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Thursday, August 26th, 2010
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a possible missing boater after an empty yacht mysteriously washed ashore near Madeira Beach in Florida.
The search was suspended Wednesday night, Coast Guard officials said.
The empty 48-foot boat washed up on the beach about 1 p.m. Wednesday, triggering a police investigation and a Coast Guard rescue mission.
The Coast Guard sent out two rescue vessels and a helicopter but was not able to locate anybody.
Adding to the mystery is the fact that the vessel is registered to the federal government, CNN-affiliate WFTS reported.
Also when the ship came ashore the engine was still running and lights were on, witnesses told the affiliate.
The sight shocked some.
“We do not see something like this often. I have lived here since 1958 I have never seen a boat this size beached like this,” Rob Klingel told the affiliate.
Danita Gainey who lives in Redington Beach which is near Madeira Beach, said the sight gave her a bad feeling.
“I do not know what to say. I can’t explain it. I don’t want to say anything bad. It’s hard to say anything good when you see something like that,” Gainey said.
Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office are investigating the incident and trying to track down the owner of the boat.
Witnesses say boat’s engine was still running and lights on when it hits shore.
Source [TBO]
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Shawn Mattiuz, manager of the Hapuku Fish Shop in Market Hall, a collection of upscale food purveyors in Oakland’s bustling Rockridge district, has been watching the Gulf seafood saga play out in the ice-cooled trays of his display cases.
For a few days after the oil spill turned into a crisis this spring, demand stalled as “everybody freaked out,” he said. Since then, he says concern has died down and he’s selling about the same amount of Gulf shrimp as he did pre-spill.
“I get a lot of questions about it, definitely. They want to know if it’s regulated,” says Mattiuz. “The truth of the matter is from everything that I’ve read, it’s more highly regulated now than it ever has been.”
More Gulf waters are reopening to fishermen, and government officials say seafood cleared for sale has been thoroughly vetted. Whether consumers are buying those assurances — and the fish — remains to be seen.
Nationally, an Associated Press-GfK poll that surveyed 1,007 adults nationwide between Aug. 11-16 found that 54 percent did not trust the seafood.
But Jimmy Galle, founder of Sausalito-based Gulfish LP and supplier to Hapuku and a number of upscale restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area and elsewhere, says his business has begun to grow again after a few lean months. “And the shrimp has been nothing less than spectacular lately,” he said.
Ann Cashion, co-owner of Johnny’s Halfshell in Washington, D.C., one of Galle’s clients, sees concerns about Gulf seafood safety fading.
“I find that people aren’t even asking right now. It was more on top of people’s brains when the oil was still flowing,” she said.
Cashion believes the testing is thorough, particularly because state officials are involved. “The state of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast in general has so much to lose if there is any kind of problem with any seafood that gets through inspection, so I know the inspection is going to be thorough and is going to err on the side of ‘Let’s don’t take any chances,’” she said.
Not everyone shares that confidence in Gulf seafood, which accounts for about 2 percent of overall U.S. seafood consumed.
“I would say that I always have a skeptical eye toward government regulation and government certification of things,” said Genie Gratto, an Oakland food blogger. “It’s been proven time and time again that, first of all government certification of food is such a massive job — the USDA and the FDA tend to be pretty understaffed in those kind of inspection areas — there’s no way they can get everything.”
On the other hand, she does have confidence in buying from trusted suppliers, like the small meat and fish market she shops at. She also tries to buy local, which doesn’t include Gulf seafood.
The Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups recently asked the Food and Drug Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to strengthen procedures for determining whether seafood is safe and whether fishing areas should be reopened.
They also want sampling protocols and data published online.
“We’re not saying that the seafood is not safe,” said Gina Solomon, a senior scientist with NRDC. “We’re basically raising questions about the government’s procedures, their scientific procedures and their transparency.” One issue is whether government standards are strict enough to protect vulnerable populations, she said. “We want to make sure that the government is setting up a robust seafood safety testing program that will be able to protect the public for years to come, because that’s how long this problem is likely to last.”
The FDA is reviewing the NRDC letter, but officials are confident in the protocols, said agency spokeswoman Meghan Scott.
The main issue with oil contamination is potential cancer-causing substances called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. These are pollutants that show up in other foods as well, such as grilled meat.
If there is contamination, fish metabolize it fastest, oysters and crabs slowest and shrimp are somewhere between.
Testing includes “sniffers,” who check for traces of oil and lab tests on ground up seafood to check for signs of contaminants.
Because of strict adherence to procedures, the FDA “feels confident in the safety of seafood coming from these waters,” Scott said in an e-mail. “We also understand that we must remain vigilant to ensure the safety of seafood coming from the Gulf. As such, FDA and NOAA will continue to monitor both water and seafood to ensure that tainted fish is not allowed into the marketplace.”
Like Mattiuz, John Currence, chef/owner of the City Grocery Restaurant Group in Oxford, Miss., has been getting a lot of questions about Gulf seafood — but not because customers are nervous.
“People have, through the entirety of this crisis, actually questioned us about our seafood because they wanted to support the Gulf fisheries and the Gulf fishermen, not because they were afraid of the quality of what was available out there,” he said.
Like others, he’s concerned about the long-term effects of the spill, “but nobody has any idea of what the actual answer to that is. So the question is, are we going to sit here and wring our hands in fear for what the future may bring? Or are we going to do our best to make the Gulf heal and be glad for what’s coming through our doors every day that is entirely on par with what we were getting April 19 (before the spill began.)
In Oakland, about half a dozen customers stopping by Hapuku Fish during a recent lunch-hour seemed unfazed at the idea of buying Gulf seafood. One exception was Louise Booth, a homemaker in the east San Francisco Bay. She wasn’t ready to buy Gulf seafood “for a while. I know it’s been authorized, but ….” she said, shrugging her shoulders.
But regular customer Sharon Francis of Oakland happily selected some fresh Gulf shrimp to go with a paella. “I just trust my fishmonger,” she said. “I know these guys carry the best.”
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Monday, August 23rd, 2010
With the stealth that perhaps only a teenage girl (or maybe international spy) can manage, 14 year old Dutch sailor Laura Dekker snuck away from dock this weekend, setting off on her attempt to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone. As you may know, Laura has been battling for some time to attain the permission to take off on her voyage. The bullheaded young teen even went so far as to run away from home at one point, terrifying her parents who finally found her in St Maarten, shopping for a yacht! You would think that being labeled a teenage runaway would have ended her hopes of being found responsible enough to sail around the world alone, but Laura came home to convince her mother, and then the Dutch courts and social services, that she was a person capable of handling her boat by herself all the way around the globe. She didn’t, however, convince the Portuguese police.
A child of two divorced parents, Laura Dekker has a lot of experience around boats, as she has been raised on yachts most of her life. Her father (who is the custodial parent) was in support of his daughter taking the trip from the start, “encouraging” her toward the goal of becoming the youngest around the world alone. Her mother, however, was apprehensive, thinking Laura too young for the endeavour. The Dutch courts agreed, and for over a year the legal battle dragged on, as experts were brought before the court to attest to the physical and emotional toll such a journey would take on this little girl. Fearing that Laura would be allowed to sail off on her own unprepared (she had been caught once before illegally piloting her boat alone), Laura’s welfare was placed in the temporary care of social services last summer. The courts ruled that: “The parents are going to have to negotiate all important decisions regarding Laura with the child protection services.” This decision meant Laura’s parents were stripped of their ability to allow Laura to cast off.
Laura kept insisting that she should be allowed to sail around the world alone, saying she was ready, and she wanted to do the trip soon. “My parents always knew it was a dream of mine to do this,” the then 13-year-old Laura Dekker told the court, “and I want to do it while I’m still young, so I can break the record.” In December, Dekker ran away from home, launching a world-wide search. Apparently the young girl flew by herself to the Caribbean, and was planning to buy a boat to set off on her voyage. When she was finally found on the Dutch Antilles island of St Maarten, she was placed in police custody and put on a plane to the Netherlands. Her lawyer told the press at the time: “She was going to buy a boat, which still needed some work done on it, and then set sail.”
One might assume that such rash behavior would end all hopes for Laura to take off on her own, but it actually helped her chances. Her mother, Babs Mueller, miraculously seemed to now back the idea of Laura sailing around the world solo, withdrawing all legal opposition. With this support, a larger (and more prepared) sailboat, and a bit more preparation by Laura (including some first-aid lessons), the courts finally agreed to release the young girl from the guardianship of Dutch child protection agencies that had blocked her attempts to leave when she was still 13. The courts allowed her parents to once again make the decisions regarding the welfare of their child, and to decide themselves whether she was adequately skilled as well as physically and emotionally mature enough for sailing alone around the globe.
Laura Dekker and her father Dick Dekker wasted no time, and quickly got her 38 foot yacht named Guppy ready for sea. The father and daughter then took a sea trial from the Netherlands to Portugal. Laura Dekker said the boat had some glitches during that passage, including problems with a water pump, and trouble with the yacht’s GPS and radar. Laura’s team had indicated that she would be departing on her trip from Portugal, but this appears to have only been a trick to avoid the press, any controversy, and most importantly, the Portuguese police, whom her team says “were making problems because of her age.”
Portuguese law does not allow a minor to sail alone. In order to avoid the chance of anyone stopping her from starting her voyage, the teenager snuck out (as teenagers often do) and secretly sailed from the southern Portuguese port of Portimao on Wednesday, moving her boat to Gibraltar for the solo departure. Although the wind was light, she took off from Gibraltar on Saturday, sailing the first leg of her journey, which should see her in the Canary Islands or Madeira (depending on conditions) in about eight days.
Laura hopes to complete sailing around the world alone by the age of 16, well before her 17th birthday on September 20 of 2012. If she does complete the journey by that time, however, she will hold no official record. Instead, the teen will only earn bragging rights, as all respected records-keeping organizations have agreed to stop recognizing the “youngest” world sailing records for fear of encouraging children from attempting the dangerous feat. Such a danger was made evident only a few months ago, when 16 year old sailor Abby Sunderland had to be rescued after being dismasted during her own around the world attempt.
Laura Dekker does not plan on sailing around the world non-stop. Instead, she will attempt to circle the globe in a series of jumps, most lasting less than a few weeks. Laura’s expected course will make a cruiser’s circle of the world, avoiding the Southern Oceans completely. To accomplish this, she plans to cross the Atlantic to enter the Pacific via the Panama Canal, and then sail the South Pacific to Australia. From there, she plans to skirt the Indian Ocean, sailing back toward Europe through the Suez Canal. This route will take her through the Gulf of Aden, commonly referred to as ‘Pirate Alley.’ When asked if this idea bothered the teenager, particularly in light of the fact that there are still yachties being held by pirates in Somalia for ransom, the teen quipped: “They don’t attack yachts so much.”
Laura’s support team, as well as the television production company which has bought exclusive rights to her story, will be meeting the 14 year old as she arrives in each port. The team will record her arrival, and presumably take care of the necessary paperwork for the child. Although some feel that the young Laura Dekker may be old enough to sail a yacht solo, she is far too young in most countries to be considered legally responsible for herself on land, and therefore must be accompanied by an adult.
Source [yahoo]
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Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
The Le Boat 1500 Series will change the way boating holidays are both perceived and enjoyed forever. The three models (8+, 6+, 4+) boast a range of technical features and creature comforts that are set to revolutionise the holiday boating industry, giving customers the chance to enjoy luxurious, green boating holidays on Europe’s beautiful inland waterways
NEW HYBRID TECHNOLOGY ensures greener boating holidays for the future: The Le Boat 1500 Series allows the customer to cruise via a conventional diesel engine or under electric power with zero noise, zero pollution and zero fuel consumption – helping to preserve the waterways for the enjoyment of future generations.
Each boat has six solar panels to generate green energy that is stored in the boat’s industry-leading battery bank (produced by Valence Technology) making cruising possible even on cloudy days. Electric energy will also be provided via the boat’s generator and shore power connectivity.
The superior diesel engine is built using the latest marine technology by Volkswagen Marine and has very low CO2 emissions.
The low-wave making hull is specially designed to minimise bank erosion and large holding tanks store all grey and black water.
A range of other technology enhancements and benefits for the customer – such as low wattage LED lighting and minimal flush toilet systems are also being developed.
NEW JOYSTICK STEERING makes the Le Boat 1500 Series the easiest to drive and manoeuvre: The new Le Boat 1500 Series will without doubt be the easiest boat on the waterways to manoeuvre thanks to the introduction of revolutionary joystick technology and a steerable POD drive system which eliminates the need for a rudder. Le Boat is the first company to install these features into an inland waterways commercial hire fleet. The joystick will be in addition to two conventional interior and exterior steering positions with steering wheels.
The steerable POD drive system, which is connected to the boat’s bow thruster, will give customers greater cruising control while the joystick enables the boat to rotate 360 degrees and dock sideways alongside the canal bank. These unique features are set to revolutionise and simplify mooring and docking procedures, change the way cruising holidays are enjoyed for the better.
NEW LUXURIOUS INTERIOR – designer cruising arrives: With all models built on the same 14.97m x 4.65m hull, the new Le Boat 1500 Series is the most luxurious and spacious boat in the Le Boat fleet and designed to provide a home-from-home environment. All cabins have flat screen TVs and en-suite bathrooms and have individual air-conditioning. Cabins have flexible twin/double layouts with additional space for children via fold-down beds. All beds are standard-sized with proper mattresses for maximum comfort.
A spacious arc-shaped saloon will comfortably accommodate all passengers and provide access to the foredeck. A convertible settee sleeps one extra person if required. The open-plan kitchen galley has been designed for great on-board socialising while appliances such as the large fridge-freezer with ice compartment and regular-sized oven while make for easy catering for all onboard. There will be standing headroom and level flooring throughout and large windows on all sides will increase the feeling of light and space as well as provide panoramic views. The huge top deck (flybridge) has plenty of comfortable seating and a large bimini (sun canopy) as well as a gas BBQ, bar fridge and outer shower/sink.
The new Le Boat 1500 Series will be available as a range of models and will be available in France, Germany and Italy in 2011. The first 50 boats will join the Le Boat fleet at the start of the 2011 season, with more set to join the fleet in the coming years as Le Boat builds a greener and cleaner fleet for the future.
Commenting on the new boats Lex Raas, TUI Marine CEO, says: “It is a privilege to be involved in the creation of a totally new concept for the inland waterways boating industry. I believe the new Le Boat 1500 Series will not only become the most sought after model for our customers, but it will also set the standards for environmentally-conscious cruising for the future. Waterways authorities and tourism companies connected with the waterways have to work in partnership to protect and preserve the waterways for the enjoyment of future generations and I will personally ensure that Le Boat continues to push the boundaries.”
Models:
Le Boat 15-02: 2 luxurious equal-sized en-suite cabins each with fold-down child’s bed and comfortable seating (4+3)
Le Boat 15-03A 3 equal-sized cabins, each with optional fold-down child’s bed and en-suite bathrooms (6+4)
Le Boat 15-03 B: 1 master cabin with optional fold down child’s bed and 2 smaller cabins – all en-suite (6+2)
Le Boat 15-04 4 equal-sized cabins and 4 en-suite bathrooms (8+1)
Notes to Editor: Le Boat will be showcasing and officially launching the new boat at the Paris Boat Show in December. If you wish to discuss joining us at the show please contact Laura Hamlin laura.hamlin(at)tuiactivity(dot)com
Le Boat is the largest operator of self-drive boating holidays on the waterways of Europe, operating its own fleet of 1000+ self-drive cruisers from a network of over 40 different departure bases across eight European countries. Le Boat brings together over 40 years of expertise and experience of Crown Blue Line and Connoisseur in Europe and Emerald Star in Ireland.
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Monday, August 9th, 2010
On August 6th 2010 NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) announced that it is still expecting an active hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin.
The seasons peak, from August to October, is just around the corner and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Centre says climate factors that point to an active season are present. La Nina, which favours lower wind shear over the Atlantic Basin allowing storm clouds to gather and organise, has formed in the Pacific Ocean. Other factors pointiong to an active hurricane season are warmer than usual water tempratures in the Atlantic and Carribbean and the tropical multi-decadal signal (a naturally occurring cycle in tropical climate patterns) which, since 1995 has produced hurricane-favouring atmospheric and oceanic conditions in unison, leading to more active seasons.
“August heralds the start of the most active phase of the Atlantic hurricane season and with the meteorological factors in place, now is the time for everyone living in hurricane prone areas to be prepared” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.
NOAA’s updated outlook for the season now sits at 14 to 20 named storms with winds of 38 mph or more, eight to 12 may be hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or more and four to six could be major hurricanes with winds of at least 113 mph.
The outlook still reflects and active season, but the number of storms predicted have been reduced since the initial outlook in May. NOAA’s updated 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook calls for a 90% chance of an above normal season. There is only a 10% chance of a near-normal season, and no expectation the season will be below normal. Therefore, 2010 is expected to become the eleventh above-normal season since 1995.
An important measure of the total seasonal activity is NOAA’s Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index, which accounts for the combined intensity and duration of all named storms and hurricanes during the season. According toNOAA’s hurricane season classifications, an ACE value at or above 175% of the median reflects a very active (or hyperactive) season. For 2010, we estimate a 70% chance that the seasonal ACE range will be 170%-260% of the median. This range indicates a high likelihood of a hyperactive season. If the activity reaches the upper end of our predicted ranges, the season will be one of the more active on record.
These ranges include the two tropical storms and one hurricane seen to date. During June – July 2010, two named storms (Hurricane Alex and Tropical Storm Bonnie) formed in the Atlantic basin. The pre-season outlook issued in late May reflected the possibility of even more early-season activity. As a result, the upper ends of the predicted ranges have been reduced.
You can find an Article about preparing your yacht or boat for hurricane season here: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/prepairing-a-yacht-or-boat-for-hurricane-season-2871269.html
Source [NOAA]
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Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Like a video game of moving targets, today’s yachts and commercial vessels are seen as pink or green symbols on a computer display screen. The Automatic Identification System, or AIS, is the most comprehensive way for captains to gain navigational data on nearby vessels and is being used by large and small boats around the globe.
The short-range coastal tracking system was adopted in 2000 by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) as a requirement for vessels larger than 300 tons, but it has become standard on many more yacht bridges, mandated or not.
The benefits of collision avoidance, enhanced communication and rescue assistance outweigh the possibility of unwanted followers, according to several megayacht captains.
“AIS is so handy,” said Capt. Joei Randazzo, a freighter captain who is currently freelancing. “We used to have to get in the danger zone to have a commercial ship answer the radio. Now, we just see who it is and call them by name.”
“The simple concept, equipment list, and short learning curve all contribute to its worthiness,” said Capt. Douglas Abbott of M/Y Odalisque. “I call it Ah, I See.”
Features displayed on the screen include vessel type and name, maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) number, call sign, destination, speed over ground, course over ground, range, bearing, heading, the closest point of approach (CPA) and time to closest point of approach (TCPA). It even has messaging capability.
“It’s the next best thing since sliced bread and electricity,” said Capt. Herb Magney of M/Y At Last. “No boat should be without it, even if it was only a requirement for night navigation and foggy weather.”
Maintaining their roles as prudent mariners, megayacht captains are quick to point out that AIS is meant as an aid — not a replacement — for radar and good, old-fashioned visual observance.
“It doesn’t remove the need for a vigilant radar watch and a constant ‘outside the window’ view,” said Capt. Ted Morley, chief operations officer at Maritime Professional Training in Ft. Lauderdale. Morley has used the system in yachting and in the commercial deep-draft industry.
“All the benefits aside, it is important to remember that the information is only as good as the person who inputted it into the system,” he said. “Garbage in, garbage out, is often the case.”
“It’s great at night or in stormy weather when you can’t see,” said Capt. Stephen Hill, a freelance captain for both charter and private yachts. “Since it identifies who you are contending with, it’s not just a light on the horizon [where you ask] ‘what is that and which way is it going?’”
Some vessels run AIS separately on dedicated hardware, but many integrate the information with other electronics.
“Our AIS is interfaced to the Transas and radars so it enhances those navigation features,” said Capt. Jeff Ridgway, currently running relief on M/Y Battered Bull, a 52m Feadship. “When the Transas cursor is placed over an AIS target, we instantly get all the information needed.”
When run through the electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) and a vessel’s automatic radar plotting aid, all the AIS navigation information is in one location.
“When I have AIS information overlaid on my ARPA/ECDIS display, it really helps in the ability to communicate with other vessels should passing arrangements need to be made or if you are in doubt as to their intentions, especially in congested waterways where it may be difficult to discern one vessel from another,” Morley said. “It also reduces the likelihood of communicating to the wrong vessel on the VHF. You can call the specific vessel by name and be able to recognize their call sign when they respond.”
Mark Mitchell, service manager at Voyager Maritime in Ft. Lauderdale, installs and services both A and B class AIS units. The Class A is International Maritime Organization (IMO) compliant; Class B is sub-compliant, occasionally a full transponder but typically only a receiver.
Once a vessel decides whether it will only receive or transmit as well, hardware choices vary by manufacturer. A user-interface is a big deciding factor.
“Some have a small control head with a hard-to-use keypad, and some, like Furuno, are bigger and are easier to put information into,” he said.
Receivers are easy to integrate into a yacht, because they only use VHF, Mitchell said.
“But even transponders are simple to add as after-market,” he said. “The only trouble is cable-pulling.”
Capt. Abbott knows a little about that, having done it recently on the 115-foot Odalisque.
“As far as retrofitting a yacht, the cost for a Class A will run $3,000-$5,000, plus installation, which is down from a lot more money when they were first mandated,” Abbott said. “And the way the rules are going with lower tonnage vessels mandated to have them, it’s ‘you can pay me now, or you can pay me later.’”
Several captains report one concern: by transmitting all this safety information electronically, it becomes available to just about anyone with a computer. Several Web sites have taken to publishing yacht information on the Internet. Web sites such as www.marinetraffic.com allow computer users to see the same information yachts use.
The site describes itself as an academic, open, community-based project created for several reasons, including the study of marine telecommunications, the simulation of vessel movements, the statistical processing of ports traffic and the design of models for the spotting of the origin of a pollution.
But the International Maritime Organization condemned the publication of AIS data transmitted by ships at its 79th session in December 2004. The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) agreed that the exposure of AIS-generated ship data on the Web, for example, “could be detrimental to the safety and security of ships and port facilities and was undermining the efforts of the Organization and its Member States to enhance the safety of navigation and security in the international maritime transport sector.” It urged member governments to discourage such publications.
Citing more reasons to use AIS than not to, many captains rarely turn their systems off. Even yachts on the hard often have their AIS on.
“On the down side, when you get to a cluttered port, the AIS signals on the electronics show up as a big mess,” said Mate Sue Mitchell of M/Y Aqualibrium. “You cannot see anyone’s name or make out anything at all. It’s just a pool of green scribble.”
When the yacht was loaded onto the Dockwise [ship] recently, the captain insisted all yachts aboard the transport ship turn off their AISes so the ship’s own AIS would be the appropriate signal being transmitted for communication purposes.
Most yachts just leave the AIS on, that is, except maybe the immensely private, extremely wealthy or notoriously famous.
In the highly technical and electronic world of megayachts, the automatic identification system actually can offer a human touch.
“AIS can make you smile,” Randazzo said. “We usually have a little chat after radio contact, if they speak English. And making a friend breaks up the watch.”
Source [Maritimenews]
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Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
In most cases, when a luxury yacht is designed as a concept independently from the construction, the design usually set about cramming in extra accommodation, as if feeling the need to maximize on the investment and impose the creativity on the overall look.
It is therefore fascinating to find out that leading brand Lurssen Yacht and yacht designer Luiz De Basto, did exactly the opposite in this 288 foot project called yacht Orchid.
The number of cabins was reduced and all the public areas opened up and made as spacious as possible: after accommodating 8 guests, the attention has been made to create a cozy micro-cosmos for the owner: designed on 2 levels, the Owner’s Suite, located on the Main Deck, is connected to the Owner’s Lounge on the Upper Deck through a private stairway for a total 2,637 square feet. The traditional Pilot House windshield becomes now an outstanding private sight through which the owner can overlook the outside.
But what makes these 6 decks really stand out is the overall exterior design on the Orchid superyacht: a pretty unique concept made out of a single point of view: consistency and fluidity.
This Orchid luxury yacht design deviates from the regular standards or cliché and breaks the classic concept of building by decks, creating a homogeneous stern to bow passage without any interruption; the idea of an open walk around with an easy alternate of wide and long steps, moving from one deck to the other above while walking aft to bow, is really unique in the modern yacht design. Decks are blended and reproduced one on top of each other following the inboard walk-around, creating a highly functional layout and a breathtaking exterior profile.
Lurssen’s Orchid luxury yacht design has a huge elliptical pool, welcome all the guests on the Main deck, along with a bright and spacious Main Salon and Dining Room. Another guest boarding is through a folding starboard side balcony located at the Lower Deck where the large theatre media room is provided. Virtually every surface throughout the decks illustrates Luiz De Basto’s signature harmonious design, resulting in an entirely sinuous and bright space; each and every stateroom provides large windows and ensures a high level of natural light.
From the engine room, a watertight door gives access to the huge tender garage which has large lift-up doors on either side. The space planning provides total separation between crew and guests, even separated elevators for the guests and crew from the Lower deck to the bridge deck. Orchid also comes fully equipped with all sorts of amenities, including a red and white wine store and of course a gym/spa. With a sensitive note for the structure, Orchid comes with 2 wing stations on the Bridge Deck along with the Wheel House at the same deck and a HVAC rooms located at every deck, all below 3000 Gross Tonnes.
On the Orchid 288 foot motor yacht design, a touch-and-go helipad is the last great plus in this contemporary mega yacht which has the luxury to offer a Fly bridge as well despite all the overall proportions: almost hidden around the mast, the sixth deck is just an incredible addition to enjoy the scenario.
The overall result? The Orchid mega yacht by Lurssen and Luiz De Basto is an inspired balance of form and function on a vessel with a truly distinct personality and the solid quality of Lurssen engineering and construction.
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Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Picture a fish so large and so voracious that it could eat 40 times its own weight, decimating the amount of plankton that other fish feed on and devastating the booming Great Lakes fishing industry. We take a look at fears over the Asian Carp population and what it could mean if it ever reaches Lake Erie.
If you haven’t heard, Asian Carp are invading the Great lakes.
The Zebra Mussel clung its way into the tributaries of the Lakes by way of boat motor and stern. The conical shell has become a beacon of distress for ecologically abrupt water systems. Photos depict obtuse yachts in the water, crooked with the weight of this miniscule mollusk. If you have ever seen a bunch of these suckers move, it might be reminiscent of a long ago Acid trip. The bunches grow so big that they clog subsidiary drainage systems and devour algae crucial to the ecological system.
The Asian Carp is more devastating.
Silver Carp, Black Carp, Bighead Carp. These, and others are the North American nickname of this voracious bottom feeder. It survives mainly on plankton, but devours obtrusive snails with delight. The Asian Carp was brought to The States in the late 70′s by Catfish farmers in the South East. The Carp are supreme cleaners, they grow to a meter and a half in length and weigh in at a hefty 99 lbs. Get the drift? These suckers are Enormous.
Unfortunately for the ecosystems of the North American tributaries of the Mississippi River and the Great lakes, the Carp will become a plague. The Carp eat plankton and thrash about in shallow waters. This behavior destroys the habitat and food source of the copious species of game fish fry.
Floods let the Carp into the river.
Flooding of the Mississippi in the late 1990′s allowed the Carp to creep into the Mississippi. From their home in Louisiana, the Carp crept up over dams and locks, past the spirit of Mark Twain. When they arrived in Chicago by means of the Illinois river, DNR officials shit their pants. In the middle of July 2002, Eric Slater of the L.A. Times wrote a brief syndicated article about the migration of the Carp toward the Great lakes.
“A fisherman on the Kaskaskia River in southern Illinois suffered a broken nose when one leaped into his face”.
The article detailed more than the danger the jumping abilities of these Carp. The article spoke of the greater demise (of the great lakes) and the measures the government was implementing to stop it.
Carp had been spotted in the Illinois River. Researchers had netted a thirty pound silver Carp and the threat toward Lake Michigan was inevitable. Bureaucrats put it on their agenda and after conferring with neighboring states, decided to create a barrier. The Army Corps of Engineers would devise and construct a dual electronic/ bubbling mechanism to deter the fish. Chain link fences had been constructed on the waterway to no avail, the Carp simply jumped over them. Who knows how many have creeped through by now?
The Slater article has inspired a slur of different accounts depicting the Carp as an unusual beast. Documenting officers of the DNR had been interviewed, as well as local fishermen. Most account for the jumping ability of the fish. Broken noses, concussions, near misses, they all provide fantastic reading. Statistics are easy to field when the species simply jumps into your boat. It may be difficult to imagine, but these nasty beasts are ambivalent. They also gots’ hops.
They have one motive; to inhabit and take over. Walleye fry will waste away along with the fatty Salmon and Perch we fish. Ultimately, an injury from a jumping fish will result in tragedy and we will succumb to the realization that our ultimate demise stemmed from the need to proliferate our species. We never thought our control might get out of hand and ruin everything.
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Thursday, July 29th, 2010
So pumpkin growing season is over and you spent all season growing a 900 pound giant pumpkin, so now what do you do with it? Places like Germany, Utah and Oregon have come up with an innovative idea.
Why not carve it out, throw a motor on it or grab some paddles and hold a boat race.
In Oregon the craze started in 2003, the annual regatta pits the regions giant gourd growers against each other in what is a competition of size and speed, and while it sounds both impossible and crazy, it is in fact what the name suggests; it’s a boat race, but the boats are giant pumpkins.
How do they do it?
First, you have to hollow out a 700 lb. pumpkin only days before the race, or it will turn soft and lose seaworthiness. Qualifying size for race eligibility is 600 lbs, but most of the giant pumpkins competing in the regatta weighed in at twice that (the biggest pumpkin was 1408 lbs). They all had to be lifted into the water with the help of a forklift, and many of them were decorated with designs ranging from airplanes to turtles to giant mushrooms – some past favorites include “Freedom”, “Swamp Dog”, and “Blue Streak”. Racers must be physically fit, for a pumpkin doesn’t easily glide through the water. Large round objects aren’t the most cooperative vessels.
So every stroke of the paddle is demanding. Navigating your personal vegetable craft (PVC), as the pumpkins are known, is made harder by more inexperienced paddlers in your way, exhaustion, and the fact that you’re probably laughing the whole way across!
An interesting trend is how boat racing has begun to influence the breeding and growing of pumpkins. James Nienhuis a U. Wisconsin professor of Horticulture has crossed the Atlantic Giant Pumpkin (a racing favorite) with a pink banana squash to improve its shape. Leo Swinimer of Novia Scotia, a champion racer, has developed techniques to coax a better a boat shape out of his giant pumpkins.
This year, the sport of pumpkin boating was taken to a new level when JR Hildebrandt of Nekoosa, Wisconsin paddled 150 miles down the Wisconsin river in a pumpkin over 8 days to raise money for the Tri-City Children’s Dream Foundation. Hildebrandt’s pumpkin was outfitted with a small propane heater and a bailer.
He capsized 5 times during the trip, and ultimately had to switch to a new pumpkin after his first was overtaken with and refused to float. A grower in Stoughton saved the day with a 605 lb replacement for the waterlogged 760 lb pumpkin that started the race. In response to the switch, Hildebrandt reported, “That was like going from driving a Cadillac to driving an Escort.” Clearly, no two pumpkins make boats alike.
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Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
Nav Tracker 2.0 GPS
In January 2009, thieves ran PWCs up to a 35-foot Fountain that was docked in Fort Lauderdale, cut her lines, and quickly towed her away. Within seconds, the boat’s owner received a text message on his cellphone alerting him to the fact that the vessel was on the move and providing her exact positioning, speed, and heading. Armed with this information, he contacted the Broward County Sheriff’s Department, which immediately dispatched a helicopter to track and retrieve the stolen vessel. Though the would-be thieves escaped as the chopper hovered overhead, the $200,000 boat was recovered in good condition. And the total time for the entire operation? A mere 54 minutes.
Though this kind of retrieval might sound well suited to a cops-and-robbers flick, last January’s recovery was very real. In fact, it’s just one of a slew of similar tales that Paradox Marine proudly posts on its Web site, and deservedly so. There’s little doubt that the quick rescue was possible thanks to the company’s Inmarsat satellite-based Nav-Tracker 2.0 system, which—along with the Marine Magellan system—is one of its signature security offerings for boats of all sizes.
| The NAV-TRACKER 2.0 GPS TRACKING SYSTEM |
The The Nav-Tracker 2.0 will keep you informed of your boat’s location
through a GPS tracking service provided by the new Inmarsat Isat M2M
service. |
Key features:
|
Daily transmissions of location and status
Passive geofence arm and disarm
Real time GPS tracking through INMARSAT Isat M2M satellite service
When in geo-fence alarm, unit transmits location, speed and heading every 15 minutes
Stand alone system or wirelessly integrate with all Marine Magellan packages
Monitor one sensor, optional sensors include:
-High water
-SOS / panic button
-Door contact
-Temp sensor
-Beam sensor or any normally open sensing device
This extremely reliable service, formerly used exclusively by commercial vessels, is now available to the private boat owner. When armed, the system passively sets a 500 meter geo-fence (radius) around the vessel. In the event the geo-fence is breached, as many as 8 recipients you designate will receive an email and/or text message displaying the vessel name, its location in latitude and longitude, the closest city, its speed and heading. The unit will also send you a daily status report with the same information. Finally boat owners can have peace of mind knowing where their boat is at all times.
Paradox Products Magellan
Another of Paradox’s signature products is the Magellan system, which comes in a variety of packages and models, including the Inmarsat- and cellular-based Insight. (Magellan package prices range from $1,499 to $7,000.) This system grants owners near-complete access to their boat from any computer or phone with Internet access, as long as she’s within Inmarsat’s satellite-network range (which Keenan says is basically, “everywhere except for the north and south poles”).
Like the Nav-Tracker, the Magellan Insight sends warnings via voice, e-mail, or text message, alerting owners to all manner of situations—say if there’s high water in the bilge or if the vessel’s batteries are running low. Owners can also log on to a personal Web page to view streaming video from their onboard cameras and can control all A.C. and D.C. accessories from their cellphone. Keenan reports that owners have been known to use this function to boot up the air conditioning before they arrive at their marina or make sure there’s ice ready if they’re heading out for a day of angling.
But the system isn’t just about comfort; it’s also about security. The Marine Magellan can accommodate as many as 32 wireless sensors to be hidden around a vessel, everything from smoke detectors to invisible, photoelectric beam sensors, which are often used in the cockpit and flying bridge. There are even canvas-snap sensors, which are exactly what they sound like: hidden triggers epoxied into boat-cover snaps that activate if the cover is tampered with. The Marine Magellan Insight then immediately sends location information to several prearranged individuals (just as with the Nav-Tracker), which can also be viewed on Google Earth and which are updated every 15 minutes. Plus, the two-way voice reporting that comes with the Insight means that once you’ve been alerted to a theft, it’s possible to dial into your boat’s system and actually communicate with the intruder onboard your vessel. “Owners can talk to the thief and say, ‘the police are on their way,’” explains Keenan. All from the safety of a remote location, of course.
Inferno Intenso Marine sound barrier
In response to past increased pirate activity, Paradox Marine offers the Inferno Intenso Marine sound barrier, a device that generates an unbearable noise frequency pattern that “immediately disrupts the activities of onboard intruders, i.e. terrorists, pirates or robbers, and buys time for crews to reach safe havens.”
It also works as a siren, has built-in sabotage protection, a long-life battery and a durable casing that withstands the elements of the marine environment, according to the manufacturer. One unit covers areas up to 750 square feet. The Inferno works in standalone mode or can be integrated with Paradox Marine’s vessel security, tracking and monitoring systems. What’s more, since May 25 the U.S. Coast Guard’s Maritime Security Directive 104-6 has required U.S.-flagged vessels that operate in high-risk waters to have security protocols in place that are fit to deter, detect and disrupt piracy. MSRP starts at $2,199 for the marinized version. Paradox Marine, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The Inferno Intenso Sound Barrier machine from Protect Security Systems is a sound alarm security device that can be paired with other security machines like a fog cannon or strobe light. This product from Protect Security Systems Ltd if paired with these machines become the ultimate security machine.
The Inferno Intenso Sound Barrier machine comes in a compact size measuring 685 mm in length, 106 mm in width and 40 mm in height. A discreet sound alarm like this can be easily installed or mounted above doors or other access points. With improved built-in battery features, the Inferno Intenso Sound Barrier machine can send off an alarm continuously for more than 30 minutes and has a standby of 1 month on one full battery charge.
This wall mounted sound alarm system also has automatic battery checking, a battery backup feature and weighs only 1.7 kg. The Inferno Intenso Sound Barrier also has an anti-sabotage quality, with hidden cables and compatibility with several alarm system panels. Its sound alarm operates at a frequency area of 2.5 kHz, and acoustic effect of 125 to 127 dB (A), which is in full compliance with Danish decibel guidelines.
Source [Paradox Products]
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