Keeping sailing simple with Captain Mike

Robb Y    Expert Interviews, Outdoor Activities, Water Sports     Activity Interviews, learn to, sailing

Mike From Seaside Sailing

Captain Mike runs Seaside Sailing in New Jersey and has just two rules for the people who come aboard his boat. Number one: Have fun. Number Two: Don’t fall off the boat!

Safety is a serious matter at sea, although Mike’s not a man to dampen the fun; crew aboard his ship can get as involved as they choose in the running and rigging of his 44ft sailing yacht, the Express Mail.

We’ve spoken with him about what people get up to on board, and his role as Captain. Here’s what he had to say: read more

Did Whales Come From The Land?

Robb Y    Tours & Attractions, Water Sports     Outdoor Activities, sightseeing

It’s hard to imagine a whale on land. And while we can distinguish between different species of whale, none of them have obvious characteristics that would help them out of the water. Yet here’s where it gets interesting: according to evolutionary theory whales, or their descendants at least, once walked on the earth.

It is thought that they may have evolved from a group of land mammals, the Mesonychids. read more

Great Surfing Waves

Robb Y    Lifestyle Activities, Water Sports     learn to, self improvement, things to do

How does a reef create great surfing waves?

The tide is a force of nature, the result of the moon’s gravitational pull. Waves break in the open seas as well as just offshore, and for very different reasons. It’s often thanks to undersea reefs that coastal waves get their shape. So it’s little surprise that the favored surf spots are often in regions that have coral reefs. read more

Sailing: True eco-power

Robb Y    Lifestyle Activities, Water Sports     sailing

Sailing boats have been made from all types of material: wood, fiberglass, even aluminum. Well, have you ever seen a boat made from recycled plastic bottles?

The ‘Plastiki’ is the brainchild of expedition leader David Rothschild, and is constructed of 12,500 plastic bottles. Devised not as a gimmick, but to be good enough to sail around the world, the ship was tested to the full on a recent 8,000-mile ocean voyage. It left San Francisco in March heading west into the Pacific, and at the end of July arrived in Australia. On route the ship and its crew visited Hawaii, Bikini Atoll, the Gilbert Islands and Fiji. read more

Cruising our great waterways

Robb Y    Food & Wine, Water Sports     city cruises, city tours, dinner cruise

“Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink,” goes the saying. True perhaps if you are adrift at sea, but on a lunch cruise there’s wine, fine food, fantastic views and all the (bottled) water you could ever drink!

The US has so many natural waterways, its little surprise that cruising around them is a popular pastime.

Across the country, the major rivers wind between states. They flow from mountain plateaus, through deltas teeming with wildlife, and to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, as well as into the Gulf of Mexico. read more

Kayaks are not canoes

Robb Y    Lifestyle Activities, Outdoor Activities, Water Sports     canoe, kayak, kayaking, whitewater rafting

Kayaking is not canoeing. However, it is similar, albeit with a few key differences.

A kayak is the older, more traditional relative of the canoe. First used in the Arctic more than 4,000 years ago, its primary role was as a fishing and hunting vessel, but it was also used for general transportation.

As a boat, it sits lower in the water than a canoe and it rarely has a seat. By using stretched sealskin and whale fat over a wooden frame natives created for themselves a waterproof layer. read more

Venice Style

Robb Y    Lifestyle Activities, Water Sports     city tours, dinner cruise, romantic gift ideas

It’s a long way to Venice. Known as ‘the city of bridges‘ it is the classic romantic European city. Depicted in novels and films as a place of intrigue and passion, it’s a popular stop-off for travelers to Europe.

Once there, there is only one way to travel around the myriad streets, and that’s by boat. The stylish may float in sports craft but the truly romantic will always opt for a Gondola cruise. These boats have helped Venetians get around for 500 years, and at their most popular there were around 1,500 in use. read more

Whitewater Thrills and Spills

Robb Y    Outdoor Activities, Water Sports     Outdoor Activities, paddling, whitewater rafting

An inflatable raft, a life jacket and a fast-flowing river – this is what the good life is all about. You don’t need to be a daredevil or a thrill-seeker to appreciate the adrenaline rush of whitewater rafting. Sure, you won’t be drifting downstream, leisurely admiring the foliage. Instead, you’ll be hurtling through a rush of water and energy, bumping through the rapids. There’s no denying the risk factor, and as whitewater rafting is always professionally managed with rafters using the best safety equipment, fun and thrills can go together.

Colorado’s Arkansas river is the source of some of the most challenging rafting trips. Here rafts pass through a narrow, rocky, and steep stretch of cold water – rafters need to be experienced and skilled for this one. read more