Sailing the Inside Passage on Ocean Watch

The Ocean Watch is a unique sailing vessel that will become a floating platform for science research as it circumnavigates the Americas. Ocean Watch was launched on March 31, and will start its voyage north from Seattle on May 31. It will go north, to sail the Northwest Passage this summer, where it is now possible to sail ice-free along the northern coast of Alaska and Canada as the Arctic ice dramatically shrank. Scientists from various agencies fear that global warming is taking its toll on the ice.

Full story: http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_052009WAB-research-ship-SW.20a21676.html

National Safe Boating Week

National Safe Boating Week

While boating is a safe and fun recreational activity enjoyed by thousands every year, in 2009 there may still be more than 600 boating fatalities from boating accidents. With this statistic in mind, the Coast Guard, as part of the 2009 North American Boating Campaign is again encouraging boaters to “Wear It!” during National Safe Boating Week May 16-22.

Wearing a life jacket can make the difference between life and death. According to the most-recently reported official Coast Guard national statistics:

• 90 percent of drowning victims in recreational boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket in 2007.
• Drowning is the reported cause of death in two-thirds of all boating fatalities.
• Capsizing and falls overboard are the most reported types of fatal accidents and accounted for the vast majority (78 percent) of all boating fatalities.
• Alcohol use was either a direct or indirect contributing factor in approximately one-fifth of all boating fatalities.
• Sixteen children age 12 and under lost their lives while boating. Eight of the children died from drowning.
• Operator inattention, carelessness/reckless operation, passenger/skier behavior, excessive speed and alcohol use rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.
• Approximately 85 percent of reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction, a 15 percent increase over previous years.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary, in partnership with state and local authorities, have numerous activities all around the country targeted at educating the boating community, check them out in your own local area.

Sailing Photo - Sailing on the lake by Jim Media

Sailboat in New Zealand

Lake Wakatipu is an lake in the South Island of New Zealand, at the southwest corner of Otago Region. Lake Wakatipu is New Zealand’s longest lake at 80 kilometres, and its third largest at 291 km². Lake Wakatipu is renowned for its scenic beauty and is surrounded by mountains (including the Remarkables mountain range which lies along its southeastern edge).

Lake Wakatipu is a popular venue for adventure tourism, with skifields, paragliding, bungy jumping, hiking trails, and of course, lots of room for sailing.

Sailboat on Lake Wakatipu by Falconne007

If this lake looks familiar it is because Lake Wakatipu doubled as the famous Scottish ‘Loch Ness’ in the 2007 film ‘The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep.’

Reed Boats

Reed Boats

Reed boat next to floating islands, near Puno. Peru.

Reed Boats in Peru dachalan