Saturday, August 30, 2008

Labor Day Weekend Show

Since the moment I remembered it was Labor Day weekend yesterday, I haven't been able to get this song out of my head.

Somehow, I don't mind. Do you?

T-Shirt Give Away for Best Boat Name Story

BoatNameBlog - the site that helps people name boats - is giving away a Free T-Shirt for the best boat name story submitted to their site.

Seems like all you need is a boat with a name.

Oh, and a camera. And an email adress.

Sign me up!

Follow this link: http://www.boatnameblog.com/2008/08/win-boatnameblog-t-shirt.html

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Pirates on board

Unfortunately, unlike vampires, pirates do not have to be invited into your home before they can enter. Actually, does that rule even apply to vampires when you're talking about large boats? Would some vampire expert please comment here and help us out!

Anyway, various news sources have reported that on Sunday night, armed pirates boarded a very large luxury yacht in the Mediterranean and robbed the chartering passengers and the crew.

The yacht, named Tiara, was anchored several miles off southern Corsica at the time.

Read about it here and here and here.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Why Boats Sink

I saw this article and had to laugh because it seems so obvious...

Boat sink if they take on water, right?

Well, it turns out there are a lot more reasons behind what could make your boat sink, and some interesting statistics on whether more boats sink while at the dock or while underway.

Most importantly, there are some tips on preventing your boat from sinking.

Check the full article in the Ithaca Journal.

Oh, and here's a video of a boat sinking just to bring it all home.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Baby Whale and Yacht Mamma

The associated press is reporting today that a lost one or two month-old baby whale thinks a yacht is its mom. This is happening right now off north Sydney.

See the actual video

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Storm Brewing

If you are in the Keys, get out. If you are thinking about choosing to stay with your boat or your home, don't.

If you're worried about traffic, leave now instead of waiting until later.

Take a jug of water. Get in the car. And go.

I've been to those keys, and there isn't much room for shelter.

Don't listen to me, check out this video:




Hurricane Fay News Video Post

AP News Article about Hurricane Fay

Abandoned Boats

If you've got a boat moored, grounded or sunk in Folly River or Folly Creek in South Carolina, you better make sure your boat looks like it's in tip top shape.

The mayor of the town of Folly Beach is cleaning up his waterways, and lists 16 boats as abandoned that he plans to have removed.

I think his plan makes sense, especially for the boats at the bottom of the river, or sitting sideways in the marsh. However, after viewing the news video below, it appears as if some of the boats just look too messy for the mayor.

There apparently is a list of targeted boats in the local Folly Beach paper. If your boat is in the area, and you haven't checked on it in a while, you better check the list!

[By the way, I just noticed this video plays a crappy commercial before the aforementioned news piece... please stand by!]

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Rent a Boat Instead of Trailering

Out of town without your boat? Got a fishing fix to fill, but also want to do the driving?

If you are in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, you'll find a marina that will rent you a 20 or 22 ft Boston Whaler for anywhere from 2 hours to a full day of fun. Prices start at only $140, so it won't break your bank. (Until you fill the gas tank!)

They even have 20 ft bow riders available if you want a boat with a little shelter from the sun.

I imagine there are places like this all over, but I thought this was intriguing as I've never noticed this service before, but have been traveling to the Cape for more than 30 years.

I really like the concept. I mean, why pay somebody else to take you fishing when you can be your own captain, without having to trailer your boat and worry about leaving it in the parking lot of a hotel in a strange town?

Anyway, if you're heading to the Cape and want to try them out for yourself, it's probably best to contact them and make reservations. Their website is: www.ShipShops.com, and while they don't know they're getting this free publicity, please tell them you heard about them from DailyBoater.com.

Related post: Renting a boat just got easier

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Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Repo Man Strikes Again

I can't believe this story resurfaced, more than two months after I covered it (well, actually the Wall Street Journal and a TV station in Cleveland covered it, but I covered them covering it.)

Anyway, here's my local hometown (is that redundant?) paper, infamous in the state for recently ridding itself of all those pesky reporters, spitting up a "feel-bad" story written for another city. And also a story that was already told by the WSJ in the same boating season.

I've got to admit, I like the way this newer version of the repo man tale contrasts the two personality types of the men they profiled - the first man is "soft spoken" and rarely confronted; the second wears a bullet proof vest and is "ready for a fight". Worth a read, even if you're not in Miami.

Monday, August 04, 2008

No Strings Attached

Autotether, a new life-saving device for boaters, was invented about 15 minutes from my house.

But I had to read a reprint of a NY Times story recapped in the online version of Florida's Sun-Sentinal to find out about it.

The device essentially replaces that red tether that you're supposed to use to attache yourself to your boat's dashboard. In the original version, if you go overboard, the device would detach from the boat and stop the boat's engine.

Great idea, but the problem is nobody would ever clip these things to themselves because they're a total pain in the ass. In fact, I did a google search for these things to show you somebody wearing one, and couldn't even find one.

Enter Autotether, of Rocky Hill, Connecticut.

Autotether replaces that red string with a wireless signal, so the part that clips to your shirt (or life jacket!) isn't tying you to the driver's seat. You can get up and take care of business or serve a couple of cocktails without untangling yourself. And, instead of being limited to just the driver, you can connect Autotether to multiple passengers on your boat, giving you further peace of mind.

Additional uses include an added layer of child safety at the beach or at the pool.

On the web: Autotether.com

Sunday, August 03, 2008

The Number One Boating Site

There's a new human-powered search site called LoveToKnow.com. Actually, not sure how new they are, but I just stumbled upon them over the weekend.

The best thing about them is their taste in boating sites.

Their editors ranked FirstBoat.com #1 in their list of the best boating websites.

LoveToKnow reviews over 100 sites in each category before selecting a winner, so just making the top 10 is pretty exciting - being number 1 seems unimaginable.

LoveToKnow says that they "look for sites that have depth and breadth in their area. We also look for diversity - a list of ten websites all selling you the exact same shoes isn't very useful. In the Love To Learn area, we try to cover as many different levels of expertise as possible, so that visitors with differing backgrounds and skill sets can find something they didn't know before.

While we're biased in favor of bigger sites - the more sheer content there is, the more it's likely to benefit someone - sometimes the smaller sites stand out in their unique approach, their special niche or that je ne sais quoi that makes us say 'This is a Top 10 site'."

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Lighthouse Vote

The Maine PR Maven just told me via her blog that there's a contest you can participate in to win new windows and doors for your favorite lighthouse.

I followed her link to the voting page, hosted by Jeld-Wen, one of the largest window and door suppliers in the world. It took me a few seconds to realize that "I" wasn't going to win any windows or doors, but once the fog cleared I was happy to vote for the lighthouse that I thought best deserved new windows and doors as part of this contest.

Personally, I was torn between several of the top contenders. I wanted to vote for Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Maine, since the contest was brought to my attention in the first place by a company in Maine. On the other hand, I was drawn to the Bodie Island Lighthouse, as I remember it fondly from our family trip to the Outer Banks a couple of summers ago.

And they were all so beautiful, does one really deserve free windows and doors more than the others? I guess if one of the finalists was in Connecticut, I would have voted for the home team.

Have you ever found your way to your home port with the help of the beacon and horn of a lighthouse? Maybe your favorite lighthouse has a chance to get free windows and doors. Vote here: www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse/

And if this post put you in the mood for a little lighthouse music, visit this old sea song post from around the time of my aforementioned trip to Cape Hatteras.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Seafair this Weekend

Like boats and looking for something to do this weekend? If you're in the Pacific Northwest, check out Seattle's Summer Celebration: Seafair 2008

If you want to know the ABC's of what Seafair is all about, check out this article in the Seattle PI. The headline says, "A is for Airplanes, B is for Boats", but the article says that "A" is really for alcohol. Looks like they'll have all of the above, and more, so it should be fun.