All over the world people are moving off land and into the water. Houseboats are becoming bigger and better every year, and life on them is becoming more comparable to living on land thanks to technologies’ leaps forward.
Staying Connected
Just a few years ago if you wanted internet without the wires you were stuck with two options, get satellite or get over it. Now, with worldwide 3G and 4G data connections and how common mobile phones are moving into a houseboat is an easy transition with multiple options.
If you decide that it’s time for your life to move to sea you won’t have any worries about how to transition, and more and more new houseboats are coming standard with features you need for a move like that. Now that it’s so easy to keep connected after leaving land to live on a houseboat you won’t have to worry about losing contact with family and friends, or with playing your favorite online game either!
Extreme Houseboats
These days having a custom houseboat isn’t difficult, and with so many options you can have almost anything you want. There are houseboats that look like houses, like submarines, like domes, and so much more! You can have your own sea mansion to float around in, and have it as roomy as a land house!
With houseboats like the Jelly-Fish 45 and the Trilobis 65 out there, it seems like there is hardly anything that can’t be built for the sea just as well, or even better, than on land!
If you don’t want a houseboat mansion you can do what some others have been doing. Build a raft base, or have one built, and put a camper or trailer on it! This makes for an easy move back and forth from land to sea any time you want!
So if you want to travel the world on your cozy houseboat and then just roll off the raft and cruise around without having to make any real adjustments, then this is perfect for you. It also helps with keeping with a tight budget!
Live Free
With so many options out there for moving your life to the water, you can live as free as you want and nearly anywhere you want. Now you can move off land and travel the seas and still live in the comfort of a house that is still on land.
The Miami Boat Show, also known as the Miami International Boat Show, is coming back to Miami this February and it’s bringing many features with it. Along with the show you also get Fred’s Shed Interactive Learning Center, Discover Boating puts you At the Helm, Big Game Room, Customs and Border Protection, Meet the crew of OCEARCH, Welcome to the Water Center, and the Miami Boat Show Poker Run!
Miami Boat Show Features
Discover Boating
Discover Boating puts you At the Helm is giving hands on exercises for boating to help teach and improve your boating skills for only $15 per session at their 60-minute Power Boating Clinic. A 3-hour in-depth session for only $125 per seminar per person is also available – requires advanced registration.
The Big Game Room
The big game room is here celebrating its 10th year and is returning with all of your favorite events. Come and check out the Bait Rigging Station and improve your technique. You also get to see the latest products for the fishing world and the best destinations for sport fishing around the world.
Customs and Border Protection
Officers will be at the show to enroll eligible participants in the CBP(Customs and Border Protection) Local Boater Option. U.S. citizens and Green Card holders will be able to participate in this free service that allows you to report the arrival of your private vessel, make customs declarations, and be cleared for Immigration purposes by telephone. This eliminates the need to report to a port of entry in person. You must have the appropriate documentation (passport and Government issued ID’s) to register. All family members must be present to register.
Meet Chris Fischer, Captain Jody Whitworth and Captain Brett McBride
The OCEARCH crew will be here discussing how they catch, tag, and study great white sharks! Just head to the Big Game Room to find them and hear them speak on Thursday, February 14th at 4:15pm and at Convention Center Drive on Saturday, February 16th at 5:00pm.
The Water Center
Learn how to make the most out of your time on the water with this getting started seminar. Get straightforward answers from these experts to help get you started in the boating world. You also get hands-on demos to help you learn! Find out how affordable boating is compared to vacation trips to amusement parks or ball games!
Miami Boat Show Poker Run
From February 21-24 enjoy this year’s Miami Boat Show Poker Run, four days of fun for sport cruising and high-performance boaters. Make sure to register for the event and be included in the fun! Make sure to check that you meet the following requirements so that you aren’t excluded!
1. Be an active member with Florida Powerboat Club. Download the registration form here.
2. Have a fully insured, 25-80 foot boat with proof of insurance. Insurance must be submitted in the form of a declaration page (Accurately detailed engine data, and horsepower and performance specs must also be included).
3. All captains and co-drivers must attend the safety meeting prior to departing at the Biscayne Marriott Miami. Captains must sign a waiver for compliance with the Poker Runs guidelines that include agreeing to no consumption of alcohol or medications that diminish operation skills prior to or during the event.
4. All occupants must also sign the waiver prior to departure.
5. All occupants must wear USCG approved floatation devices during the event. Exceptions may be made for Lifeline or other specialty safety products that carry an official USCG approval.
6. All vessels included in the Poker Run must be in compliance with USCG safety standards.
As the world’s largest mega yacht, the Eclipse includes two helicopter pads, two swimming pools, several hot tubs, 24 guest cabins, and a disco hall. The security system is fitted with an intruder detection system and a German-built missile defense system. Also equipped is an anti-paparazzi laser system, which although it does not fire lasers at the paparazzi it does blind their cameras. This system is not always online, but is activated when a possible paparazzi is nearby.
Mega Yacht Protection
The mega yacht Eclipse has even more protection than mentioned previously. The master suite and bridge are both fitted with armor plating and with bulletproof windows to offer superior protection for its passengers. This, along with the intruder detection system and the missile defense system, makes the mega yacht Eclipse not only a wonder to look at but also a safe house on the water!
As you can see in the videos, this is a beautiful and exceptionally large mega yacht. Eclipse was launched in June of 2009 and arrived the following September in Denmark for testing. In December 2010 this mega yacht was delivered to its owner, Roman Abramovich, after all testing was completed. Starting February 2011 Eclipse was made available as a charter yacht through SuperYachtsMonaco, a yacht broker based out of Monaco.
You can also see that the paparazzi shield system is not always on, as the videos were possible to take. The system is enabled manually and will continue to function until disabled, which would be when the threat of paparazzi is gone.
Come and check out the upcoming Miami International Boat Show this February and see many mega yachts visiting us just for this show! Get your tickets now and join us at the show from February 14-18 and enjoy the yachts with us!
Hurricane Sandy did some real damage. All along the East-Coast there are boats waiting for repairs to get done so that they can be ready for spring sailing. There are so many repairs needing to be done, and the cold weather is hindering certain ones. This is going to cause a major backlog on boat repairs, and could upset some customers who want to be boating in the spring.
So Many Repairs, So Little Time
Gelcoat and fiberglass repairs are impeded by the cold weather and are going to have to wait for better conditions. With many service and repair yards still out of commission after Hurricane Sandy the few that are up have their hands full. This, plus the cold weather, may make some very unhappy boaters.
Repair yards are telling boaters that if they have minor scratches to be repaired that they should wait until later to focus on it, rather than end up backlogged behind a line of other boats getting hulls, and other serious damage repaired. Customers are being given a list of choices and are being told what is absolutely necessary, and what is not, for getting their boats in working order.
An estimated 65,000 boats were damaged or destroyed, and although business for repair shops is at a high the repairs will take time. So remember that if your boat is usable and won’t take on new damage by being used, then wait for the bulk of major repairs to be done before scheduling to have your coat refinished so that you don’t end up waiting for weeks, or longer, to have it done.
Insurance Matters
With so many destroyed boats, and damaged marine facilities, the facilities have had to move some of the boats out of their docks and in to storage areas. Doing this can cause a lapse in your policy because storing your ship in an unspecified location is not covered.
Maritime Program Group has stepped in to help, and has agreed to provide an extension of coverage under the NAS’ Marina Operators Legal Liability section for policy holders. You still need to coordinate with your insurance company, but this is a huge help to boat owners all along the East-Coast. It is strongly recommended for the insured to enter in to a storage agreement with a marina that has had to store their boat at another location, and for you to contact your insurance provider immediately.
Boaters everywhere know about the Rolex Volcano race, and photographers everywhere come to take pictures of it. If you weren’t there for the 2012 race you really missed out, because it was an awesome 6 day event from May 19th – May 26th.
With a score of ships from around the world coming to the Saint-Petersburg Yacht Club, there was more than enough to see. The second event of the campaign was a bumpy ride for the sailors and an exciting show for onlookers. With wind making it over 25 knots and storms nearly attacking ships, the event was not an easy one.
The Fastest Yacht
The first boat to complete the 300-nauticle mile course was the super yacht Nilaya. The Nilaya arrived at 20:05.06 CEST – one day, two hours, and six seconds after the race started. According to the crew of the super yacht they had a difficult start. The size of the yacht can be a hindrance if wind speed isn’t at necessary levels, and the start of the race was not as windy as they had hoped for.
The Nilaya was also the winner of last year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, but although finishing first in the second leg, was not named the overall winner. The yacht Jethou, hitting 26-knots at one point, finished the first leg quickly enough that the combined time still places the yacht as the overall winner.
The Volcanoes Two Legs
The race had two legs; the first started in Gaeta, Italy and had them round Ponza to shoot towards Capri and was about 300-nautical miles. The second leg started at the Island of Stromboli Island, where the fleet headed to Vulcano Island, and then raced for Alicudi. The second leg was roughly 241-nautical miles and put the race total at around 641-nautical miles.
The Image of the Year
The image of the year is chosen from twenty-four of the best yacht racing photographs, and has been taken from submissions by at least forty-six different photographers. Delegates then view the choices left and narrow it down to five best images. From there an independent Jury chooses the winner from that five. This year’s Jury is comprised of Christian Février, Shirley Robertson, Ben Ainslie, Antonio Palma, and Will Morris.
This year’s winner is Kurt Arrigo, who’s submission is from the Volcano Race and was taken during an opportune time where the sun had come out just long enough for the golden shot.
The Miami International Boat Show, one of Miami’s biggest events each year, has been running since the 1940’s and is heading our way again! This February, from the 14th to the 18th, we get to experience another amazing event for boaters and yachters from around the world.
This boat show brings tourists in from all over the world to make it an amazing spectacle every year. Even the Super Bowl get’s put on hold for it! Presidents Day weekend becomes one of the busiest times of the year in Miami to manage all of the tourists coming in to see ships and yachts of all shapes and sizes.
Tickets are already on sale for the event and preparations are being made. Tickets can even be picked up as a combo pack for the Boat Show and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, which coincide with each other every year.
Take a look at Miami’s International Boat Show from last year!
2012 Miami International Boat Show
[youtube=http://youtu.be/LLNjo95DeuU]
Did you enjoy last year’s Boat Show? Are you coming this year?
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Hatteras Yachts is about to debut a new luxury yacht in the fall of 2013, the new 100 Raised Pilothouse! With Hatteras having some of the most luxurious yachts on the market, this is exciting news for yacht enthusiasts. This yacht is being envisioned as Hatters brand ambassador for the expansions being made to the yachting market.
Luxury Yachting
With four luxury staterooms and room for eight, this makes for a perfect vacation on the water. Each stateroom features its own premium A/V package that includes AM/FM radio with an iPod® dock, flat-screen LED TV, Bose® speakers, and a Blue-ray® disc player. Then you get to include a stocked wine cooler and the linens and bathrobes that come standard with the ship.
With the anticipated LOA of 100 feet and a beam of 22.5 feet, the 100 Raised Pilothouse will not be lacking in volume. The enormous flying bridge comes equipped with a large wet bar, as well as specially designed modular furniture that is easily arrangeable to the owners needs.
Down Below
Besides the staterooms there is also a full-beam master suite, which is well appointed and truly opulent with its his-and-hers head and ample storage space. Then there’s the VIP suite, which offers a private bathroom, full-sized queen bed, and a large closet.
The Pilothouse
Located above-deck you’ll see the pilothouse which includes a voluminous salon and a formal dining room. The salon has very large and open windows that give a sweeping view of both the port and starboard of this yacht, leaving you with a breathtaking view. Once leaving the salon you walk into a large galley with full-sized appliances to give an at home feel, and the large bar with ample seating. Looking up in the galley you notice a large integrated skylight, which is one of the most noticeable features in the 100 Raised Pilothouse.
The pilothouse is also home to the luxury yachts helm, which is a series of computers and touch-screens that oversee all of the ship’s systems. From the helm chair the captain has full reign over the ship.
The Crew
Even the crew has nice accommodations on this luxury yacht. The captain gets his own stateroom, and the crew has a spacious bunkroom, with each room getting its own head. Attached to the crew areas is the crew galley that comes equipped with a sink, refrigerator, and microwave/convection oven. This makes a nice private area for the crew to kick back and relax away from the hustle and bustle above.
The Foundation
As with all other Hatteras models, the 100 Raised Pilothouse is built on a solid fiberglass hull bottom that comes with a ten-year warranty. The high performance propellers, deep tunnel pockets, and efficient gear reductions all give the 100 Raised Pilothouse a competitive cruising performance.
For Presidents’ Day in Florida, the city prepares for the Miami International Boat Show and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, but for 2016 the NFL is requiring cities to agree to a possible Presidents’ Day Super Bowl. This conflict could mean trouble for the Super Bowl if Miami doesn’t agree to the terms.
Super Bowl Weekend
In the past when the NFL proposed a Super Bowl weekend in Miami on Presidents’ Day weekend the tourism officials declined to pursue a Super Bowl. This time may prove more difficult though, with the NFL now requiring potential host cities to agree to a Super Bowl on these days if they want to pursue the game at all.
The NFL has invited Miami and San Francisco to bid on the 2016 Super Bowl, with the losing party being able to bid against Houston for the 2017 game. With an event as large as the Super Bowl tourism would skyrocket for the weekend of, and this may be a problem for Miami. This problem is a huge attraction called the International Boat Show.
The Boat Show
The boat show is a huge 5 day tourist attraction in Miami and has been around since the 1940s. Tourism officials are warning that there may not be enough hotel accommodations for the amount of people who would come if both events were held on Presidents’ Day.
After looking over inventory and accommodations, tourist officials have said that it is not physically possible to host all three events at the same time, and that the two events (without the Super Bowl) are already pushing the limits of what can be accommodated.
According to tourism officials, Miami has never responded to an invitation to bid on the Super Bowl if it fell on Presidents’ Day weekend. This means that the NFL already knows that there would be conflicts with that day, and that the NFL doesn’t care about that conflict. Officials also say that trying to host the Super Bowl, International Boat Show, and the Art Festival over the same week would be a terrible idea.
This situation is currently only a hypothetical problem, as the Super Bowl is scheduled for two weeks before Presidents’ Day in 2016, but that bid requires a 3 week agreement for possibilities in scheduling changes or issues. President’s Day weekend falls on the last weekend of the 3 week mark.
Tax Dollars at Work
Last year there was a proposal that Broward and Miami-Dade counties finance a $225 million reconstruction at Sun Life Stadium, to keep the region competitive for large events like the Super Bowl. The renovation would include a partial roof to prevent an issue like the large rainstorm that struck at the 2007 Super Bowl in Miami Gardens, soaking all.
A week-long harbor strike at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, that nearly caused total port closures, ended this Wednesday. Even with the harbor strike being ended there may still be future issues for major U.S. ports. The shipping world is changing, and the ports need to keep up or be left out.
The Changes
Expansions of the Panama Canal are being done to accommodate the new ships being made, that are much more massive that previous models. This, along with better coordination between shipping trucks and trains that make overland journeys cheaper could mean bad news for ports in the upcoming years. As early as 2015, the way that goods are shipped in to the world’s largest consumer market could be completely altered.
The biggest part of the changes is the Panama Canal being widened. Once this expansion is completed, in 2015, bigger ships will be able to cut their travel time down from the ports in Asia to the east coast of the U.S. and also for ships going to Western Europe by using the canal.
The Need to Adapt
Adaptation is key for the ports that plan on competing in this environment. There must be changes made to allow the bigger ships to dock, improving communications between trains and transporters, and port efficiency.
Dredging is done to deepen harbors and waterways, which would make it possible for these massive ships to dock in port and to load and unload merchandise. Without dredging the ports they wouldn’t be able to accept these ships and would be unable to adapt to the changes coming to the shipping industry.
The ports of Miami, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Charleston, Savannah, Baltimore, New York, and New Jersey have been working to adjust to the changes needed, and are working to deepen the harbors to allow for these new ships.
Many ports are working on improved communication and coordination with trains and transporters to improve efficiency. Currently North American ports handle 24% fewer containers per hour than Northeast Asian ports, 18% less than Middle Eastern ports, and 11% less than European ports.
Overland Improvements
Increased coordination between trains and trucking companies has caused cross-country overland shipping to become faster. Even with this better coordination the west coast will feel pressure to keep up once the canal expansion is completed. Moving cargo by ship is much less expensive, and with the time it takes cut down will make it more difficult to make overland transport worth the expense. The west coast will have to rely heavily on shipping by train, which can save about a week of time on the transport, to compete with the canal.
Canada and Mexico are taking advantage of overland shipping by steering ships into their own ports and shipping the cargo into the U.S. by train, bypassing U.S. port taxes that support the harbors, which is only more competition for the U.S. harbors.
If you Google “Roughest Stretch of Water in the World”, 90% of the results will mention the Drake Passage. The Drake Passage is a 600 mile wide waterway that connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans between the South Shetland Islands and Cape Horn, and considered one of the worlds roughest waters. The Drake Passage was known for its stormy seas and icy conditions, which made getting through Cape Horn a real test for the ships and crews that were pushing through it. Cyclones that form in the Pacific Ocean cut from west to east across the southernmost part of the passage and add to the rough waters. Another test for this passage is the low temperature winds that range from 41 ˚F in the north and 27 ˚F in the south.
The Drakes Danger
The location of the Drake Passage contributes greatly to its treacherously rough waters and its reputation. The Drake is located on a narrow gap that is between landmasses, in an area with naturally high wind speeds, and a massive global current. These factors make the passage one of the roughest waters in many regions, even ones that have extremely rough seas. The current running through the Drake forms part of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which is the most voluminous current in the world and pushes between 3,400 and 5,300 million cubic feet through per second.
Touring the Drake
Historical accounts of early Antarctic exploration have brought an increase in Antarctic tourism, which the majority of crosses the Drake. With tourists crossing regularly, the Drakes reputation for rough waters has become better known. Many early explorations mention the rough condition of the Drake and the waters around it. This is also a good area for whale, dolphin, and seabird watching. Blue and fin whales, crabeater seals, petrels, albatross and penguins are all common sightings during tours on the Drake Passage.
Other Rough Waters
There are many other seas around the world that are as rough, or even some that are rougher, than the Drake Passage. One example of another of the worlds roughest waters is the North Atlantic shores near Gloucester, MA. This area is frequented by hurricanes, and has been quoted as “the roughest stretch of water in the world”. The movie ‘The Perfect Storm’ was even written about a storm in this area. The Southern Ocean is known for having huge swells and rough seas, with the rough water being comparable to the Drake Passage. Most of the Antarctic cruise ships avoid these waters and push through the Antarctic Peninsula from South America, which means that the danger of the South Ocean is less well known.
All over the world people are moving off land and into the water. Houseboats are becoming bigger and better every year, and life on them is becoming more comparable to living on land thanks to technologies’ leaps forward.
