East Coast Alerts by Mel Neale November 19, 2009
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 22 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: November 19, 2009
New Dates for 10-Day ICW Closure at Ben Sawyer Bridge:
It’s now one day later, but please notice the information in the second paragraph below:*
MSIB (63-09) –AICW 10-Day Closure December 1-11, 2009; Ben Sawyer Bridge, SC
Update #3 & Issued: November 18, 2009 1430 Expires: December 15, 2009 0600
Due to a scheduled replacement of the Ben Sawyer Bridge’s swing span, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) will be closed to marine traffic from Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 12:01 A.M. through Friday, December 11, 2009 at 11:59 P.M. The Coast Guard will enforc...... Read More

You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello
Contributed by kismet - This blog has been viewed 23 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: November 18, 2009
November 15, 2009
Chesapeake Bay
You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello
By Jim Favors
As Lisa and I pulled out of Solomons Yachting Center, our home base for the summer, I couldn’t help but reminisce about our five-month adventure in the Chesapeake Bay area. It seemed like just yesterday we were arriving when Quinton, our new harbormaster, helped us into our slip for the first time. It was here we began our exploration of the Bay, meeting the locals, taking road trips to Washington, having friends and family visits, immersing ourselves in local events, sampling the food, all the while trying to...... Read More

Leaving The Med
Contributed by Feel Free - This blog has been viewed 48 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: November 18, 2009
November 15, 2009
Cadiz, Spain
36 31 N, 06 15 W
Leaving The Med
By Tom Morkin
Just by looking at a map of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, you might guess that the Strait of Gibraltar that separates the two would prove to be an interesting body of water for sailors negotiating its 30-mile length. You’d be right.



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Taking the Hassles out of Trailering
Contributed by badriance - This blog has been viewed 12 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: November 17, 2009
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Reaching The Rock Of Gibraltar Milestone
Contributed by Feel Free - This blog has been viewed 68 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: November 13, 2009
November 1, 2009
La Linea, Spain
36 09 N, 005 21 W
Reaching The Rock Of Gibraltar Milestone
By Liz Tosoni
In just over two years, Feel Free and crew have sailed the wide expanse (more than 2,000 miles), of the Mediterranean, known to the Romans as Mare Nostrum (our sea), that almost tideless, salty, generally shallow sea the size of 30 Lake Superiors. The shores of the Med are populated by Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and hordes of tourists of ...... Read More

A Cult Following
Contributed by kismet - This blog has been viewed 17 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: November 13, 2009
November 1, 2009
Crisfield, Maryland
A Cult Following
By Lisa Targal Favors
Before we left Michigan in 2005 to begin our first Great Loop, we joined America’s Great Loop Cruising Association (AGLCA) and our close friends Mike and Lynn Borer quickly started referring to our new affiliation as that “cult” we’d joined. Well, as we headed north up the Intracoastal Waterway last spring we made a decision to become members of another faction of the boating community, the Marine Trawler Owner’s Association (MTOA).




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Toms Tips on Finding Good Marine Products
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 18 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: November 12, 2009


Tom’s Tips on Finding Good Marine Products
1. Avoid products that are packaged to look like a similar well known tried and true product but that are not made by the original manufacturer.
2. Is it stainless? We generally know that you can check with a magnet to see if a product is stainless. But low grade stainless (which may be acceptable for some uses) will normally have considerably more magnetism than high grade stainless which should have very little.
3. Read the fine print on packaging. A few examples of what to look for are energy consumption, life expectation and light ...... Read More

East Coast Alerts by Mel Neale November 12, 2009
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 18 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: November 12, 2009
“November Northeaster” Hits North Carolina and Virginia HARD:
Ida’s remnants are sitting almost stationary off the lower NC Outer Banks and there’s a strong high pressure system over New England. The proximity of the two systems sets up a classic squeeze play with which we in southeastern Virginia are very familiar—strong Northeast winds, rain and tidal flooding. This one is a three-day event, with storm warnings on the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters. Hurricane force winds are reported to be possible offshore in the Gulf Stre...... Read More

How to Beat "Marine" Label High Prices
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 19 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: November 12, 2009
When I buy for my boat, I usually buy gear that is allegedly made for marine use. There’s a reason. It’s basically that I’m more interested in hanging on to my backside than I am in hanging on to my bucks. And much of the stuff made for use in houses and cars may, directly or indirectly, create a safety issue when used in a boat. So I’m ready to pay more for the marine product because it, in theory, costs more to make. But here’s the rub. Unfortunately, some products with “marine” stamped on them have nothing of “marine” quality other than...... Read More

Make Your Own Look Bucket
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 108 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: November 03, 2009
When we first went to the Bahamas, many years ago, friends told us to be sure to get a “look bucket.” We weren’t even sure what this was, but we got one and it, as well as its many replacements, has been invaluable as a tool, a food finder and a source of entertainment. It’s basically a bucket with a see-through bottom. You put the bucket in the water and look through it. Unless the water is really muddy you can see below the surface. In clear waters you can see far down, even to the bottom. In a way, it’s like snorkeling wit...... Read More

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