Two boys from South Carolina made headlines a few weeks ago. They had spent six days adrift at sea before being rescued... off the coast of North Carolina. The boys, one fifteen and one sixteen, had set out in a small boat with no paddles, no motor, no sail, no food and no water. The fact that they had survived for six days under these circumstances is almost a miracle. The first lesson to be learned from their experience goes almost without saying: never, never, never set out to sea without paddles, a motor, or sails. No matter how close you think you will stay to shore, no matter how serene the ocean seems, no matter how calm the weather is, you just can t trust that conditions will not change. Beyond the obvious, that you do need paddles or a sail, what else do you need to survive at sea and what you need to do you to maximize your chances of survival?
Are you planning to take a cruise- tour vacation to Alaska? Princess Cruise Lines has arguably the best Alaskan cruise-tour vacation packages available. Princess has their own sightseeing rail cars to transport you to one of their custom built lodges. To help you in your planning, we have put together a few hints and ideas on how to choose Alaskan cruise-tours. How Long will I spend in Alaska? Princess includes a seven night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise on every cruise-tour vacation package. You now need to decide how long you would like to spend exploring the natural beauty of Alaska s wilderness. A fascinating three night vacation tour will take you directly to Denali Park for a two night stay at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. On a four night cruise-tour you can experience some of Alaska s highlights featuring Denali, Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Good quality deck hardware of stainless steel or chrome is highly resistant to corrosion and the marine environment, but it still needs some maintenance if you want to keep it looking good. Make sure you offer this service if you notice small streaks of surface corrosion due to oxidation of the fasteners. This type of corrosion can be easily removed with a good metal polish. After you are done, protect it with a light coat of marine wax or a light coat of moisture displacing corrosion resistant lubricant. The wax will last longer. On aluminum fittings, polish until the applied polish turns black. Sprinkle Arm Hammer baking soda on a rag and wipe the black right off or use mineral spirits and squirt it on and wipe it off. Believe it or not, if you use a lemon peel, it will cut down on grime that other cleaners miss.
How do you clean the hull on a boat when it is out of the water? As a boat cleaner or detailer there are ways to speed up the process of boat hull cleaning. It is important to do a perfect job if you are to later detail the boat or put wax on it. You must protect yourself and you will need safety equipment. First, you ll want some protective equipment as you ll be using some harsh acids to remove the algae growth that accumulates on the bottom of boats. Some very strong nitrile gloves, goggles, and or respirator are all recommended. Here are some of the best places to buy safety equipment, we have used all these companies and they are all fast, responsive and knowledgeable: http: www.hullsafety.com products index.htm
Asia Cruises: Lasting Impressions of Culture and Tradition An Asia cruise is a voyage of discovery, an experience of cultural extravaganza of Asian civilizations. Asia is biggest continent with the lengthiest coastline and the highest mountains of the world, the Himalayas. To explore the true majesty of its magnificent past, to experience the magnanimity of its religion and its people, embark on an Asia cruise. You will never ever forget the experience. The Asia cruise takes you to the opulence of Singapore Hong Kong, definitely worth a look. The jungle temple in Thailand, the Konark temple of India, or the peaceful eyes of Buddha in Vietnam, redefine faith and religion of the believers and non-believers alike. The graceful dance forms of India, the Japanese tea ceremony or the Chinese theatre, all have enormous cultural significance that are part and parcel of the region s tradition.
Gorgeous, acrobatic, and lit-up, Sailfish rank as the 1 sporty catch of south Florida. But there is a lot involved in the catch and release of these sought after game fish, after all their not the best table fare. How much vacuum packed smoked Sailfish can you eat? So what s involved in catching the Sailfish? What kind of bait? What is the best rod and reel set-up? What are some of the techniques to use on the water? Let s start out and learn from the end result and work our way to the beginning. The fact is Sailfish fight their heart out, displaying themselves in full view acrobatics over and over again. Did you ever run the 100 yard dash in high school? What happened when you finished? If you were like me, you stood there with your head between your knees and tried to catch your breath.
Situated in the country of Panama in Central America is the Panama Canal - a manmade waterway connecting the great oceans of the Pacific and the Atlantic together. It is 80 kilometers in length and is wide enough to accommodate a whole host of ocean-going vessels, including Panama cruise ships. The Panama canal marks the only point at which the landmass of the North American continent and South American continent are physically separated from each other - a fact that distinguishes the canal as a true wonder of the 20th century engineering world. The Panama Canal was initially designed to cut travel time for vessels that needed to cross between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. It first opened its commercial doors on 15 August, 1914 and is now used by more than thirteen thousand vessels each year.
Experiencing the magic of Disney at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort Paris is something that is rarely forgotten as a child or as an adult. With a Disney cruise, you can now recapture that magic on board one of Disney s elite cruise ships. There are several exotic Caribbean cruise routes to choose from, and with a spread of onboard entertainment for all the family it is a cruise that will live long in the memory of the young and the young at heart. All Disney cruises depart from Port Canaveral in Florida through Disney Cruise Lines, and take guests out on a voyage of the Caribbean. Short 3-night cruises are catered for as well as 7 night cruises that encompass a larger number of ports around the Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean.
Many academics are unable to handle the possibility of ships that travelled the oceans as long ago as the Franchithi Caves dig that showed 13,000 B.C. community fishing fleets. It even was hard for most to accept the Kelts at the time of Caesar had this technology at that time despite the words of Caesar. Some people think knowledge once gained is never lost but that is far from true. Barry Fell was a Harvard Professor of Oceanography before he got the bug to expose the truth. Some Like Wiseman in Archaeology Magazine of Camelot in Kentucky article from 2001 ridicule Fell as self-taught in matters such as Ogham. Truth is, Fell took one of the only small courses available at the time from Edinburgh University. Who can really learn the truth from academics that hide it?
When it comes to sailing, there are all kinds of things to learn how to do. How you go about learning will depend on your particular style. For example, I am not patient enough to take classes, and have always relied more on the written word and on-the-water trial and error than on more formal modes of instruction. Here are examples of ways you can acquire the skills you feel you need: Take courses. Community colleges, marine chandleries, Coast Guard Auxiliary, boat shows, and a number of other enterprises offer seminars, workshops, and courses on a variety of topics related to cruising. If you learn best in a classroom or group environment, check out resources in your area. Get one-on-one instruction. Hire a sailing instructor. Look over the shoulder of a diesel mechanic.