you are planning to go to the Ft. Lauderdale show this weekend, you can check it out at six different venues, all of which are connected by a very complex-looking bus and boat system shown here. The venues are:
Bahia Mar Yachting Center
Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center
Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel and Yacht Club
Hyatt Pier 66 Hotel & Marina
Hall of Fame Marina
Las Olas Marina

Boat Show Dates Hours:
Thursday, October 26 (Prime Time Preview) - 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, October 27 - 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 28 - 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 29 - 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Monday, October 30 - 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Prices range from FREE for children UNDER SIX YEARS OLD to as high as $60 for a five day pass.

Whether you are going or not, at least check out the event's website - it is a show in itself.

Boat of the Week: The White Star of London

The White Star of London. It just sounds elegant, doesn't it? Or perhaps you were thinking of her sister ship, The Elegant Star of London. They are both very elegant, actually, and both (or either) can be yours for a day, a week or even longer.

These beautiful 76- and 80-foot yachts are available for charter in the Balearics and Mediterranean waters. They were recently brought to my attention as charter options for watching the America's Cup races next summer - What a cool idea.

Sign up before all the best dates are taken: click here.

When Stingrays Attack

For the 2nd time in less than seven weeks, a stingray has stabbed a man in the heart with potentially fatal consequences.

The 1st time was a story you've seen over and over again - resulting in the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. (click here if you live in a box)

The 2nd time was last week in Florida, and though the 81 year old victim has survived, the story may be freakier than that of Steve Irwin's. In this most recent case, the man was stabbed in the heart (just like Irwin was), but after the stingray first flopped right into the man's boat! That's right - the stingray flopped into the boat, and then stabbed the man in the heart with its razor sharp wiry barbed tale. Apparently, the man was trying to scoop the stingray out of his boat when he was attacked, but it is still too strange. (full story here)

Strange freakish accidents? Do stingrays know what they are doing? Maybe "Bush did it", claims this website... check it out.

Rich in Russia? You Gotta Get a Boat

A story out of Moscow today explains how yachts are becoming the new must-have luxury item among the elite upper classes in Russia.

In fact, one luxury yacht retailer claims to be selling 5 times more boats than last year. This is in a country where the mildest coastal towns experience only a couple of months of suitable boating weather at best.

The story goes on to say that many of these "new boaters" don't even use their boats; they just like to say that they own a boat!

Don't believe it? It's true, because I read it in this online UK newspaper. Check it out here.

Learn more about Russia here or here.

Sea Songs: Sailing To Phillie

Every once in a while I surprise even myself with the gems I find when searching for sea songs for this weekly post.

This composition from former-Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler features James Taylor on lead vocals, and it is as sweet as it gets.

Here are some links so that you can enjoy Sailing To Philadelphia - the title track on Knopfler's 2nd solo album. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:

Rhapsody

or

Weekend: The Biggest Boat Show in the World?

India has the 2nd largest population in the world - over a billion citizens, which is second only to China.

With all those people - and a 7,000 km coastline - there surely must be a plethora of boaters in India.

That's why I wouldn't be surprised if the India International Boat Show (IIBS) grows to become the largest boat show in the world. I'm not sure it is, but the show's website claims that the "IIBS brings together the entire boating, marine and aqua tourism industry from South Asia and the Middle East."

So, if you're in South Asia this weekend, be sure to pop in on the IIBS.
What: India International Boat Show (IIBS)
When: October 20 - 22, 2006
Where: Le Meridien International Convention Centre, Cochin, Kerala, India

Boat of the Week: Fan Sea V

I'm not sure if Captain & Mrs. Sardelli are replacing the Fan Sea V with the Fan Sea VI, or if they are giving up the charter business, but their 1990 53' Viking Sport fish is for sale.

If you've got a half-million dollars laying around, and want what looks like a VERY well-maintained and lightly-fished-in fishing boat, then this may be the boat for you. Looks like she's got all the gadgets you need to start cruising right away.

More info and pictures are here.

Contact Captain Dave Sardelli in Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, directly if you're interested in this fine vessel:

P. 401.821.4722
F. 401.823.0879
Email: FanSeaV@cox.net

California boating exam on the way

California is usually on the cutting edge of things such as clothing styles, car emissions and safety regulations, healthcare, medicinal marijuana, fine wine, and the list goes on and on (which is to say that I can't think of other examples at this moment).

So with their trend-setting reputation, and my knowledge that - other than the time of day - most things move west to east across the United States, it was surprising to find this weekend that California is considering a boating exam program. As a Connecticut Yankee in Long Island Sound, having to take a course and pass an exam before becoming a boater seems second nature. In fact, the law has been around so long in CT that I often forget that the rules are different in each state and that the Nutmeg state on the east coast is actually ahead of the curve for a change in this instance. In fact, California is one of only 13 states that does not require training to operate a recreational boat. What's your state's status? Check FirstBoat.com's boating by state tool.

Will the California law pass? Probably, because boater education saves lives. The State of Florida's statistics tell me so.

If you live in California and have to take an exam, will YOU pass? Probably, because the individuals who teach boating courses are usually passionate boaters who want you to be safe on the water, so they'll teach you what you need to know to be safe - and to pass the course.

Read about the proposed California boater exam, and vote your opinion, here.

Track Your Yacht

With GPS units coming down in price and getting smaller, it is no wonder that the technology is now available to track your yacht while you are not even on it!

Why do you need a yacht tracking gadget?

Well, if you regularly charter or rent your boat out (or if you were thinking about it but were afraid your boat would be sailed off the end of the earth), then you might benefit from this type of device or service.

Also, if you have loved ones who sail frequently and you may enjoy having access to a yacht tracking system so you can track their whereabouts for your own peace of mind.

Other applications may include tracking for boat races, businesses involved in boat delivery, or even fishing boats. Imagine how useful this would be if you owned two or three (or 20) fishing boats that were out at sea and you wanted to see where they all were from the computer in your cozy office.

Yacht tracking systems are available from many companies today, and therefore you can get a good price and reliable support if you shop around.

Some of the companies we found offering these systems are:

Yacht-Control, which is owned by the Azimut Group, which I don't think has anything to do with Azimut Yachts.

Ocean Tracker seems inexpensive and even let's you view some yachts that are actually being tracked right now on their site.

US-based Valeo Corporation does a good job of explaining how this type of service has become more affordable and is no longer just for multi-million dollar fleets.

Lastly, check out iBoatTracks.com and see if you can figure out what the heck they do. My best guess is that they set up tracking services for free for some of their friends and family members, but maybe if you contact them they'll set it up for you, too!

Sea Songs: New Buffett

Here is Sea Songs Rule #1

If Jimmy Buffett has a new song, it's suitable for DailyBoater's weekly sea songs feature, even if the song isn't about boats.

That's because Jimmy has earned the right to put whatever song he wants to on my site. I have listened to more songs by Jimmy Buffett while boating than any other artist, so in my mind EVERY song Jimmy does is a boating song even if it's not exactly about boats.

Bama Breeze is like that. Take a look and listen to Jimmy's new single on video at Margaritaville.com - here.

Buy the new album at Amazon - here.

Weekend: Old and Large

If you like your boat shows old and large, then you will LOVE the 35th Annual United States Powerboat Show.

It says right on the show's official website that they are "The Nation’s oldest & largest in-water Powerboat Show", so will certainly get your old and large fix at this event.

Seriously, if you are on the east coast this weekend, you must attend this great event, which includes a fleet of boats ranging from luxurious motoryachts and performance boats to offshore fishing machines, family cruisers, center consoles, and even a variety of unique and affordable inflatables.

What: 35th Annual United States Powerboat Show.

Where: Annapolis City Dock and Harbor in Annapolis, Maryland

When: October 12 - 15, 2006

More info: USBoat.com (not to be confused with BoatUS.com)

Boat of the Week: America's Cup

Did you know that the winner of the 31st America's Cup in 2003 was a team based in Switzerland? The team name is written on the side of the boat, but the actual winning boat's name was SU164.

Team Alinghi is launching a new boat for the 32nd America's Cup, which is happening next summer (2007) in Valencia, located on Spain’s Mediterranean coastline.

Learn more about Alinghi -- the team and the boats, past and present, here.

More details about the 32nd America's Cup can be found here.

On the Web: BoatlinX with a capital X

Maybe Boatlinx.com didn't want you to forget how to spell their misspelled name, so they capitalized the X.

If you ask them, they'll probably tell you it is in tune with the "treasure map" design on their logo... An "X marks the spot" type of thing.

Either way, if you are looking for a boat site and you don't want to comb through the 14 Million results on Google for your boating keywords, then BoatlinX.com is a great place to start.

Check them out at www.BoatlinX.com (caps not required!)

Columbus Day Regatta Collision

South Florida's 52nd annual Columbus Day regatta took an ugly turn Sunday when two boats collided on Biscayne Bay, resulting in the death of one young woman, and serious injuries to seven other people. As of this posting, one man is still missing.

The Miami Herald is reporting that a boat which was being towed was hit "violently" by another boat which did not stop - an on-the-water version of a hit-and-run.

Read further details from the Miami Herald here, and the Associated Press here.

Sea Songs: Happy Columbus Day Weekend

In honor of the upcoming semi-holiday celebrating the man who is credited in American textbooks with "discovering America", this week's sea song is as follows:

World Before Columbus from Suzanne Vega's album "Nine Objects Of Desire"

Not necessarily about boats, but named for one of the most famous boaters in American history.
Give her a listen here from Amazon.com [link to album]

Weekend: 37th Annual Everything

Whether you live on the Pacific or the Atlantic coast of the United States, you're not only near a boat show this weekend, but you are near a "37th Annual" Boat Show!

On the left coast, you've got The 37th Annual International Sail & Power Boat Show, being held at the Long Beach Convention Center and Shoreline Village Marina in none other than Long Beach, California.


Live on the Atlantic? Then you'll enjoy the 37th Annual United States Sailboat Show - billed as "The Nation's oldest & largest in-water Sailboat Show" - at Annapolis City Dock and Harbor in, of course, Annapolis, Maryland.

Both shows run from Oct 5th (today) through the 8th (Sunday), except for the Annapolis show which runs all the way through Monday.

If this link does not bring you to the Annapolis show website, just type in usboat.com and remember that it's their fault not mine.

This link here is a one-way ticket to Long Beach. Enjoy!

Boat of the Week: YOUR BOAT HERE

This week's Boat of the Week is...


YOURS!

A couple of weeks ago we marked the end of the summer, and many people are now considering selling their boat in hopes of buying a new one next spring, or perhaps taking a year off from activity.

We're always looking for interesting new or pre-owned boats to post on DailyBoater's Boat of the Week each Wednesday, and there's no reason next week's featured boat can't be yours.

Simply list your boat for sale at FirstBoat.com, here, and it will be considered the following Wednesday for the DailyBoater Boat of the Week.

Why else should you sell your boat at FirstBoat.com? Well, FirstBoat itself has some pretty great visitors. In fact, a survey we conducted a few months ago told us that 31% are planning on purchasing a boat within 6 months. You won't find that many boat buyers in your local newspaper, and on a big site like Yahoo your boat will get lost.

Best of all, every boat listed for sale on FirstBoat is also sold on a network of other boating sites, including UsedBoats.com, MarineWeb.com and SunNews.com.

Sell your boat here, now, and YOUR boat could be the next Boat of the Week!

On the web: Renting a boat just got easier

Last spring, a friend of mine sent me an email and said "where can I rent a boat for the weekend just like the one I used to own?" I know he used to own a 28' Maxum express cruiser, because I helped him pick it out 10 years ago and spent many fun days on that boat before buying a similar boat in 1999. Not knowing of any popular boat renting agencies in the Long Island Sound area, I set out on the web to find my friend a boat to rent.

In my search, I found plenty of boat charters available out of New London, CT, or Newport, but most were fishing captains for hire. A nice service, but not what he was looking for. Many of the results I found under a search for "boat charter" on google were for the Caribbean or Greece or other exotic locations where you can enjoy a bareboat cruise and go island hopping. Again, nice, but not what we were looking for here.. There were plenty of timeshares-for-yacht services advertised on the web, but most of them seem to be for sailboats - I know this guy is a powerboater. Also, they all want you to "buy in" for a year, or a lifetime, and my friend - who recently had his 4th kid - only needed a boat for a weekend. Besides, the closest service of this kind was out of Stamford, CT, and he was looking for something closer to Mystic.

Anyway, I sent him a couple of links that I finally found and forgot about it... Until he sent me an email last week telling me how that company I sent him was in the news for their unique service and rapid growth. I said, "What company?", as I didn't remember what website I had actually sent him. Apparently, I sent him a link to BoatRenting.com where he found a 38' cabin cruiser that he was able to rent for a 3-day weekend right near his home. He said the price was reasonable, the boat was everything promised by the renter, and the transaction was easy as pie (Where did that saying come from? I've never made a pie - it doesn't seem easy to me).

So, if you need to rent a boat for the weekend, you can search Google for hours and look at a hundred different websites like I did last spring, or you can visit BoatRenting.com and find a boat to rent.

Rescued!

It took six helicopters, a Navy search plane and two rescue boats - but 24 hours after a 17' boat capsized 15 miles offshore in the Atlantic, the last of the 5 boaters has been rescued.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Donnie Brzuska is quoted in several newspaper articles as stating that the five men were fishing in a 17-foot pleasure boat about 15 miles offshore when it began taking on water and capsized about 11 a.m. Saturday.

You can read about the rescue here, but make sure you also check out the message boards here... While it is fortunate these five men were smart enough to have PFDs, there are some interesting comments concerning why these guys were SOOO far offshore in such a small boat with so many people. I hope we hear the survivors' tales soon.

Sea Songs: REAL Sea Songs

After reading about the album Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys on NPR, I spent more about 15 minutes to figure out how to listen to a sample from this album at NPR.org (apparently clicking on the "Click here to listen" link wasn't enough for this technically-challenged sailor).

Luckily, NPR provided me with another link that DID work for me, and it brought me to a cools site called ANTI.com, where you can legally download this tune for free.

Best of all, because you put up with the hassle of reading about my hassle, I'll save you the hassle and give you the direct link to the page with the song, 'Mingulay Boat Song' featuring Richard Thompson on Richard Thompson on vocals and guitar. Careful - once you go this page, clicking the song name opens it in Quicktime by default for me, which I don't usually like but it played rather quickly. If you click on the link title "CD 1 & 2 Medley" you'll hear samples from most of the songs on this most excellent album.

Oh, and of course you can learn A LOT more about the entire album at NPR or at Anti.com.

Did I mention that both Sting and Bono also appear on this album?

Weekend - Houston... We Have a Boat Show

And let's not forget Boston, where we love that dirty water!

We told you there were lots of boat shows this month, and the last weekend of September is no different. There are in-water boat shows in both Houston and Boston, and a non-in-water boat show in Friedrichshafen, Germany; all are going on now through Sunday, October 1st. In fact, the German show has been going on all week!

The 2006 Houston In-the-Water Boat Show is at the Watergate Yachting Center

The 2006 Boston International In Water Boat Show is at the World Trade Center (in Boston, of course).

Photo courtesy of INTERBOOT. Scroll down for more on Interboot.

The largest show of the weekend, the 45th Annual Interboot (A.K.A. International Water Sports Expedition), is in Friedrichshafen at Lake Constance in Germany. I could not find a map or directions at interboot.com, but I'm sure if you made your way to Friedrichshafen, or any town around Lake Constance, you would be able to find the boat show. Just walk around and say, "INTERBOOT?, INTERBOOT?"

Boat of the Week

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If you're looking for a small power boat for daytrips, you can't beat a Chaparral such as the Chaparral 235SSI. Chaps are generally more expensive than other brands of the same style and size range, but you get what you pay for in quality and details. And just like a car, if you buy 'used', you might find a gem and save a few bucks.

For example, a search of Google helped me find this pre-owned 24ft Chaparral 235 SSI. The owner put enough pictures up to give me the confidence that the vessel is in near-mint condition, and a steal because (as usual) the owner "must sell."

Check it out, if it's still available, and see if you agree:
http://wishon.googlepages.com/boat

Tune In, Turn On

Did you ever sit on your couch on a rainy evening and flip the channels, hoping that ESPN 2 is showing a fishing show, but get disappointed when they are showing another edition of the world series of poker (just how many "world series" does that competition have, anyway?)?

Well, if your like me and can never seem to find a show about fishing or boating when you want to watch it, the times they are a changing. Now there's the Water Channel, which bills itself as "the world’s first television network devoted exclusively to water lifestyle programming". Furthermore, they just announced last week that they have expanded their broadcasting to 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. No more disappointment of finding cardsharks instead of real sharks.

How can you find the new coolest TV channel on earth? Turn your Dish Network to channel 217, or if you're on Time Warner Cable, check channel 130 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, channel 288 in northeast Ohio and channel 187 in Binghamton, New York.

The network says that expansion to other Time Warner Cable systems as well as Cox Cable nationwide will continue this fall, and plans are in place to reach 45 million households nationwide within the year.

Of course, you can learn more about "television's New Wave" at waterchannel.com.

Free Safety Check

Did you know that the US Coast Guard Auxiliary will give your boat a complimentary safety check? All you have to do is ask!

What is a Vessel Safety Check?

It is a free check of a vessel’s equipment for compliance with federal and state safety requirements. The vessel examiners performing this service have been trained to look for some of the more common problems, which might occur in your boat or its associated safety equipment.

How can you get one?

If you happen to know where your local USCG Auxiliary office is, simply contact them, and ask for a "Vessel Safety Check". Or visit SafetySeal.net and enter your zip code. You'll see a list vessel examiners from both the Auxiliary as well as the United States Power Squadrons, which is another helpful boating safety organization.

Will you pass the test?

There's no way to know for sure, but you can test yourself here before you sign up if you want to see how you'll do in advance.

Sea Songs: Don't Rock My Boat

Imagine your boat anchored in the calmest of coves on a hot end-of-summer afternoon. You are on the swim platform, laying back trying to figure out if that big puffy white cloud above you looks more like an elephant or your 2nd grade teacher. One foot dangles in the cool water. Totally relaxed. Nowhere to go for hours. You've got a red stripe in one hand and in the other.... who knows?

This week's sea song, Don't Rock My Boat, may give you the answer. Give it a listen at iTunes now:

Weekend - Boat Shows, Got'em, Need'em?

If you're looking for a boat show this month, you are in luck. In fact, there seems to be a boat show in virtually every port between now and the end of the year.

As for this weekend, if you are in La Rochelle or New Rochelle, there is a boat show happening near you right now. Here are just a few of them:

What: 34th Annual Grand Pavois de la Rochelle
Where: Minimes Harbour, La Rochelle, France
When: Sept 20 - 25, 2006

What: Monaco Yacht Show
Where: Port Hercule, Monaco
When: Sept 20 - 23, 2006

What: 31st Norwalk International In-Water Boat Show
Where: Norwalk Cove, Norwalk, CT, USA
When: Sept 21 - 24, 2006

So get out and go to the boat show. And while you're there, buy a boat already, would ya?

Boat of the Week

Yesterday, I described the success people have been having buying and selling boats on eBay, so today I decided to practice what I preach for the weekly DailyBoater Boat of the Week feature.

I scoured eBay for a luxury powerboat with an end date of less than 48 hours from the time of this post in case you are anxious to bid and see if you've won. But even if you were not planning on spending $137,000 on a boat today, you have got to at least take a look at this beautiful 63' Sea Ray 630 Super Sun Sport. Built in 1991, the seller is claiming to have reduced the price by $200,000, so it certainly looks like a steal. It meets all the typical criteria for a big-ticket item on eBay:

LOTS of pictures

Very detailed description

Several bids by some serious-looking buyers

A seller with plenty of positive feedback

Click here to view or bid on this boat now

Good luck!

Buy a boat on eBay?

I've never bought or sold anything on eBay. I actually tried to sell some extra Jimmy Buffett tickets once, but nobody wanted them, and I ended up giving them away to a co-worker.

But people really use the site, obviously, or it wouldn't be where it is today. Did you know that eBay is a Fortune 500 company with over $4.5 Billion in annual revenue? I knew it was big, but didn't realize it was that big until I just googled ebay financials.

Based on my experience with my Jimmy Buffett tickets, I never would have thought people actually buy and sell items as big as boats on eBay. But they do. Big ones.

As the publisher of FirstBoat.com, I see some of the details of transactions on eBay that originate on FirstBoat's boat auction page. Of course, I don't see any personal information about the boat buyer (or even about the seller), but I do see when a boat sells to a winning bidder, how many bids there were, and how much the boat sold for.

And last month, a buyer who started browsing on FirstBoat's boat auction page, clicked through to eBay and had the winning bid on a boat to the tune of $176,000. In fact, I was surprised to learn that during the month of August 2006, over a quarter million dollars in boats were sold on eBay to buyers originating from FirstBoat.com's auction page alone. And I'm sure that doesn't even represent 10% of the boats sold on eBay each month. Are there millions of dollars of boats being sold on eBay each month? Who knows?

Boats are being bought and sold sight-unseen over the Internet via an online auction. How cool is that? I guess if you know what you're looking for, and what the market price is for a specific model of boat, AND if the buyer seems trustworthy (their customer feedback and prior customer experience helps!), then it is the wave of the future.

Actually, it seems like it may be the wave of the present. I'm totally buying my next boat from FirstBoat auctions on eBay.

Saved by the Cell

Last week, I read an advertisement disguised as a press release from a company that sells survival kits. The release was titled, "Personal Survival Kits Increase Odds." In that press release, a nameless man who we are told is the "head of Product Development" for the company is quoted as saying that people rely heavily on their cell phones when they need help. "Don'’t be fooled into thinking your cell phone will save your life", the nameless head of product development proclaims.

Having read that self-serving press release, the following feel-good survival story aboutt a father and son in Vancouver made me feel even better when I realized that the press release people were wrong - a cell phone actually CAN save your life!!!

I mean, I understand that boaters shouldn't rely primarily on cell phones for survival. For example, simply wearing life jackets would have prevented this from being a life and death happy ending story in the first place.

Read the story yourself on the "good news blog" and also in the Saanich News by writer Brennan Clarke.

Sea Songs: Feeling Spangled?

I never thought about the word "Spangled" before, it was as if it was always part of one big word, "StarSpangledBanner". The whole thing meant "patriotism", "America", "Francis Scott Key", but that word "spangled" just sounds funny by itself, doesn't it?

Anyway, I'm writing this on the 14th of September, which Morning Edition told me this morning is the anniversary of the day that old F. Scott penned the poem which became "The Star Spangled Banner" on a BOAT off Baltimore (the "there" where the "Flag still was"). Here's the story.

Ok, did you finish reading? Do you know all about the War of 1812 now? Good, now here's the song as performed by Sebastian Bach, former lead singer of Skid Row: To listen, after you go to this page, click on the song title on the mid-right side of the page. Well worth it.

Weekend - Cannes, It's Not Just For Films Anymore

Surely you've heard of the Cannes Annual Film Festival (The 60th Cannes Film Festival will take place May 16th to 27th, 2007), but were you familiar with the Cannes International Boat and Yacht Show? It's young compared to the Film Festival - this will only be the 29th annual Boat Show at Cannes - so, perhaps the show needs a few more years under its belt before you'll show it some respect.

The show is in Port de Cannes as usual, but this year has expanded to Port Pierre Canto as well. The event is already rocking, and goes through the weekend, so get a move on.

If you're going, and you can read French, then check out this cool interactive map of the show.

Here's how I would get there:
Fly to the Nice Côte d'Azur International Airport in my NetJet. The boat show website explains that the Cannes Boat Show is 7 minutes from the airport by helicopter. Let me know if you do that!

Oh, and check out the website for the show: hot chicks, cool music, and boats. You really can't go wrong.

Boat of the Week

What a Ketch.

This 46 foot Morgan was built in 1981 and is moored in Puerto Marquez, in the south of Acapulco, Mexico.

According to the current owner, she's very comfortable, and is a good cruising and liveaboard boat. Small enough to be handled by one person, yet big enough to sleep seven, and for some reason the interior photos of this ketch look really comfy.

Your price: $89K

Learn more about this boat, or contact the seller.

Give Me Liberty or Give Me a Boat

Perhaps this news item caught my attention when I opened my International Boat Industry newsletter Tuesday because it was the 5th anniversary of 9/11, and the headline of the story included the word "Liberty."

And then, my memory was jogged of all the patriotism that surfaced following 9/11, all across the USA. You remember... it was a year of inspirational songs, high-flying flags, and, of course, a plethora of patriotic boat names. In fact, of the top ten boat names chosen in 2002, number one and number two were "Liberty" and "Victory," respectively.

The actual story from IBI was about Burger Boat Company launching a 101 foot (31m) yacht that they are calling "Liberty" (pictured to your left). She looks like a fine yacht, but all I could think about is how Burger seems like a smart marketing company for getting IBI to write a story about a boat named "Liberty" on a date that makes most Americans want to fight for just that.

Hurricane Florence Makin' Waves

Hurricane Florence is expected to gear up to Category 2 as it approaches Bermuda within the next 24 hours.

According to the NOAA's 11pm EST report on Sunday evening, Bermuda residents can expect the following, and should make "preparations to protect life and property":

90 MPH winds and even stronger gusts

six to eight foot storm surges above normal tide levels

"LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE LIKELY ALONG THE COAST OF BERMUDA"

five to 10 inches of rain

And, while Florence may not hit the east coast of the US, NOAA does offer this warning:
LARGE OCEAN SWELLS AND DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS... INCLUDING STRONG RIP CURRENTS... ARE AFFECTING THE BAHAMAS AND PORTIONS OF THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CANADIAN MARITIMES.

So, if you are in Florence's path, batten down, and get out of the way. Be safe.

Sea Songs: I'm Your Captain

Okay, so your kids have probably read the news about MySpace launching a music channel, but what does that mean for us?

Well, for our first weekly Sea Song since the myspace launch, we are going to try to take advantage of the service.

Let us know if this doesn't work.

Here's your song:
Grand Funk Railroad's I'm Your Captain

And also, here

Weekend - Lido, Oh-Ohhh Oh-Ohhh, Boat Show

What a great tune; too bad Lido wasn't a sailor or we could also make Lido Shuffle by Boz Scaggs our weekly Sea Song. Actually, the first line of the song says Lido missed the boat, so maybe we could consider it a nautical jingle.

Anyway, if you're anywhere near the left coast this weekend, you MUST attend the 28th Annual Lido Yacht Expo in Newport Beach at Lido Marina Village.

In fact, you can even attend between noon and 7 p.m. today.
Additional show hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The price is $10 for adults, free for kids 12 and under.

Learn more about the show here, and in this Daily Pilot article.

Boat of the Week

Westport Shipyards, founded on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Westport, Washington, has created a mega-yachts that, although made in the USA, can compete with ships built Europe on style and elegance.

The Westport 164 Vango sports a tri-deck design, an LOA of 164 feet (of course), and a 30'10" beam (that's the width of a boat).

She is able to cruise at an impressive 20 knots, and has a top-deck VIP suite with a private outside terrace... And that's not even designed to be the captain's quarters.

Want to learn more about the Vango? Bill Lindstrom, writing for The Daily World (yes, that's a real paper even though it sounds like something out of a comic strip), points out the following interesting tidbits:

Fill'er Up
It costs $50,000 to fill the Vango’s 20,000 gallon-fuel tank.

Cruise Around The World
A full tank of fuel will get the Vango from Washington to Japan — roughly 5,550 miles.

Read more from Bill @ the Daily World

Read a review, with lots of photos, here

Buy the boat here (or at least request a free brochure)

Race Around the World

If you love boating, the idea of sailing around the world has likely crossed your mind. Well a year from now you may get your chance. The Scuttlebutt newsletter reported today that Global Ocean Sailing Ventures is now formally accepting entries for the 2007 Global Ocean Challenge. The Global Ocean Challenge is a five leg course that will start and finish in Europe with stops at South Africa, New Zealand, Brazil, and the USA.

The goal of the race is to provide sailors the chance to participate in an around-the-world race on an affordable budget, according to the Scuttlebutt.

Interested sailors should contact Global Ocean Sailing Ventures with further inquiries... Click here.

Sea Songs: Gilligan, Part 2

After listing the original Minnow as our Boat of the Week on Wednesday, there seemed no better choice for this week's sea song than the theme from Gilligan's Island.

However, anybody can send you a link to one of the original two versions of the actual TV show's theme song. Remember, originally the Professor and Mary Ann got shafted in favor of "and the rest" at the end of the song. Anyway, follow our iTunes button for a unique version, which I believe is sung by vegetables.





Oh, we know you want it, so here are the original two tunes:
the version with "and the rest", The version with "the professor and mary ann".

Weekend - Boat Show in Brisbane

What are you doing this Labor Day weekend?
Well, if you're anywhere near the other side of the world, you might want to check out Brisbane.

What: 47th Annual Brisbane International Boat Show 2006
When: Aug 30 2006 - Sep 3 2006
Where: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Southbank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Web Site: www.brisbaneboatshow.com.au

Boat of the Week

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

That's right, the original SS Minnow is for sale on a site that sells used boats - ablboats.com.

Could it be legit? Well, since there were several boats used in production, some real and some just props (pun intended), it is entirely possible that this is ONE of the real deals!

Is it worth 99K? Well, it is a classic 37' wooden cabin cruiser with restored twin engines. So, that's up to you.

Besides, if you bought a boat that looked even remotely like that vessel all your friends would start calling it the Minnow, even if it wasn't the real deal!

The Future's So Bright

Ever find yourself taking your eyes off the water and hands off the wheel as you press your nose against your GPS device while trying to shield the sun with your baseball cap?

In today's world of too-many electronics, who hasn't had this experience?

That's why we thought these little hoodies from a southern Cali company called GlareStomper were the coolest things since Ray Bans. They can be flattened out and stored easily if you don't want to use them, and fit most models of most marine electronics - heck, they even double as a koozie!

Storm Brewin... RAIN

In the first real weather threat to the US this hurricane season, a tropical storm named Ernesto has caused the Florida Keys to kick out all its tourists and mobile trailers (those that are truly mobile must go) and close all parks. If the storm stays on track, it could hit the Keys within 36 hours.

"36 hours? And it's only a tropical storm, and they're doing all that?" you might ask.

Well, it's not just that the US is concerned of a repeat of New Orleans and the illpreparedness that was shown with Katrina last year. You see, the Keys have a special relationship with hurricanes. They get hit. Hard. And often.

Hurricane Warnings and Forecasts and Awareness Info from the NWS & NOAA

Sea Songs: Gonna Build Me A Boat

Have you ever listened to a song that left you with an urging sensation to do something very challenging? That's what the original version of Boats to Build did for me the first time I heard it... Not the tropicalized cover by Jimmy Buffett, which makes me want to sit on a hammock and drink a boat drink the way most Jimmy Buffett songs do, but the original version by songwriters Guy Clark and Verlon Thompson.

Have a listen, and if you start feeling an urge to actually go out and build your own boat, don't say I didn't warn you!

Click the iTunes button below or go to Amazon.com and check it out now.

Weekend - Raleigh, NC

Here's a little something to do this weekend if you're in the Carolinas - maybe you're enjoying a vacation in the outer banks and need a diversion on the mainland.

August 25 - 27, 2006
Carolina Fall Boat Show & Sale in Raleigh, NC

Details and $1.00 off coupon here

Boat of the Week

We just found a 2002 Azimut Sea Jet for sale that we love. In fact, if we had $2.2 Million laying around, we'd pick up this 70 foot long beauty ourselves!

The broker's ad claims that the seller is a "demanding and meticulous owner", which I guess is supposed to make us believe that the boat is in great condition. I believe him - it looks great, and they even have video of the interior that looks straight out of MTV Cribs.

View more info about this yacht
View photos
View video

Ahhh, What A DreamBoat

What is DreamBoats.com? It is NOT a bad soda fountain scene from a movie in the 1950's, where the young lady sighs as the hunky soda jerk turns his back to prepare another cherry Coke (yes, I said jerk).

It is much more than your standard boating timeshare/yachtshare scheme, as with DreamBoats plan you can choose a different vessel from among a fleet of yachts each time you set sail.

Currently, the program is only available in Auckland, but is looking to franchise around the world. Their website makes such a compelling case for buying into their system, that I hope they come to the US soon!

On the web: www.dreamboats.com

Where Boats Sink

A recent study by Seaworthy magazine investigated the question of where most boats sink, and it turns out that the overwhelming majority of vessels sink while docked. In fact, the study found that of boats sink while tied up at dock at a rate of four-to-one over those that sink while underway.

This was true even of docked boats with self-bailing cockpits (which obviously begs one to question the reliability of this feature).

The causes identified for sinking boats were as follows:

Sinking at the dock
Rain/snow 47%
Underwater Fittings 20%
Above the Waterline Fittings 10%
Poor Docking Arrangements 9%
Water Over Gunwales/Transom 9%
Other 5%

Sinking while underway
Water over gunwales/transom 32%
Livewell/Baitwell Plumbing 20%
Drain plug 16%
Struck a submerged object 12%
Other 12%
Construction 8%

While sinking underway is unlikely unless treacherous weather conditions are present, keeping your boat's chances of staying afloat while left unattended at the dock can be increased by ensuring you have a tight-fitting all-weather cover on her at all times. As for underwater fittings, bronze is recommended over plastic. Use a weather radio before heading out far from shore, and most of all, don't hit anything while underway!

Sea Songs: The Lighthouse's Tale

Sorry we were sans our weekly Sea Song this past Friday, but there was important news about a flying fish to relay.

Well we're back now with our weekly Sea Song, and it was truly worth the wait. You may be familiar with the jingle of this week's tune, but I'd bet my last nickel that you won't guess the band that performs it. Do you recognize the first two lines:

I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
I keep my lamp lit, to warn the sailors on their way.

Visit Amazon.com to check out this band's entire debut album, which includes The Lighthouse's Tale, or get the tune at iTunes by clicking on the following iTunes button:

Weekend - Party in Perth

Are you still bopping around the Pacific this week? Can't get enough of Australia? Then you should definitely check out the Perth International Boat Show (PIBS), going on right now through Sunday, August 20th, 2006.

Where? Perth Convention Exhibition Centre in Perth, Western Australia.

When? RIGHT NOW, and all weekend through Sunday. Following are the remaining show hours as of this posting:
Thursday 17 August 9.30 am - 7.00 pm
Friday 18 August 9.30 am - 9.00 pm
Saturday 19 August 9.30 am - 7.00 pm
Sunday 20 August 9.30 am - 5.00 pm

Why? Not that you need another reason to go to a boat show, but here are a few:

Family-friendly pricing with the "Family Pack", where you can get 2 adults and as many as 3 kids through the gate for only $33.

A chance to win a boat valued at $44,000.

Because it's in WESTERN AUSTRALIA, which is definitely a cool place to visit!

More info about PIBS

Boat of the Week

At 55 feet, this 1988 Grand Soleil was designed by German Frers, and has been totally upgraded this past year.

Having guests? She sleeps 8 in two double berths and four single berths in 3 cabins plus forepeak, and that doesn't even include the saloon.

Your Price: $ 327,000

For more information, visit this page or this one.

Fold Your Own Boat

You are running out of time for that last summer vacation, so you are trying to cram everything in at once. You're pickup is packed with two different tents, a cooler, a couple of cases of beer that didn't fit in the cooler, rods and tackle boxes.

You'd love to throw a boat in the back of the truck - you don't want a trailer to slow you down, and you definitely don't want an inflatable because they're a pain in the ass when they get a leak (and they ALWAYS get a leak).

Space is at a premium, but you know you are going to need to pull over and row across that remote pond, or down that river, either for exercise or to catch dinner. What are you going to do?

Why not get a folding boat? We've found three different companies on the web, each specializing in a different type of folding or "instant" boat:

All-Purpose Boat
First and most ubiquitous (you've probably seen these at boat shows) is the Porta-Bote. With 50,000 boats sold over the past 30 years, these versatile aluminum rowboats seem to be most functional for fishing or for boating atop Mt. Everest.

Canoe
Similar to the Porta-Bote, but claiming assembly can be done in under 2 minutes, is the folding canoe manufacturer InstaBoat of Quebec.

Kayak
Lastly, you've got your sharp looking kayak manufacturer, Folboat of Charleston, which doesn't really fold so much as it disassembles. While these seem to take longer to put together than the other two brands, Folboats folding boats seem to be the best looking vessels of the class.

If just looking for a boat that you can always have with you (because you never know when you are going to need a boat), or if you need a rowboat that you can hang flat on your garage wall like a plasma TV, then you should seriously consider a folding boat.

Don't harass the whales

In the past six weeks, the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in Massachusetts, has received a nearly dozen reports of what they are calling "whale harassment", including incidents where recreational boats would motor through groups of feeding whales, according to the Nashua Telegraph.

This is not safe for the whales, and it is not safe for the boaters who are acting so ignorantly. If you are going to endanger whales, don't do it by plowing through their homes for nothing more than a photo opp. Unless you need some blubber to survive a cold winter because you are marooned on a glacier, why risk your life?

Full Story

Warning: Flying Fish in FLA

This is screwed up.

A 4-foot long sturgeon leaped out of the Suwannee River in Florida this past week and knocked a guy unconscious and off his jet ski.

After a brief stay in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, this guy should head straight to the closest convenience store and buy a powerball ticket.

Full story here and here

Weekend - Orlando or Rockport

Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show WHERE: Rockland, Maine
DATES: August 11th-13th, 2006
HOURS: Friday & Saturday 10 - 6, Sunday 10 - 4
ADMISSION: $10 at the gate, children under 12 FREE!
Why you should go: 4th Annual World Championship Boatyard Dog™ Trials, and plenty of lobster. Looks like more than a regular ol' boat show.
Also, the people who put the show on the Internet were smart enough to assist those wanting to attend by boat:
NOAA chart 13302, "Penobscot Bay and Approaches", or Maptech Waterproof Chart #40, "Rockland to Mount Desert Island".
Rockland Harbormaster: 207-594-0314.

The Hot Summer Boat Show
WHERE: Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida
DATES: August 11th-13th, 2006
HOURS: Friday 5 - 9, Saturday 10 to 9, Sunday 10 - 6
ADMISSION: $5, Children 15 and under are FREE!
Why you should go: Got kids? Children’s activities include seminars and a Cool New Kids Zone

Boat of the Week

Check out this Cruisers express motoryacht, with twin Volvo diesel. Built in 2001 and located in Chicago, this boat has always been in fresh water.

And at 45 feet with tons of cabin space to comfortably sleep six, you'll appreciate that the previous owner decked it out with all the features you wish you put in your last boat, including:

Magma Bar-b-que Grill

Tivo

Washer/Dryer

Side Thrusters

High Capacity Ice Maker

Six Speaker Surround Stereo
And many more...

More pictures here
More details and sellers contact info here

Berths for Brits

The British Marine Federation - the Trade Association for the UK Marine Leisure Industry - recently launched a really useful site for folks in Great Britain who are looking for a "suitable berth for their boat", as they put it on their site. The site is called BerthSearch.

As many berth listings on the site are members of a subdivision of the BMF, The Yacht Harbour Association, the site is able to assign a quality-rating system to the listings in the form of gold anchors. The more gold anchors an available berth has, the better the quality.

The QuickBerthSearch tool located on the right of every page makes it easy to do just that, quickly search for a berth in any region of the Queen's country. Best of all, if you can't find a suitable berth - or if you're just plain lazy - the site invites you to contact them they "will be only too pleased to assist you further". (We love those crazy Brits.)

All-in-all, the site is much cleaner and easier to use than many of its counterparts across the pond, including our friends Marinas.com, MarinaFinder.com, DockSearch, and especially our own ugly-sister site SlipConnect (AKA SlipHunt.com). In fact, the only comparable site we've seen as far as presentation goes is MarinaLife, but their business model seems to call for charging both the marinas for advertising as well as boaters who want to search for marinas by location. Unlike MarinaLife, BerthSearch -as well as the other sites listed above - offer the same information and search capability for free.

Whale vs. Boat, Advantage Whale

Last week, a 40 foot yacht, which was participating in a race from Los Angeles across the Pacific Ocean, ran into a whale (or several) and began to take on water. The four men aboard the boat escaped into their life raft, and were picked up by a cargo ship approximately 11 hours later off the coast of Hawaii. Full story here from KITV in Hawaii.

Safety note: the crew had both an emergency homing device and a satellite phone which they used to call for help. Follow their example, even if you're not racing across the ocean.

Race note: Until the boat collided with the whales, it was supposedly winning the race.

Fudgy note: The story did not mention what became of the whale(s) with which the boat collided.

Reality check: In a more tragic story a few days later off Australia, officials believe it was more likely a wave than a whale that caused a 16 foot aluminum boat to capsize leaving only half of the 4 fishermen aboard to survive.

Sea Songs: Son of a Son of a Sailor

Maybe you've been waiting three weeks for this with great anticipation, or maybe you knew we'd get lazy soon enough and just start posting Jimmy Buffett songs every Friday for our weekly sea song feature.
We don't care, this is a great song to kick off what will surely be a fantastic summer weekend:

Son of a Son of a Sailor

Listen/Buy/Comment at Amazon.com





Something you didn't know about this song:
Son of a Son of a Sailor was actually the title track off of Jimmy's 2nd album (of the same name; that's what "title track" means), and was his first (of many) to feature Cheeseburger In Paradise.

Weekend - Sydney International Boat Show

Is your NetJet all tuned up with no place to go this weekend? Why not zip over to Australia and pop into the Sydney International Boat Show. It's happening right now at Darling Harbour.


What? The Sydney International Boat Show

Where? Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour
and Cockle Bay Marina, Darling Harbour. Sydney, Australia

When? Right now through August 8th, 2006 (Americans, don't forget you're already a day late!)

Website for more information: http://www.sydneyboatshow.com.au

If you go, don't miss:
The watercraft made famous by James Bond 007

Boat of the Week

Despite our previous two boats of the week, we do realize here at DailyBoater that sailboats are boats, too. So without further adieu, we bring you this week's featured boat for sale!

Too big for just one photograph, this 125 ft schooner with her 26 ft beam will take your breath away as you comb through the pictures. Christened "Carinae" when built in 2004, this custom yacht claims to sleep 12 guests comfortably, as well as a crew of 5 (probably not so comfortably, but you won't care!)

The best part is the library, which has enough books to list most boats! And for a mere $2.95 Million, you might even get the books as part of the package.

Wanna fly down to Trinidad and Tobago to buy it? Click here.

Why we like jet boats better than prop boats

This is disturbing, so you may not want to read this story.

There's one less foot floating around in the ocean, thanks to a concerned citizen on Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina this past weekend. When a woman found a human foot on the beach this past Sunday, do you think she called the police or even a local lifeguard to investigate a possible crime scene? No, of course not. She instead took matters into her own hands and put the foot in a ziplock freezer bag, and who-knows-how-long-later took the foot to the police station (in her car? on a bus? who knows?)

The reason this story got our attention, is that it turns out the foot belonged to a man who had his leg chopped up by his own prop when he was bounced off his bow a week earlier. The man is recovering as well as can be expected, if not better, but no parts of his leg were recovered... until now.

In an ironic twist as strange as the fact that the woman delivered the foot herself instead of calling 911, the medical examiner that identified the foot as that of the accident victim was also the man who was driving the boat when the accident occurred.

For a much better explanation of what I'm painfully trying to describe, please read Veronica Gonzalez' account of the incident in StarNewsOnline.com

The REALLY Windy City

The "Windy City" just earned its nickname again. Over the weekend on Lake Michigan, the wind was so strong it blew over seven sailboats!

Joanie Lum of CBS 2 in Chicago reported that fourteen people ended up in Lake Michigan when seven sailboats flipped over due to strong winds. No one was hurt, and the boats were all towed to Belmont Harbor.

So, if you're planning on sailing Lake Michigan out of Chicago, keep in mind that it's not just called the Windy City for it's political history.

Full story from the Sun-Times

Sea Songs: Sailing (NSYNC)

After seeing Lance Bass make news this week, I remembered that NSYNC did a cover of Christopher Cross’ "Sailing" back in 1998, nearly 20 years after the original and about as good.

Get it at


Or, Get it at Amazon