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“A traveler is really not someone who crosses ground so much as someone who is always hungry for the next challenge and adventure.”— Pico Iyer Yesterday afternoon I looked out my office window and saw hints of spring. Broad daylight at 4 o’clock, later on a little warmth in the amber gloaming. … Soon there will be yard work without a coat, the sweet smell of warming earth, birdsong and tender buds. Feeling the natural world as it wakes from a deep winter nap has got to rouse the optimist in even the stingiest soul. And has there ever been an adventure that didn’t begin in optimism? Embarking on an undertaking that involves unknown risks, for an exciting or remarkable experience (to paraphrase the Merriam- Webster Dictionary) is inconceivable without…
I just saw Mary South’s article in which she mentioned a West Pointer. I don’t know how I missed it in Soundings last summer. I thought Mary might be interested in a photo of my Pointer, taken while pulled up on one of the islands in Pleasant Bay on Cape Cod. The original owner of the boat was Frank Sargent, a former governor of Massachusetts. I bought it from his son. While I’ve always owned bigger boats to fish in the Atlantic, this has always been the favorite for me and my five kids and 10 grandkids. It has classic looks, and it’s great for pulling up on the island beaches in Pleasant Bay. My first boat was a Gloucester dory that I bought from a neighbor for $15. Peter…
Yamaha Marine Group has added a 90-hp model to its lineup of high-performance V MAX SHO 4-strokes. The smallest member of the V MAX SHO family, it’s designed for smaller center consoles, bay boats and flats boats. “The new V MAX SHO 90 is the perfect power solution for boaters looking to replace an older 2-stroke 90-hp outboard with the clean, quiet efficiency of a 4-stroke,” says Ben Speciale, president of Yamaha Marine Group. “It’s also a great choice for inshore and multispecies boats.” Weighing 353 pounds, the V MAX SHO 90 is built around Yamaha’s 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder block, which has a single overhead cam with four valves per cylinder and precision multipoint fuel injection. Also under the cowl is a 35-amp alternator. The engine is available in 20- or…
1. INTERNATIONAL RULES: A vessel in a narrow channel consenting to being overtaken would sound: A. no signal unless a course change is made B. 2 prolonged, 1 short blast C. 2 prolonged, 2 short blasts D. 1 prolonged, 1 short, 1 prolonged, 1 short blast 2. INTERNATIONAL RULES: When seen from directly astern, the minimum lights a vessel underway must show are: A. 1 yellow light B. 2 yellow lights C. 1 white light D. 2 white lights 3. INTERNATIONAL RULES: A vessel should enter a traffic separation scheme at right angles: A. when obliged to cross the lane B. when joining or leaving a lane from the side, rather than the termination of the lane C. to fish in a separation zone D. never 4. An ebb tide…
Orcas can recognize human speech and “talk back” through their blowholes, with noises that whales don’t usually make. Scallops have hundreds of eyes that contain miniature mirrors able to “see” like the reflective telescopes that Isaac Newton invented in the 1600s. Oysters can “hear” the water around them, including boats reverberating throughout their environment. These findings about the abilities of marine life come from recent scientific research. They provide new understanding into the lives of these creatures and suggest that, in some cases, boaters and swimmers may be able to communicate with and affect those animals in ways the scientific community previously did not understand. The whale research was done with Wikie, a captive orca at the Marineland aquarium in Antibes, France. As reported in the Britishbased research journal Proceedings…
ADVENTURE AWAITS Kilkea, a 268-foot, concept expedition superyacht, has the credentials to serve as the lair for an international super villain, though she’ll proudly serve anyone who can afford the $72 million buy-in price. The Shackleton Superyachts offering would be built with an Ice Class steel hull at Vard in Ålesund, Norway. Propulsion is diesel-electric, with four electric generators and four diesels driving two controllable-pitch propellers. Below, 18 staterooms would sleep 36 guests. Helicopter? No problem; there’s a landing pad. And the yacht would be able to stay at sea for a month without restocking. edmiston.com 4,188 Number of lives the Coast Guard saved in 2017, according to its annual report. “Our hearts go out to everyone involved in this terrible incident. It has been difficult for the crew and…
