Chatter - Ocean Navigator

2024 Pacific Cup: a grueling race to Hawaii

The first three finishers of the 2024 Pacific Cup, all sloops, crossed the finish line in Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii, only a week after starting their grueling passage from San Francisco with winds topping 30 knots. The T52 Saga finished with an uncorrected time of eight days 02:10:54, the Wylie 70 Rage sailed in after seven days 19:49:35 and the Rogers 46 Lucky Duck finished after eight days 02:10:54. Each vessel in the race was required to report its position at 0800 each morning to the Pacific Cup Yacht Club (PCYC) by email. Crew could include a brief report on other…

iNav4u launches Zora 2.0 fully configurable OS

iNav4U, a developer and manufacturer of top-quality navigation software for offshore vessels, now offers exactly what many ocean sailors have been waiting for: Zora 2.0, a system that “integrates all navigation instruments, systems, controls and applications to manage modern yachts.” Whereas this level of vessel management may have been the exclusive domain of ocean cruise liners in the past, this technology is now available in an easily managed package for ocean yachts from iNav4U. The developer of Zora 2.0, a former software company executive who spent a decade cruising on a Lagoon 470 catamaran, used experience gained from crossing oceans…

New Navy Pier in Chicago

Boaters on Lake Michigan and in the Chicago area will appreciate knowing the new Navy Pier Marina will soon be under construction and should be available for occupancy by the summer of 2025, according to NPM Venture LLC. This marks a landmark development in the Chicago area, which has long been a popular nexus for boats transiting the Great Lakes. Lake Michigan is part of the waterway connecting the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean via the Mississippi River on the American Great Loop. Large infrastructure developments such as this require a long period of planning, design and permit…

savvy navvy releases updated app

Sailing the world’s oceans is a lot easier and safer when we have the latest navigation technology on our vessels. The latest app update from savvy navy, Over the Horizon AIS (OHA), keeps us informed of other vessels in our area through our cell phone’s onboard internet connection. This means no hardware to install and no extra Ethernet cables to route through bulkheads or behind cabin furnishings. Whereas typical AIS systems keep us informed of vessels in our area, probably visible from our decks, savvy navvy OHA keeps us apprised of vessels well beyond the horizon, adding greatly to our…

Protect your vessel in hurricane season

The 2024 hurricane season will soon be upon us, so it is of critical importance for those of us living in hurricane-prone areas to prepare for the worst. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts what could be one of the most active storm seasons in recent memory with a potential of 23 storms of 39 mph or higher with 11 predicted to become hurricanes and five capable of reaching category one, two or three at 111 mph or higher. Given the incredibly destructive force of hurricanes, those of us living in hurricane-prone areas need to take every measure…

Rolex China Sea Race 2024

The final yachts of the 2024 Rolex China Sea Race arrived in Subic Bay, Philippines, in the late afternoon of April 2 with a total of 21 boats and 191 competitors from 26 British territories having taken part in the 2024 edition. It was a fierce battle between TP52 Happy Go and Standard Insurance Centennial V, but Happy Go ultimately finished the race a mere five minutes ahead of her rival, taking both Line Honours and the IRC Overall win. Chinese entry William Liu’s Seawolf claimed second IRC Overall and IRC Racer 0 second place. Skipper YY Yan said, “We…

Nigel Calder seminar in Portland, Maine, October 29/30, 2024

Electrical systems are the leading cause of problems on boats that have more than a rudimentary electrical system. Most of these problems are preventable; they arise from a failure to abide by core design and installation principles. To take a deep dive into both design and installation issues, OceanPlanet Energy (OPE), in collaboration with Ocean Navigator magazine, Professional Boatbuilder magazine and BoatHowTo.com, is sponsoring an intense, two-day seminar developed and presented by tech guru Nigel Calder, author of the best-selling Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual. Topics include key design criteria for both DC and AC systems; how to keep batteries…

Marina Bahia Golfito

Marina Bahia Golfito on the shores of Golfo Dulce—a southern fjord considered one of the most biodiverse places on Earth—offers incomparable yachting, sportfishing and wildlife experiences that epitomize the very essence of Costa Rica. Located in one of the most vibrant destinations in Costa Rica, Golfito Bay is a “gulf within a gulf,” a pristine landscape framed by the lush mangroves of Corcovado and Piedras Blancas National Parks and home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world. This is where cruising sailors, big game anglers, eco-adventurers, boaters, surfers and outdoor lovers of all ages and interests can reconnect…

Industry Leader Honored by Trade Association

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) presented longtime industry leader and former co-owner of Baert Marine, Warren Kelly, the Frank Farrell Distinguished Service Award. After a varied decades-long career, Warren Kelly and Bill Baert recently sold their dealership to Port Harbor Marine based in Portland, Maine, and both have since retired. Warren has been a leader in the recreational boating industry for half a century and has always been a strong supporter of the MMTA and the Business of Boating (BOB) conference in Massachusetts. Warren is the fifth recipient of MMTA’s Farrell award, joining Joe O’Neil, former owner of the…

First Woman to Circumnavigate Solo Nonstop

Former University of Hawaii at Mānoa sailor Cole Brauer has become the first American woman to sail solo nonstop around the world. The native of East Hampton, New York, finished second out of 16 competitors in the Global Solo Challenge, a race that started and ended in A Coruña, Spain. The marathon 30,000-mile journey took 130 days, and she crossed the finish line on March 7. Starting the competition October 29 on her vessel, First Light, Brauer sailed south around Africa, across the Indian Ocean to Australia, then crossing the Pacific Ocean to South America before returning north to Spain.…