Thursday, August 31, 2006

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

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

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!

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

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!

Monday, August 28, 2006

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

Friday, August 25, 2006

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.


Guy Clark - Boats to Build - Boats To Build

Thursday, August 24, 2006

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

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

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

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

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

Monday, August 21, 2006

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!

Friday, August 18, 2006

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:


Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek - The Lighthouse's Tale

Thursday, August 17, 2006

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
  • Wednesday, August 16, 2006

    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.

    Tuesday, August 15, 2006

    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.

    Monday, August 14, 2006

    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

    Friday, August 11, 2006

    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

    Thursday, August 10, 2006

    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

    Wednesday, August 09, 2006

    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
  • Tuesday, August 08, 2006

    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.

    Monday, August 07, 2006

    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.

    Friday, August 04, 2006

    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


    Jimmy Buffett - Son of a Son of a Sailor - Son of a Son of a Sailor


    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.

    Thursday, August 03, 2006

    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

    Wednesday, August 02, 2006

    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.

    Tuesday, August 01, 2006

    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