news

The Suntory Mermaid II, a catamaran powered by the waves, succeeded in crossing the Pacific in a wave powered boat. Then was arrested (but it was made good by the mayor and he's a free man).

Japanese sailor and environmentalist Kenichi Horie has completed a 110-day solo voyage across the Pacific Ocean in a boat propelled by wave power to claim another world first.

One big, big boat... recently went through a refit. Lots of pictures.

Sailing Scuttlebutt is another online web "magazine/blog" that looks pretty interesting. I ran across it by being referred to some interesting pictures they were hosting this week... the first couple are certainly an interesting looking boat (or plane, or something).  read more »

This Daily Mail article details (with pictures) an incredible, multi-year, multi-million dollar effort to build an exact 1:48 scale model of the Titanic. Complete with fiber-optic interior lighting, scale furnishing (including each exterior cabin), this is an 18 foot long "model".

The plans have never been made available for such use before...

Having started my "boat interest" building models, this is just fascinating to me.

A full scale tidal turbine has come online off the coast of Ireland... interesting. Wonder when we'll see these floating around other cruising locations? Has some advantages over wind power, apparently (less impact to surounding area and the tides are predictable).

Check out the link for a picture (I don't want to infringe on a publication's private property)... it's an iceberg with various color stripes. The stripes are various algae, sediment and the like that get trapped in the ice as it forms. Very pretty. Maybe I should add some interesting stripes to the boat when I paint it...

A couple of articles covering a competition to have a sailboat cross the Atlanta autonomously. Interesting, although I would rather go along for the ride, myself :-)

• A sailing robot to cross the Atlantic
• Pinta the robot sailing boat takes on Atlantic challenge
• The Microtransat Challenge

Think there's nothing new under (or over) the sea? Well, maybe it's not new, but we're certainly still learning about the sea (and probably will be for a LONG time to come). Even more special to me since Georgia Tech is my alma mater.  read more »

Today, Mad Mariner™ has another article (see another take on the situation here) discussing some of the threats posed by small boats to national security, along with some of the actions being taken to guard against these threats.  read more »

This is an interesting article by Jeff Alexander of The Muskegon Chronicle detailing dropping water levels in the Great Lakes... not an issue I had heard of before. I hope to cruise at least a little of the Great Lakes someday, making the Great Circle route... guess we'll see how much they have changed by then (hopefully it won't be so long that they are the Great Puddles).