Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

MISSING YACHT FOUND

The missing yacht Moquini that disappeared with all 6 crew in September 2005 has been found floating upside down some 500 nautical miles off the South African coast. The capsized yacht was found by a merchant ship. Salvage divers inspected the yacht and positively identify her as the Moquini. The keel is missing and speculation as to what happened is of course occurring. A single blip from an EPIRB was detected Friday, 16 September in 2005 and the supposition is that this is when the keel was lost and instant capsize with the EPIRB functioning briefly before it was too far under water. All rather sad and the number of keel incidents must be alarming for all sailors. Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

New Global Solo Yacht Race

Global Ocean Sailing Ventures (GOSV) has announced the Global Ocean Challenge 2007/08, and this is the first ever solo-double around-the-world yacht race ever. The event is open to 40 and 50 ft mono-hull yachts only, with a start line in a major port in European in September 2007. The circumnavigation will go via South Africa (Capetown?), New Zealand (Wellington or Auckland?), South America (Rio?) and then the United States before a finish line crossing back in Europe in May 2008. What is unique is this is first time that single handed sailors and two-handed sailors will compete together. It was stated that for most sailors to participate in an around-the-world race without paying a fortune or being immensely qualified was very difficult. This new race will allow ambitious sailors to enter what is usually just a dream. Already I am dreaming of the possibilities! Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

Struck by Lightning while up the Mast!

What are the odds on this one? One of Team Ericsson riggers was taken to hospital after a lightning strike in the water close to where he was working aloft up the carbon fibre mast I Melbourne, Australia. The electric field was induced into the rigging and mast and the crew reacted quickly and got him down and to hospital, and he will be okay. Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

Have you checked your keel bolts

All of the 10 yachts taking part in the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race have now been diverted to Subic Bay in the Philippines for urgent keel inspection following discovery of loose keel bolts on 7 of the 10 Clipper 68 yachts. The Glasgow Clipper had earlier reported a loose keel bolt and afterwards the Race Team advised the remainder of the fleet of 10 boats to also check their bolts for movement. After this inspection, 6 other yachts also reported slight movement of the keel bolt. Initial inspections indicate a failure of the bond between the hull and the internal strengtheners in the area of the keel. This subsequently led to various degrees of cracking in 8 of the 10 boats, and in the Glasgow Clipper case also rather severe water ingress. Now how to fix it is the next challenge. Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

Ship Sinks!

If you have been watching the media regarding a collision between a bulk carrier and chemical tanker in the English Channel, the chemical tanker has now sunk. The accident occurred near Guernsey with the 22 crew rescued. The vessel named Ece was loaded with 10,000 tonnes of phosphoric acid.Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

SIMRAD and LOWRANCE MERGE

Simrad Yachting AS and Lowrance Electronics are to merge. As we all know Lowrance is one of the planets largest suppliers of marine electronics to fishing and pleasure boats and we all know how good their fishfinders are. They also make GPS products and hand-held GPS mapping products for hikers and campers (I have one myself) and also service aviation and land applications. Simrad Yachting is well known and makes great marine electronics to high-end leisure boats and smaller commercial vessels. Simrad have a great track record in defense and commercial sonar so technology transfer will make some great new Lowrance equipment in the future. Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

Recent Commercial Shipping News

Maritime Tragedy

The recent tragedy and loss of some 1000 plus lives in the Red Sea is all over the press and it is still appalling after all this time that Titanic level disasters keep happening. Many hundreds of angry and protesting relatives have stormed the offices of the ships owner El Salam Maritime Transport Co

Super Cruise Ship

Cruise liner operator Royal Caribbean are to order and build a 220,000 grt cruise ship worth €900m ($1bn) and she will carry 5,400 passengers

Oil Pollution

French prosecutors have asked for a record €600,000 ($725,000) fine against the Master and the owners of the ship Maersk Barcelona, for creating a 61 km oil slick off the French Atlantic coast and this is reputedly the largest seen so far.

Piracy

Attacks by pirates have dropped to the lowest level in 7 years. And there have been 276 incidents reported according to the International Maritime Bureau. Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

QM 2 Passenger Power Wins the Day

After staging a sit in and then starting a class action against the ship owners Cunard, all passengers will now get a full refund. The company altered the cruising itinerary (they cut out all stops in Barbados, St. Kitts and Salvador, Brazil and went straight to Rio) so it was just a sea cruise after they tried to make up schedule after deciding to sail with the damaged propulsion pod. The pompous attitude was that as they were on board and enjoyed the facilities, food and entertainment they should only get 50 percent compensation. Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

Award for SmartCraft

Brunswick have been awarded an Excellence in Technology award by The American Boat Builders and Repairers Association (ABBRA). SmartCraft is an integrated electronics network. SmartCraft was originally designed by Mercury Marine as an engine-to-helm data communications system and this has undergone development to include many more devices. Boat-boating-building and Boat Information

Boat-boating-building and Boat Information