Atlantic

Orcas Sink Sailing Yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain's maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 meters (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Sunday, the service said.The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship.

Americas Cup Innovation & a Carbon-Free Shipping Future

The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) represented by BMW Oracle Racing and the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the Americas Cup defending champion, represented by Team Alinghi were entwined in a 2.5-year legal battle over multiple court cases, including hearings in the New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, prior to the 33rd edition of the race, due to take place in 2010.The parties disagreed about the location, format, and restrictions on boat design, all of which were changed by the courts prior to the race.

Killer Whales Biting Boats? Close Encounters of the Curious Kind

Off the coast of Spain and Portugal, killer whales have been biting boats. And the famous beluga whale nicknamed “Hvaldimir” has popped up again – this time in Sweden. When first spotted in Norway in 2019, wearing a suspicious harness, some suggested he could be a Russian spy.These unusual human-wildlife interactions raise questions about managing risk. Both situations present a maritime safety concern. And the whales are at risk of being injured or killed by the boat.What’s more…

Derecktor Sets World Record for Largest Yacht Haul-out

As yachts continue to increase in size, so does Derecktor Shipyards’ commitment to servicing them, the company said.It was in 2021 when Derecktor again unveiled the world’s largest mobile boat hoist, but this time at its brand-new shipyard at the Port of Fort Pierce. With a 1,500-ton capacity, the massive lift can safely haul boats up to 75 meters in length out of the water for service or refit.Most recently, the 1,500-ton machine at Derecktor Ft. Pierce hauled Coral Ocean, a 73-meter superyacht launched in 1994 by Lürssen.

Insights from the 50th International Congress of Maritime Museums

For many, the ocean is life. It provides transportation, work, commerce, food, recreation—tales as old as time and shared by people across the globe. These stories are lived day to day, passed down between generations, and shared with the public through various media. Maritime museums assume responsibility to share these histories while honoring the communities shaped ocean exploration and commerce. In a decade where ocean health and climatic events have become a primary focus…

French Man Survives 16 Hours Trapped in Capsized Sailboat

A 62-year-old French man survived for 16 hours in an air bubble inside his capsized sailboat in the Atlantic Ocean before being rescued by Spanish coastguard divers in what they described as an operation "verging on the impossible".The 40-foot (12-meter) Jeanne SOLO Sailor sent out a distress signal at 20.23h on Monday from 14 miles from the Sisargas Islands off Spain's northwestern Galicia region, the coast guard said.

Russian Billionaire's Yacht Detained in Gibraltar

A luxurious super-yacht linked to the owner of Russia's largest steel pipe maker, who is currently under British and European Union sanctions, docked in Gibraltar on Monday and was then detained by the authorities.Western sanctions on Russian oligarchs over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine have triggered an exodus of luxury yachts from Europe in recent weeks, with several heading towards the Maldives, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.Reuters TV footage showed the "Axioma", believed to be owned by Dmitrievich Pumpyansky…

Raymarine and CMOR help Anglers, Divers Discover More

The best diving and bottom-fishing spots are the ones that don’t show up on paper or digital charts and aren’t marked on commercially available fishing maps. They’re the forgotten wrecks, the isolated reefs, the ledges hidden between the contour lines — the kinds of places that take hundreds of hours on the water and countless dollars in fuel to find.CMOR Mapping’s chartplotter-compatible bathymetry clearly reveals those spots. With resolution as high as one meter (each pixel represents a single square meter of bottom) and coverage of the entire bottom…

Suntex Acquires Seahaven Superyacht Facility

Marina properties owner and operator Suntex Marina Investors on Tuesday announced it has acquired Seahaven Marina located in Dania Beach, Fla.Broward County’s premier luxury protected harbor for superyachts, Seahaven Marina’s location offers an unparalleled yachting experience by land and by sea, Suntex said. Mere minutes from Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Seahaven provides easy, drawbridge-free access to the Atlantic Ocean for vessels up to 250 feet. The marina touts the region's most discreet and secure yacht harbor…

Suntex Marinas Acquires Faro Blanco in Marathon in the Florida Keys

Marina owner and operator Suntex Marina Investors, LLC announced today its first acquisition within its new partnership with Centerbridge Capital and Resilient Capital Partners: the Faro Blanco Marina located in Marathon in the Florida Keys.Faro Blanco is a first-class marina that offers safety, privacy, entertainment, activities, parking, convenient fuel and pump out services, dockside hookups and a resort-owned restaurant facing the marina, all in a setting with magnificent sunsets and expansive views. The Marina consists of 74 slips and accommodates vessels between 35- and 140-feet.

AST and Osprey Supply Winning Vessel of the Rolex Fastnet Race with Iridium Certus

Applied Satellite Technology and Osprey Technical Consulting Ltd worked closely together to ensure Tom Kneen’s JPK 11.80 350 Cruiser, Sunrise, was equipped with the latest Iridium Certus 200 terminal in preparation for the 49th Rolex Fastnet Race, which took place from August 8-12, 2021.The Rolex Fastnet Race is the world’s largest and toughest offshore yacht race. With teams covering 695 nautical miles over five days, this prestigious Atlantic Ocean race requires speed and precision to win.

French Vessel Hauls Luxury Cargoes Across Atlantic with Sail Power

In a return to the age of the clipper, a French company is using a sailing boat to ply the trade routes that pre-dated steam power—and delivering wine and chocolate to environmentally conscious customers on either side of the Atlantic.Sleek and light like its larger predecessors, the aluminum-hulled “Grain de Sail” was custom built in a French shipyard and combines the technology used in modern yachts with a hold that can accommodate up to 50 tonnes of cargo.It docked at Saint-Nazaire, in France’s northwestern Brittany region, on Monday with 33 tonnes of cacao - the raw ingredient for chocolat

Sea Hawk Paints Adds New Distributor

Sea Hawk said Paxton Company is its newest authorized distributor servicing the company’s wholesale marine customers from facilities in Virginia and North Carolina. With products being in stock since mid-December, Paxton is already providing customers with Sea Hawk’s portfolio of premium quality antifouling paints, primers and marine coating products.“Through the last several months of developing a relationship, it’s easy to see that Paxton is an ideal addition to the Sea Hawk family of distributors,” said Tommy Craft, Sea Hawk Vice President of Sales.

Aggressive Killer Whales Batter Sailboats off Spain and Portugal, Maritime Authorities Warn

Orcas behavior of battering sailboats off Spain and Portugal baffles expertsThere are many mysteries in the maritime environment. For Sailors along Spain and Portugal’s Atlantic coastline, there has been a recent series of puzzling incidents involving apparently aggressive orcas.While orcas are not known to attack humans, they can cause damage to boats. In a series of incidents along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts between Gibraltar and Galicia, groups of orcas have been recorded swimming near sailboats and other vessels…

Miami Shipyard RMK Merrill-Stevens to Hire 75 Staff

Miami shipyard RMK Merrill-Stevens says it is hiring 75 new employees over the next two months to staff its newly renovated North Yard and South Yard. The hiring campaign follows years full of updates after Rahmi M. Koç, a Turkish philanthropist, purchased the shipyard in 2013 while committing to restore the yard to its former glory. RMK Merrill-Stevens is known as the first shipyard in Florida and is now one of the most updated and capable shipyards in the region.RMK Merrill-Stevens provides yacht service…

US Warship Assists Distressed Sailing Vessel

A U.S. Navy warship came to the aid of a sailing vessel drifting about 150 nautical miles east of the Bahamas on Saturday.After the distressed vessel radioed for help on Friday morning, U.S. Coast Guard District 7 coordinated with USS Mitscher (DDG 57) , the closest ship able to render aid. Mitscher rendezvoused with the vessel later that evening and towed it overnight to the closest port of San Salvador, Bahamas.The 51-foot sailing vessel had a damaged steering shaft and was unable to maneuver.

Dutch Students Sail Home Across the Atlantic Due to Coronavirus

A group of 25 Dutch high school students arrived back in the Netherlands in a two-mast schooner on Sunday, after airline restrictions left them with little choice but to help sail it home from the Caribbean.The group, aged 14-17, had been halfway through a six week sail-study program in the region on board the "Wylde Swan", which was built in 1920. But by mid-March, it appeared they could no longer fly home from Cuba as planned.Organizers decided the ship, including 12 experienced sailors and three teachers…

Modern-Day Mayflower Sets Sail Ahead of 400th Anniversary Voyage

Four hundred years after the Mayflower crossed the Atlantic from Britain to the United States, a group of engineers plan to have a crewless-ship also named the Mayflower, navigate itself along the same route.The voyage is due to begin in September and the new Mayflower could become the first full-sized, fully autonomous vessel to cross the Atlantic, organizers IBM and marine research group Promare say.The original Mayflower ship transported 102 British settlers from England to America.

Southern Marinas Acquires Premier Properties

Southern Marinas Holdings, LLC, a partnership between a New York-based private investment firm and Southern Marinas, has announced the purchase of Hi-Lift Marina in Aventura; Hidden Harbor in Pompano Beach; and Palm Harbor in Cape Haze. These premier Florida locations were acquired from Aqua Marine Partners, LLC in a deal that brings the growing Southern Marinas portfolio to ten properties.While the timing of the acquisition comes as people are practicing social distancing, boating provides a fun activity to get outside in a healthy, recreational setting with family and friends.