The Skipper on a Charter Yacht
June 22, 2007
The skipper is the heart of every floating vessel on earth. His word is (or should be) law to everybody on board. Yet, on a pleasant sailing holiday with your friends it can be deemed as unpleasant, and hard for the skipper, to order those friends to do something they may not like to do, and may consider unnecessary or a “dirty job”. A crew member might think -”why me again, why not Charlie this time”, not realising he may be the best person for the job, especially in difficult or tricky maneuvers. It is not always easy for skipper or crew member.
What about the situation where you have hired a professional skipper? You have to admit that the situation where your employee (the skipper) commands you to do something you may not like, is something which does not occur in other forms of business or social life !! But please bear in mind that you are paying this guy to do precisely this. If he doesn’t, then he is not doing his job properly and you must remember that in extreme situations your life may depend on his decisions and commands, and the way you react to them.
Cruising Glacier Bay
June 21, 2007
You can watch movies about it, you can hear about it, you can read about it, but until you partake of it, you have no clue how thrilling it is to cruise Glacier Bay.
Glacier Bay Mountain ranges with peaks over 10,000 feet, culminating in 15,320 foot high Mount Fairweather within the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
Nowhere else in Alaska, or in the world, can you see the amazing sight of the tidewater glacier that spreads from a peak 3 miles high down to sea level, that is known as the Margerie Glacier.
Only 200 years ago, the beautiful fjords and cruising areas of “Glacier Bay”, were buried under ice thousands of feet thick. In 1794, Capitan George Vancouver saw the face of an enormous glacier at Glacier Bay’s entrance at Icy Strait.
Naturalist John Muir found in 1879, that the vast ice had withdrawn an impressive 48 miles up the Bay. Amazingly, by 1916, its face had receded 65 miles all the way back to the entrance of Tarr Inlet, where it is today.
So, in only 200 years, these massive glaciers have left us with the beautiful, 65 mile long bay we enjoy now.
Learning How to Sail
June 20, 2007
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. Talk to a sail maker. If you learn best through individual instruction and consultation, there should be any number of experts available that you can hire, exchange services with, or otherwise remunerate in return for instruction on a particular topic. Read everything you can get your hands on. Some people learn best through the written word. There are scads of books out there about every topic pertinent to cruising, so if you enjoy learning by reading, there is plenty of resource material available. Check out FineSailing.com for endless sources of information.
World Cruise - A Relaxing Experience
June 19, 2007
Have you ever thought what it would be like to just relax quietly under the sun and at sea-no hustling or bustling, far away from the madding crowds in a casual attire and in clean air and just a small group of likeminded people as company? You are on a World Cruise- around the world, Australia and New Zealand, the Orient, South America, South Pacific, Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean. The ships are equipped with spacious, well-furnished cabins with private facilities having a well-upholstered lounge, a library, good deck space and a small pool. The fares typically range from $70 to $130 a day and the world cruise is for duration from about four to ten weeks, but some are two to three weeks and some are longer.
With World Cruise, you cover 27 nations on five continents. You navigate through the French Polynesia, Great Barrier Reef of Australia, glacier carved fjords of New Zealand, enchanted China’s landscapes and the forbidden palaces. You pay a visit to bazaars in Hong Kong and the buddhas in Bangkok, the colonial and modern blend in Singapore. Enjoy exploring Delhi, Jaipur or the Taj Mahal at Agra and the tombs and temples under the ruling King times. The World Cruise even takes you to Antartica -the ultimate destination. It sure is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the grandeur of Rome, the glory of Rome through the warm waters of the equatorial Atlantic.
Radisson Cruises- A Six Star Luxury Experience / Radisson Cruises- Best Cruise Value
June 19, 2007
Radisson cruises come under the flagship of six star luxury cruises offering an opportunity to explore and discover three hundred ports on 6 continents, including Antarctica. All the luxury liners share the same style of accommodation, service, dining and amenities. Radisson Cruise has been twice chosen as the World’s best small Cruise line.
The passenger guests aboard the Radisson Cruise experience high standards of excellence in cruising and exciting discovery experiences across the globe. You are able to get some improvements, benefits or special events on a complimentary basis or at a minimal charges and some ‘extras’ with the cruise fares such as gratuities, non-alcoholic beverage all along your trip, wines at lunch and dinner, a wide liquor selection in the suite bar or a welcome wine or champagne upon embarkation. World Cruise and Cruise Liner Society has awarded the ‘Best Cruise Value’ Radisson Cruise for eleven consecutive years.
You can visit online to get information on the various destinations offered by the Radisson Cruise. During the summers, it is extremely popular to cruise to Alaska to enjoy its majesty and its wilderness. With Radisson, you experience a difference in cruising with its Seven Seas Mariner and all-suite all-balcony vessel sailing through Alaska. If you are interested to explore quaint fishing villages, colorful markets and ancient cultures - where you go fishing for marlin in Mazatlan, play snorkel in Cabo San Lucas or visit the Puerto Vallarta beaches, the Radisson Mexican Cruises provide excellent service.
Meguiars RV and Marine Boat Cleaners and Waxes; Test Results
June 18, 2007
One of the most famous and popular brands in the wax industry is Meguiar’s. Meguiar’s has stood the test of time as a brand name. Some of the after market competitors of theirs as well as the larger users of the product have complained that Meguiar’s has turned their back on the professional user market for the consumer market through their newest and largest customer Wal-Mart. Many in the auto, aircraft and boat detailing industries have even been critical of Meguair’s recently because they feel this is a slap in the face to the loyal operator who has paid premium prices for quality products and now can see those with the Meguiar’s brand name on the shelves.
We tested the RV and Boat product lines from Meguiars. What we like about Meguiar’s RV and Boats detailing products line is that they have made a step by step guide for different levels of oxidation, surfaces and paints. Their Flagship soap Number 65 is excellent as well as their Gel Wash (Number 54) made for all gel coat surfaces. We felt that for a professional Boat Cleaning Business that these products were somewhat over priced and admit they work well but too costly for a small 16-ounce bottle. Unless you buy it online you will find the price outrageous at the local Marinas and Boat Stores such as the Marine West chain.
The Delightful Land beyond Imagination
June 17, 2007
The kids are grown and gone, the mortgage is paid off and it is winter! For the first time you are free to let reality and fantasy trade places with thoughts of lush faraway places. And now it’s your turn.
Staring at my bookshelf the other day, one volume stood out. “Mutiny On The Bounty”! A tale of sea going excitement and bravado through the breath taking South Pacific.
Ah, why not an adventure to the islands of French Polynesia, to Tahiti and the Society Islands. And what better way to do it than by modern cruise ship. The delightfully informal and un-regimented way of life emulated on board a luxury vessel!
Fortunately, the tribulations of Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh will not accompany you on your journey. Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Windstar Cruises and Princess Cruises can be your passport to this place of exquisite passion and beauty.
Radisson’s m/s Paul Gauguin, named after one of France’s greatest painters, is dedicated to Tahiti and the surrounding islands where he spent much of his most productive years. In fact, Gauguin is quoted as saying, "I have come to an unalterable decision - to go and live forever in Polynesia".
Keep Cruising and Keep Traveling - It is Safe
June 16, 2007
In the time that has followed since the tragic events of September 11, we have seen numerous changes happening to us all.
These changes began with shock, disbelief and anguish and so overwhelmed us, that they made all work related issues seem trivial and personal relationship seem especially dear. And believe me, this hits very close to home with a wife who works in the cruise industry in the United States.
Those of us in the travel business began to see numerous cancellations of long planned holidays and vacations, mostly from fear and misunderstanding of security, schedule changes even with the combined will and effort of the cruise industry attempting to keep passengers traveling and enjoying the process.
Should you take a vacation? Should you travel? I think we North Americans pride ourselves on our freedom to travel and enrich our lives by interacting with cultures from all over. To cocoon and avoid travel allows those who seek to destroy our freedoms the power to bring us to our knees.
I believe that America will not stop travelling, it is in our blood. The key is to increase your knowledge of travel related issues and to understand how the process has changed. What follows is a synopsis of the changes you can expect to see for the near and distant future.
A Land Divided - A World United - The Panama Canal
June 15, 2007
It has been called "the big ditch", "the bridge between two continents" and "the greatest shortcut in the world". One look at the immensity of the Canal, and you will understand why a French company with a labor force of 10,000 men went bankrupt trying to excavate it. The project, while conceived in 1534 by Charles I of Spain, began in 1882 and ended seven years later in disaster with over 22,000 people dead from disease and pestilence. The United States took over the assets of a French company in 1902 and began the process of finishing the canal.
It is a epic story, appreciated best by transiting the canal by ship, viewing what many historians say changed the face of the industrial world. This 51 mile water tollway shaved over 7,900 nautical miles off the distance between New York and San Francisco.
Sailing the Panama Canal not only offers a rich detailed and fascinating history narrated by an on-board Canal historian; it is the natural beauty that surprises most of all - an ever changing panorama of jungle clad hills, shimmering Lake Gatun, the high arched span of the America’s Bridge, and of course the intricate workings of the locks and gates themselves.
Bingo At Sea?
June 14, 2007
Under the "G" for Great Holiday. Bingo players can take their passion for the game to new heights by enjoying play aboard most of the world’s finest cruise lines. Now a featured form of entertainment, Bingo is offered day and night in many of the show lounges aboard ship with prizes ranging from cash jackpots to complete cruise packages.
In addition to being a standard offering on board, many Bingo players get together and cruise together sharing their passion on Bingo specific cruises. As an example, the 17th Annual World Championship Bingo Tournament and Gaming Cruise takes place in September aboard Holland America Line’s luxurious new “Vista” class cruise ship, the ms Oosterdam, as it sails the Alaska “Inside Passage” from Seattle! Other Bingo groups may choose the west coast and a 4-day Baja Bingo cruise. Not only do the ships offer you fabulous Bingo but much much more.
Some cruise guests have won enough money in on board casinos to pay for their next cruise vacation. Even if you are not the "gambling type", you’ll enjoy the excitement of these glittering "ocean going" casinos. With all the bells and whistles of their Las Vegas cousins, they feature a fair number of traditional games of skill and chance - blackjack, electronic slot machines, video poker, craps, roulette and Caribbean stud poker. Cruise Ships even offer tournaments such as a "Festival of Slots" with large cash prizes and cruise raffles.
