Monday, July 31, 2006

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

Friday, July 28, 2006

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
*NSYNC - *NSYNC - Sailing

Or, Get it at Amazon

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Weekend - 2006 Godspeed Sail

Explore a sampling of 17th-century America aboard Godspeed, a newly commissioned replica of one of the three original ships that in 1607 brought America's first permanent English colonists to Jamestown!

Godspeed has been port hopping along the east coast all summer, throwing a "Landing Party Festival" - featuring live musical performances, family entertainment, historical and cultural displays highlighting the legacies of Jamestown and the growth of America -- all free to the public, at each port.

It's final stop before returning to Virginia is this week (it already started) and lasts through this weekend in Newport, RI.

Once again, all events are FREE, so if you're anywhere near Rhode Island this weekend you should definitely check this out!

Google Map of Newport
More info about the Landing Party Festival in Newport

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Boat of the Week

Last Wednesday we featured our inaugural boat of the week - a 33' Doral Elegante - which was selling for just shy of $200K.

This week, we're not playing around anymore.

Built in 1999, this 105' Baglietto is a sleek European style motor yacht which comfortably accommodates 8 guests in 4 elegant staterooms, and also has separate quarters for crew.

You want it as bad as we do and have an extra $6 Million laying around? Simply call 1-800-886-8164 and the nice folks at Precision Marine Yacht Sales in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, will be happy to let you take it off their hands.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Boat Gadgets: OnStar for Boats?

Imagine having a device on your boat that not only could monitor potential problems such as high water and low battery voltage, but it could also help police track down your stolen boat and even allow your loved ones to track your voyage online while you are out at sea (but only if you allow them access!)

Get into trouble while underway? Press an "SOS" button, and like 911, help will be on the way. Is this system for real? It's out there, and it's called SeaKey. And like GM's OnStar for automobiles, SeaKey provides instant communication to a 24 hour, 7 day per week response center. Best of all, SeaKey recently announced that it can now be offered as an option with virtually any brand of boat.

Not expecting any emergencies? No problem! SeaKey also provides concierge services rivaling those offered with your AMEX black card, so you can push a button and make reservations for a transient slip, dinner, and tickets to a show in the port town you're visiting, all in one call.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Super Size Me

Last week, we mentioned how hard it is becoming for owners of "average" sized boats to find slip space as marina operators make way for mega yachts. But what do marina operators know that you don't?

Well, they must have read a recent report from the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which stated that total units of powerboats were down last year by about 1%, but spending was up over 4%. What? In a nutshell, people are buying less boats, but the boats they are buying are bigger and cost more than ever. People are buying bigger and bigger boats!
Sources:
Chicago Sun-Times
SignOnSanDiego

Friday, July 21, 2006

Sea Songs: Miami Vice

With the soundtrack to the upcoming movie version of Miami Vice being announced last week, it is hard to resist offering you the original theme song as this Friday's nautical nugget. You can't tell me that the hard hitting beat of that Jan Hammer tune does not play in the back of your mind every time you accelerate your powerboat; you know it does!

For a fun version of today's Sea Song, check out this site. They are trying to sell a Miami Vice limited edition Scarab by using a home video and the original theme song playing in the background. Make sure you turn up your volume!
  • View the video here
  • Check out the site that the video is from (and maybe even buy the boat)

    Buy it or listen to a clip at iTunes

    Or, at Amazon

    Get the NEW movie soundtrack at iTunes

    Or, at Amazon

    Also on the net:
    Watch the new movie trailer with original theme song by Jan Hammer
  • Thursday, July 20, 2006

    Weekend - San Diego Summer Boat Show

    San Diego is a beautiful destination all year long, but when you've got an excuse to visit the city like a boat show, how can you pass it up? Few venues capture the energy of outdoor summer fun on the water than the seaside recreation Mecca of Southern California itself, San Diego. See for yourself why - in only its third year - the San Diego Summer Boat Show has established itself as a premier event among boaters in the southwestern United States.

    When? Thursday, July 20 through Sunday, July 23, 2006

    Where? Sheraton Harbor Island, San Diego, California, USA
    Google Map of Location, Sheraton Hotel Website

    Discounts, Coupons: Thursday and Friday only

    Additional Show Information: www.sandiegosummerboatshow.com

    Wednesday, July 19, 2006

    Boat of the Week

    Much like our Friday sea song, DailyBoater.com may regularly feature new or used boats for sale that we find appealing for some reason.

    We're starting small so we don't scare anyone away!

    Looking for a great weekend home on the water? This 33 ft beauty sleeps six in the port of your choice. If you're looking for a toy that you can get into for less than $200k ($170,000 Euro), this 2005 Doral Elegante may be a great fit for you. It's been docked in Lake Michigan, so its low hours were most likely free of salt corrosion, and it's still under warranty.

    Get more details about this boat here.

    Visit Doral's official website here.

    Shop for more used boats here.

    Tuesday, July 18, 2006

    On the web: International Yacht Charters

    Chartered Yacht websites are a dime a dozen (haven't used that phrase in a while!), but how do you know which offers are real, and which websites are merely scams? It's not easy, but luckily we came across one that we know is the real deal.

    International Yacht Charter Group does not own a few yachts in one location, but provides access to a network of available luxury crewed yachts, and they will help you pick the right one in the same manner a travel agent would help you pick the perfect vacation. They pride themselves on being able to identify the perfect choices that meet the needs of every individual customer, and in making the cumbersome paperwork process seem simple. Best of all, they are run by a group of REAL women - all listed on their "about us" page - including a former executive of YachtStore.com.

    So if you're looking for a charter agency you can trust, and a vacation where you really get to relax (on somebody else's boat!), check out International Yacht Charter Group.
    On the web: internationalyachtchartergroup.com
    Toll free USA: 1-866-492-4768
    Toll free UK: 0800-011-2492
    Also, be sure to compare offers and service with YachtStore.com

    Monday, July 17, 2006

    The $100 Million Boat

    The Maltese Falcon, which claims to be the largest and fastest personal sailboat in the world, was launched in Italy over the weekend. She's an 87.5 meter (287 ft long) yacht with three masts that are 57 meters tall (187 ft). She looks like a 19th century clipper ship, but moves like a rocketship.


    Who would commission this type of super-mega-yacht with all its high-tech bells and whistles? Venture capitalist Tom Perkins of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, that's who! Mr. Perkins, a mega-rich Silicon Valley Pioneer, has served on the board of tech heavyweights such as HP, Compaq, Philips Electronics and Tandem Computers (where he served as Chairman for 23 years).

    Read more about the gadgets on MercuryNews.com or Cnet.

    Friday, July 14, 2006

    Sea Songs, 1st Edition

    It's Friday, and if you're not already boating this weekend, then you are probably either thinking about being on the water or planning your excursion. DailyBoater is proud to bring you a little music to accompany your journey. Each week (unless we change our minds or get distracted) we will share a sea shanty - or at least a song that has some sort of nautical theme - to help get you in the right frame of mind for the weekend. If we can find a clip of the song, we'll share it; if you can get the tune on itunes, we'll give you the link. This isn't old-napster or China - we respect the rights of the artists that produced this great music and don't want to rip them off.

    It would have been too easy to pull out a Jimmy Buffett song for our first week (they'll be plenty of those later!), so today we're going old school:
    The artist is banjo-strumming Dock Boggs, and you can find this song on a collection entitled His Folkways Years, 1963-1968. Hey, with a name like "DOCK", how can we go wrong with this pick?
    Song: Papa, Build Me a Boat
    Listen to a clip
    Get it at Dock Boggs - His Folkways Years, 1963-1968 - Papa, Build Me a Boat

    Thursday, July 13, 2006

    Weekend - San Fran, Port Huron, Clinton

    Extreme Sailing in San Francisco, July 15 - 18, 2006
    2006 marks the inaugural San Francisco Speed Event, which will become an annual sailing extravaganza on San Francisco Bay. It is supposedly the first-ever event of its kind to be held in the continental US, and a chance for you to see some really fast little sailboats. More info - click here

    Party in Port Huron, Thursday & Friday July 13 - 14 2006
    This weekend finds the 82nd Port Huron to Mackinac Race going strong with over 3,000 sailors on 265 boats racing for two days across Lake Huron. You're not racing, so what does this mean for you? It means you have a great excuse to party! Thursday's Family Night and Friday's Boat Night on the Black River in Port Huron is like a Mardi Gras for sailing fans who want to check out the boats before the big race and share in all the excitement. The streets, bars and restaurants are all jammed, so try to get there early. More info about the race and parties: here, here and here

    Clinton Harbor Boat Show, July 14 - 18, 2006
    As you're driving through Connecticut on I-95 this weekend to get to Foxwoods, Newport or Cape Cod, why not stop off in Clinton (exit 63) and spend some time checking out the 250 boats on display, both in-water and out. Just slightly more info here

    Wednesday, July 12, 2006

    Send them to Sea

    Looking for a way to enhance your kid's college experience while broadening their interest in your nautical lifestyle? We've come across a cool program called The Scholar Ship, where college kids go away on a cruise ship for a semester at sea, globetrotting across 5 continents while earning credits towards graduation. Unlike many traditional onboard education programs such as SEA in Woods Hole, Mass and Ocean Classroom, The ScholarShip and others like it focus on an International cultural education which encompasses more than sailing, marine sciences or nautical know-how.

    So, is this program legit, or just a USD $20,000 vacation? Well, like any away-from-home college experience, the young adults known as your children will certainly have opportunities to have fun and enjoy life outside of the classroom. But they'll also have an opportunity to explore the world in a classroom-out-of-the-classroom environment. In addition, the ship looks like it is run by Royal Caribbean (at least RC promotes the program on their site), so it's not just a bunch of professors or businessmen who decided to rent a big boat to throw a 16-week party for your kids! Perhaps most importantly, it seems the program is stewarded by a consortium of schools with their own high academic standards such as UC-Berkeley and Macquarie University (Australia).

    By the way, this is not a paid ad for The Scholar Ship. Alternative programs include Semester At Sea, the aforementioned SEA in Woods Hole, Mass, and many others.

    Tuesday, July 11, 2006

    Online Offshore

    You may go out on the water to get away from it all, but sometimes you just need to connect. You know, check your email to stay in touch with clients or employees, search for a restaurant in your next port of call, or maybe even read each day's edition of DailyBoater!

    Well, you can't go dragging the phone line across the ocean or lake, let alone out of the harbor, so what's an Internet-addicted boater to do?

    Well, we see at least a couple of options.

    1) Stick with ports that have Wi-Fi access, so you can at least wirelessly connect while your docked without any messy phone lines or dial-up charges. Visit WiFiMarine.org, an information hub that will provide you with the skinny on ports offering Wi-Fi for free or for a small fee.

    2) If you've got a mega-yacht, or if you are looking for solutions for a merchant ship (or a whole fleet), you should consider an onboard solution that will keep you and your crew and guests connected throughout your oceanic voyages:
    Boeing's Connexion (Read about it at WiFiSea.com)
    Broadband Maritime
    Sea Tel
    The European Space Agency

    3) Lastly, if you are staying close to shore, and want wireless access both on and off the boat but don't want to pay Starbucks for the privilege of their service, consider a Verizon Wireless Broadband Card. It looks like $60/month will let you access a highspeed connection from anywhere they have towers. Check out this real life example of somebody hooking one of these up for the whole family on a recent (current?) vacation on a 43' yacht: (MamaMusings.com).

    Monday, July 10, 2006

    Forced to Dry Dock?

    An article that ran in the LA Times over the weekend described how marinas are accomodating the growing number of luxury yachts by combining and eliminating slips designed for smaller boats.

    The average pleasure-boater with their measely little 20 to 40 foot toy (like this author) may soon have no other choice but to trailer or drydock as the condition worsens. Actually, there is one other alternative for us "small" boat owners... buy a bigger boat!

    Resources:
    Referenced Article by Mike Anton, LA Times Staff Writer: Feeling the Big Squeeze

    Find a new place to dock your boat: SlipConnect

    Buy a bigger boat:

    Friday, July 07, 2006

    Ultimate Boat Blender?

    The weekend is upon us; are you reading this at the dock while checking the weather and wishing you had a frozen daiquiri to cool you down?

    We've seen a bunch of blenders that claim to be "boat blenders" because they attach to a drill, run on re-chargeable batteries, or are hand-cranking people-powered units, but we have not found any of these to crush ice as well as the bartender at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville cafe in Key West. There are now gas-powered blenders as well, but they just sound like they smell bad!

    The key to effective mixology while underway is to use a real blender from a trusted appliance maker, and there are few brands that rank up there with Waring. And with Waring's professional grade blender that features both a 12 volt plug with a 14 foot cord AND an unbreakable 48 oz carafe, this is the obvious choice for all your boating (and tailgating) adventures. All that's required is a 12 volt outlet/cigarette lighter, some daiquiri mix and a bottle of rum. Oh yeah, and lots of ice!

    Visit a price-comparison sites like BizRate.com to find the cheapest and most reliable place to buy this blender. We found the Waring Tailgater TG15 for about $100 at most stores. I think we're supposed to say something like "drink responsibly" right about here, so there you go.

    Thursday, July 06, 2006

    Weekend - Ya Gotta Regatta

    Ever been to a regatta before? If not, maybe this weekend is your chance, as there seem to be regattas going on all across the country!

    On the west coast this weekend? Visit the CYC and check out the King of Spain Regatta, featuring a race that claims 77 years of history.

    But if you're in the northeastern United States this weekend, you can choose your regatta. You've got the 2006 Newport Regatta (How can you go wrong with sailing in Newport, RI?), or you've got the 2006 Reg Grant Regatta in the City of Perth Amboy, NJ. The Red Grant is sponsored by Mount Gay Rum (so you can get one of those cool red regatta hats you've always wanted!)

    But your best boating bet for the weekend is Martha's Vineyard, featuring Edgartown Yacht Club’s ‘Round the Island Race, as well as The Vineyard Cup Race & Seafaring Festival Weekend.

    Where: Martha's Vineyard Island
    When: July 7th, 8th and 9th, 2006
    Website: VineyardCup.com

    Wednesday, July 05, 2006

    LiveAboard with a Twist

    Haven't you always dreamed about living aboard a boat and sailing from port to port without a care in the world? Well, what's stopping you?

    If you'd like to experience the liveaboard life, but you don't want to worry about buying a bigger boat, or navigating, or about finding ports where you can dock for extended periods, or about watching the weather, or anything else for that matter, then do we have the perfect "no worries" solution for you! You may be a candidate for a condo at sea!

    Don't get nervous, we are NOT pitching real estate. But several cruise ships are being built or converted to allow residents to live aboard on them year-round, as the vessels travel around the world.

    Ships such as the ResidenSEA, and hoteliers such as Four Seasons are offering lifetime cruises that may tempt you to think about selling your house - and your boat - and signing up for a floating condominium.

    But is a permanently floating condo right for you? It may sound cool at first, but despite the benefits of a life at sea, living on a big cruise ship is definitely a departure from living aboard your own boat. For one, you are bound by the itinerary of the ship and cannot set your own course when you choose, or drop anchor on a whim. You'll have neighbors - just like your landlocked home - that are there all the time, which is usually one of the things traditional liveaboards manage to avoid.

    Lastly, do you think your current land-based condo fees are high? How would you like to chip in for the fuel of a ship that burns 18 tons per hour.

    Resources:
    Living Aboard Magazine
    ResidenSEA
    Four Seasons Ocean Residences
    Cunard
    San Francisco Chronicle: "Condos for Sail..."

    Tuesday, July 04, 2006

    Our Rocket's Red Glare

    They say the two happiest days in the life of every boater is the day (s)he buys a new boat and the day (s)he sells it. Today is a happy day for us, as we launch our new daily endeavor to spread happiness to boaters everywhere... Let's just hope the 2nd happiest day doesn't come too soon!


    The tradition of breaking a bottle across the ship's bow began in Britain in the late seventeenth century. We carry on that tradition today, and hope you'll join us in a ceremonial glass of fine champagne, wine or whiskey as we say, "I CHRISTEN THEE, DAILYBOATER.COM!" She's an ambitious ship with a lot of potential. Will she really visit everyone that yearns to see her every single day, even as the number of suitors increases? That really is the plan, but only every weekday... She's spending weekends and holidays at sea!

    A special note to our American boaters: we wish you a happy and safe Independence Day.

    Monday, July 03, 2006

    About Us

    DailyBoater...
    Where you get the scoop on the latest tips and trends from the world of boating. Available for free in a daily newsletter and website, DailyBoater.com.

    If you are into sailing, powerboating, skiing, fishing, or traveling the world on your MegaYacht... DailyBoater is your source for news about the best that boating has to offer.