Hawaii

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues 15 Mariners aboard Disabled Yacht off Hawaii

U.S. Coast Guard rescued 15 mariners aboard the disabled 72-foot sailing vessel Lucky, 26-miles east of Makapu’u Point, Oahu, Hawaii, Saturday.The Lucky was adrift due to a disabled rudder and crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry (WPC 1124) and a Station Honolulu 45-foot Response Boat-Medium towed the vessel to Honolulu Harbor.“With any towing evolution there is risk involved," said Ensign Michael Meisenger, the operations officer aboard the Oliver Berry vessel.“Our crew trains constantly to ensure we are prepared when called upon. Last night that training paid off.

Volvo Penta Partners With Bravada Yachts

Luxury houseboat manufacturer Bravada Yachts selected Volvo Penta as the propulsion provider of choice for the builder’s new Atlas V Series 80 x 22 custom lake houseboat, Invictus, located on Lake Powell, Arizona.Invictus marks several important “firsts” for Volvo Penta. The luxury houseboat is the first Bravada houseboat to be powered by Volvo Penta and largest boat in the region to be powered by a Volvo Penta Aquamatic sterndrive.“Team Bravada wanted a propulsion system that would continue the Bravada legacy of changing the houseboat industry and we found it in Volvo Penta.

Two Rescued from Powerboat on the Rocks in Hawaii

The Coast Guard, Honolulu Fire Department, and Honolulu Police Department responded to a report of a 21-foot powerboat grounded off Haleiwa Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, Thursday morning."The master of the vessel radioed for assistance on VHF-FM channel 16 alerting us to their predicament and prompting the launch of the response crews," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Gebhart, of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. "We encourage all mariners to take multiple forms of communication with…

Salvors Removing Vessel Aground Off Waikiki

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is working with salvors and the State of Hawaii to remove a sailing vessel that ran aground off Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Sunday.The owner’s insurance company has hired a salvage team to remove the 35-foot, double masted vessel Steady Beat.Coast Guard and State of Hawaii responders continue to monitor the situation for environmental and public safety impacts.Based on mitigation activities, at 10:38 a.m., the federal on-scene coordinator determined the vessel no longer presented a substantial threat of discharge.

Sailing Vessel Runs Aground off Hilo, Hawaii

One mariner has been rescued from a 63-foot motor-sailing vessel that ran aground near Ale Ale’a Point, Hilo Bay, Monday evening, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At 5:33 p.m. Monday, Coast GUard Sector Honolulu watchstanders received a report from Hilo Fire Department of the grounded vessel, named Midway Island, on the rocks northwest of Hilo Harbor with a mariner aboard.Hilo Fire Department responded with engine, fire boat and aircrews Their aircrew arrived on scene and hoisted the…

Simrad Announces BoatConnect

Announcing the latest in remote, real-time vessel monitoring – Simrad BoatConnect provides boat owners with the ultimate peace of mind at an unparalleled value, keeping users informed of their boat’s location, battery level, trip history and more.Delivering important updates on a boat’s status to a compatible smartphone, BoatConnect is comprised of an easy-to-install hub and an easy-to-use app. Once installed, the solution provides at-a-glance information to enhance the boating experience.Perfect for trip planning…

KVH Unveils New LTE System for Offshore Internet Access

Satellite communications provider KVH Industries, Inc. announced it is introducing an all-in-one solution for boaters looking for higher data speeds and greater Internet range offshore than what the average cellphone can provide.The new TracPhone LTE-1 marine communications system is designed to provide Internet access in U.S. waters more than 20 miles offshore, with data download speeds up to 100 Mbps. The LTE-A (LTE Advanced) system is compact and affordable enough for a vast…

Check Out Motorized Surfboards at Dubai Boat Show

The future is now. A new division has been born in the world of surfing. Discover what jet surfing really means. Imagine a blend of surfboards, wakeboards, bodyboards and kiteboards. Now, add motor power and a Formula 1 design engineer. That's it. Meet the new Jet Surf, a custom designed carbon fiber hull equipped with a two-stroke engine that can ride waves of all kind. The Jet Surf has an automatic electronic control unit that is manually operated to reach a maximum speed of 57 km/h (35 mph).

Bay Ship and Yacht to Perform Maintenance on Balclutha

Bay Ship and Yacht Co. has announced it has once again been honored with the contract to perform maintenance on the historic sailing ship Balclutha. This is the third time the reputable ship yard has been chosen to perform much-needed detailed maintenance on the 131-year-old ship. A three-mast, steel-hulled square-rigged sailing ship, the Balclutha is one of the last of her kind. “The Balclutha is truly a gem of American history. It is a rare day that you are able to see one of these grand old ladies high and dry in dock,” said Richard Maguire, Business Development Manager, Bay Ship & Yacht.

Navico Hires Southwest US Sales Manager

Navico, a manufacturer of marine electronics and parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad and B&G brands, has appointed Scott Nagel as its new territory sales manager for the southwest U.S. Based in Mission Viejo, Calif., Nagel’s territory will cover California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Hawaii. Nagel has been in the industry for many years working as an independent sales representative for leading brands like Daiwa, Rapala, Flambeau, Penn, Beretta and Sig Sauer.

AkzoNobel Names Stone Southern Regional Sales Manager

Carl Stone has joined the Awlgrip and Interlux Yacht Coatings Team as Southern Regional Sales Manager. The southern region includes the U.S. southern states, Hawaii, Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean. An engineering graduate of Old Dominion University with an MBA from Webster University, Carl is a retired Navy Commander with over 30 years of service. He held managerial sales positions with Fortune 500 companies prior to joining the AkzoNobel team. As a surface warfare officer…

Young American Sailors Call for Action on Marine Pollution

Leading offshore sailors Charlie Enright and Mark Towill are sounding the alarm about the danger posed by marine debris and pollution, after recent research from the Ocean Conservancy estimated a staggering eight million tons of plastic trash is entering the ocean every year. The duo spent much of last year in the most remote waters of the globe during the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race - and observed an eye-opening amount of debris littering the ocean all over the planet. Enright, 32…

The Hydroptere Flies with Finesse

After a year resting in Long Beach, the Hydroptere returns to sailing. French and American sponsors are joined by a new partner: Finesse Solutions of Santa Clara (California), a manufacturer of measurement and control solutions for life sciences process applications. The Hydroptere - called "the flying boat" - is the fastest hydrofoil trimaran in the world, averaging more than 51 knots over 500 meters and exceeding 50 knots over one nautical mile. The crew of Hydroptere intends to set a world speed record across the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

Mariners Urged to Brace for Heavy Weather

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is urging the public to prepare for the onset of heavy weather expected to impact the Hawaiian Islands Thursday. The effects of Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio are expected to generate extreme sea conditions, storm surge and surf of 10-15 feet throughout the Main Hawaiian Islands. Mariners and beachgoers should monitor the progress and strength of the storms through newspapers, the internet and local television and radio stations. Boaters can monitor the progress of the storms on VHF channel 16.

British Rower Resucued After Four Days

British solo rower, Daryl Farmer, who was taking part in the Great Pacific Race rowing from California to Hawaii, was forced to call for assistance four days after his start, having become dangerously dehydrated from sea sickness. Support boat OPA located Farmer and took him and his boat, ‘Bojangles’ (Bo), under tow on Saturday June 21 approximately 20nm off the coast of California. Heavy seas and high winds unfortunately snapped both ropes, leading to a man overboard situation for one of OPA’s crew.

Watercraft Thefts Sink by 6% in 2013

With summer and boating season just around the corner, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has released its latest report on watercraft theft and recoveries in the United States. The report examines watercraft  reported stolen between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2013. The report draws from data contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Overall, there were 5,537 watercraft thefts reported during 2013, and that is a 6 percent decrease from the 5,870 thefts reported in 2012.

New Yacht Broker at Pacific Boats & Yachts

As a newly appointed yacht broker at Pacific Boats & Yachts, Captain Tom Britton brings a wealth of experience to his new position, including owning a yacht dealership in Washington for ten years, selling Catalina Sailboats, Monk Trawlers and a wide variety of used sail and powerboats. Starting out in upstate New York, Tom fished and cruised in the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, before landing in Northwest Washington. When he wasn’t selling boats…

Support Rallies for Singlehanded Pacific Row

In 2008, Pete Bethune and his boat, Earthrace, set the world speed record for a powerboat circumnavigating the globe. Earthrace sunk in January 2010 after being rammed by a Japanese whaling vessel. However, Bethune and Earthrace Conservation, the marine activist organization he set up following the collision, are now hoping that the marine world will join him in supporting Daryl Farmer, 39, from West Sussex in England in his attempt to set another world record by rowing single-handed 2…

Pacific Boats & Yachts Represents Ocean Craft Marine

The popularity of Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) in Hawaii’s ocean recreation tourism industry led Pacific Boats & Yachts (PBY) on an exhaustive search for a company that could deliver custom built boats rugged enough to live up to the rigors of daily professional use in Hawaiian waters. “We wanted to find a manufacturer that could custom design and build USCG certified RIBs for more than six passengers, at a reasonable price, in a comparatively short period of time.” said Rick Gaffney, PBY’s Managing Broker.