Farley Hallday's News from the Seven Seas

NEW MARINA IN NEW ZEALAND
Port Nikau is now a handsome  new urban waterfront community at  Whangārei Harbor. The dockage, provided by Heron Marinas has superyacht facilities. . Next will come facilities for smaller boats and yachts. Port Nikau is a combination of residential and commercial space with green space and walkable access to recreational and entertainment sites.  opportunities.www.portnikau.co.nz.

GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.  USHARBORS.COM, an invaluable source of charts and information on U.S. harbors,  has regular contests where you can vote on your favorite harbor and harbormaster. Here’s some of their latest news. 

 

FREEDOM BOAT CLUB OF MAINE
   . Offering the most boat clubs and the largest fleet in the state, Freedom Boat Club of Maine is expanding. It  will open this spring with five clubs and 29 new model year boats. Fleet vessels include center consoles, dual consoles, cruisers, rigid inflatables, and pontoon boats. Club locations are at Yarmouth Boat Yard on the Royal River, at Moose Landing Marina in the Sebago Lakes Region in Naples, at Fore Points Marina in Downtown Portland, at Sunset Marina in South Portland, and now in Boothbay Harbor at Linekin Bay Resort as well.

 TOUR A TALL SHIP
    At South Street Seaport in Manhattan, tours of the historic 1885  Wavertree are free from May 29 to October 10. Wavertree is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and represents the thousands of ships that docked along New York’s waterfront over the centuries.  Learn how seagoing folks people worked and lived aboard a 19th century cargo sailing vessel, from the captain to the ship’s officers, cooks, and crew. Visit the cargo hold and stand atop a new viewing platform to view the massive main cargo area. Climb onto the quarterdeck and pose for a photo at the ship’s wheel. (Www.) southstreetseaportmusuem.org

 

May Misfire is Book Five in the new Yacht Yenta e-book mystery series. Grieving widow Farley Halladay returns to the ketch where her husband died and finds solace, surprises and a close brush with death. Available for Kindle Nook and other ebooks,  https://amzn.to/3gJPBF2

 

A SOFT LANDING FOR CAPTAIN CRUNCH
    New from Slammer Marine are these good looking, effective dock cushions.
 

CAMDEN, MAINE -- CAMDEN OPERA HOUSE - After months of livestreamed-only events, Maine’s historic Camden Opera House, just steps from the harbor, has begun hosting small live concerts most Fridays at 7:30 p.m. All seats ($10) are assigned and sold in advance, to 3:30 p.m. show day. All shows are Facebook Livestreamed for free!

ROCKLAND, Maine- FARNSWORTH MUSEUM - The Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, has received major gifts of art from the bequest of Betsy James Wyeth. All twenty-seven new acquisitions by the three generations of Wyeth painters, N.C., Andrew, and Jamie Wyeth, will be on view, beginning Saturday, May 15, as part of a landmark new exhibition entitled Betsy’s Gift. Betsy James Wyeth passed away last spring, at the age of ninety-eight.

 

 

 PLAN YOUR 2023 CRUISE
    The folks at famIly-owned AmaWaterways are already accepting bookings for their luxury river cruises. Explore the Danube, Seine, Dutch and Belgian waterways and many other storybook locales. Have a travel agent book a seamless trip from your house to the ship to back home again.

 

 * In Newport RI ,  12 Meter Yacht Charters is available for private charters and ticketed sails. The fleet includes Columbia, winner of the 1958 America’s Cup, Nefertiti, and American Eagle. Email  sail (at) 2meteryachtcharters.com

SMITHSONIAN TEAMS WITH PONANT

 

    Combine a luxury cruise with top expedition leaders from the Smithsonian Institution on theme sailings that explore history, wildife, native cultures, and more in worldwide destinations from Great Britain to the Great Lakes. Created in 1988, by officers of the French Merchant Navy, PONANT created a new style of cruising, under the French flag. Go to (www.) Ponant.com or (www.) smithsonian.org \

STAR CLIPPERS NOW IN COSTA RICA AND NICARAGUA

 

 
    For the first time sine 2014, Star Clippers offers coastal cruises in Central America that include Costa Rica an Nicaragua. Itineraries are seven to 14 days. Call on favorite Costa Rican towns as well as ports in Panama or Nicaragua, depending on itinerary. The port town of Quepos, Costa Rica, located near Manuel Antonio National Park, is home to monkeys, sloths, and nearly 450 species of birds. Beaches on  Isla Tortuga are ideal for snorkeling. In San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, go surfing. For the wole story to go starclippers.com

 
Farley Halladay’s Galley Recipe
Tuscany Tuna Salad
    Just perfect for a cold lunch underway,  this tuna salad  has tang, taste and attitude.

10- to 12-ounce can oil-pack tuna
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic granules
1 teaspoon dried onion bits
Small can sliced black olives, drained
2-ounce jar diced pimentos, drained
1 tablespoon capers, drained
About 2/3 cup chopped, stuffed olives, drained
2 tablespoons chopped anchovy
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/3cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Suggested garnish: sliced cucumbers or avocado
    Drain tuna into a small container with the dried garlic and onion bits and let them soak while you assemble the salad. In a bowl, break up tuna and stir in black olives, pimentos, capers, anchovy and oregano. Fold in olive oil to taste with onion and garlic bits and freshly ground pepper. .
     Serve as is or on a bed of shredded lettuce with pilot crackers on the side. Makes 4 main dish portions. 




 

News of Boating, Sailing, Yachting Worldwide

 Blog copyright janetgroene2021.

 

Farley Halladay is a fictional widow, sailor, charterboat booking agent and amateur sleuth in the Yacht Yenta cozy mystery series e-books (Kindle, Nook, et al.) Start anywhere in the five book series (more to come).  They are January Justice, February Felony, March Malice, April Avenger and May Misfire.  January  https://amzn.to/30DbksA

 

 

 
INTERNATIONAL CONNECTORS FOR BOATING WITHOUT BORDERS
    Have a reliable shore power connector for all your cruising. From  Hubbell are theses  CE-certified electrical shore power systems that are designed expressly for boats headed for European or international ports. Utilizing standard NEMA configurations, the 16A/230V and 32A/230V systems work with all 50-cycle shore power systems.
Go to (www.) hubbell-marine.com.

TWO FOR ONE BOAT SHOW IN MARYLAND
    In Stevensivlle, the Bay Bridge Boat Show will be held April 15-18.

CRUISE THE BLACK SEA

    Emerald Cruises is taking reservations now for 2023 luxury yacht cruises of the Black Sea. New is the 15-day Mykonos, Gallipoli & Essence of the Black Sea itinerary sailing between Athens and Istanbul, with a port of call in Mykonos, Greece before exploring the storied Black Sea at ports in Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. See emeraldcruises.com

 

.

KAYAK OR DIVE A CAVE in LAKE MICHIGAN

 

    One of the special adventures offered by the revered Dörr Hotel in Sister Bay, Wisconsin is a guided kayak tour of area caves. Located in scenic Door County, the 50-year-old hotel reopens in May. A long finger of land extending into Lake Michigan, Door County is a vacation favorite known for its long shoreline, boating and scuba diving, cherry trees, lighthouses and historic sites. Dozens of underwater caverns are a favorite with explorers.   Contact thedoorhotel.com

HANG ONTO YOUR COVID CERTIFICATE
    Windstar Cruises is just one of the many places where you’ll need to show your COVID vaccination certificate. Cruises upcoming aboard the sailing yachts are

 

Star Breeze – June 19, 2021 – Caribbean
Wind Star – June 19, 2021 – Mediterranean
Wind Spirit – July 15, 2021 – Tahiti
Wind Surf – August 8, 2021 – Mediterranean
Star Legend – Sept 4, 2021 – Northern Europe
Star Pride – November 3, 2021 – Caribbean

 

 

EXPLORE A CAROLINA BARRIER ISLAND

 

 
     Coastal Expeditions offers  five-hour excursions to South Carolina’s newest state park,  St. Phillips Island.  Meet at the Pier Nature Center at Hunting Island ecotour through l saltmarsh estuaries to St. Phillips Island, one of only 6 National Natural Landmarks in the state.
    Spend  3 1/2 hours on the island to explore the beach, hike nature trails and view wildlife at your own pace. The boat trip back provides a different look at the estuaries as the tide will have changed since the morning ride. Reservations are required. See CoastalExpeditions.com

 

HOMEMADE SNACK RECIPES FOR YOUR POCKET

 

 

        Always have a nutritious nosh in the pocket of you storm coat when you're on watch. Make these pocket recipes in a big batch and package in portions to eat healthier, save money.  See hppts://createagorp.blogspot.com

 

 

 SAIL THE AEGEAN SEA
    Sea Cloud, the historic yacht that brings back the Golden Age of yachting in fresh elegance,  will sail the Aegean Sea. Here’s the schedule out of  Piraeus (Athens):

 

 

Route A: 7 nights Aegean Sea
with Nauplio, Monemvasia, Crete, Milos & Paros
from USD 5,195 per person*

Route B: 7 nights Cyclades
with Patmos, Amorgos, Santorin, Syros & Andros
from USD 5,195 per person*

Route C: 10 nights Aegean Sea & Cyclades
with Nauplio, Monemvasia, Milos, Santorin, Amorgos, Patmos & Syros
from USD 7,425 per person*

All dates and details on the SEA CLOUD sailings can be found here. 

SCROLL DOWN FOR A SAMPLING OF FARLEY'S PAST POSTS

 

New Marina in Sweden, True Cost Charters and More

Blog copyright janetgroene 2021. All rights reserved. To ask about placing your ad for one year, one low rate on all six Groene travel sites, email janetgroene at yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2021, all rights reserved. 

SWEDISH ARCHIPELAGO GETS NEW MARINA

The new recreational guest marina at Stavsnäs Vinterhamn has a floating concrete breakwater and walkway. It accommodates 70 boats to 33 feet long. There are power pedestals, water hook-up and wi-fi. The facility features pump-out service, repair center, office and showers. For details go to

bit.ly/vinterhamn

 

 

Want a private boat all to yourself for cruising, fishing, luxuriating, entertaining? With or without crew, large boat or small, sailboat or power, sportfisherman or scuba boat with guides, you'll find charter boats in all sizes, places and price ranges. Often the per-person cost for a charter is less than booking passage on a passenger ship. And you control the cruise (up to a point, of course.) 

 

 

 

 

 Do you love sailing, boating,  sportfishing, living on board, dreaming of exploring the seven seas someday?  Sail virtually with Farley Halladay, who  operates a fictional, online charterboat booking service. In her series of Yacht Yenta “cozy” mystery e-books you’ll learn a lot about sailing and cruising while having fun with her wacky way of crime solving, cooking on board, caregiving and finding just the right charter, anywhere in the world, for her client list.

 

The e-book series (Kindle, Nook et al.)  now spans from January Justice to May Misfire. Start anywhere in the series (each book stands alone)  and collect them all while waiting for Book 6, June Jeopardy.   https://amzn.to/3gJPBF2

 

 

 

 

 


Will you face these

 
            10 ADDITIONAL COSTS

            FOR CHARTER SAILING?
copyright janet groene 2021

 

 
    1. Getting there. It isn’t just airfare (not to mention passports and visas). To get to the harbor itself you (and your baggage) may need a taxi, train, bus, rental car  and/or taxi, ferry, charter flight or jitney journey.   I usually also have to book pre-and-post charter hotel stays as a buffer against delays in reaching the boat on time or missing my connections home-bound. 

    2. Tips. It’s usually explained in the charter fee that tips are expected for the captain and crew. In addition,  open palms are displayed everywhere in most tourist areas by dock attendants, drivers, guides,  buskers such as street performers or kids who dive for dimes,  and everyone else who provides a service. If you’re bareboating this can include the urchins who “watch your dinghy” while you explore ashore or “find you a park” for your moped. 
 

     3. Non-refundable deposits, usually for cleaning and laundry. In bareboating, extras may include  bed and bath linens, watercraft toys, fishing tackle, SCUBA gear.  Your deposit account will also be charged for any loss or damage right down to a broken plate or lost fork in the galley. If you’re bareboating, check out the boat and its furnishings thoroughly before accepting possession. 

   4. Fuel. Know what fuels are charged to you, not just for the boat’s engine(s)  but for propane,  dinghy fuel and air tank refills.

    5. Premium provisions. On a large yacht food and beverages are usually included.  You’ll fill out a list ahead of time listing preferences and allergies. However, even if  “house”  wines and “well” spirits are included, you may be offered optional several bar packages in different price ranges at added cost.  

 

   6. Dockage is probably included in a crewed charter but in bareboating you have the option of anchoring out. Dockage and moorings are on your nickel.

    7. Communications. If you can’t live without the Internet, it may be costly to use the on-board system. Know what you’ll need by way of devices, apps,  SIM cards and costs per minute.  

    8. Shoreside temptations. The lure to spend is everywhere in shoreside casinos, golf courses, “duty free” shops, sidewalk cafés and local restaurants. Many beaches offer such rentals as cabanas, towels, beach toys, snorkel gear and waterfcraft.. And there’s often someone there to offer you an overpriced, over-iced drink with an umbrella in it. 

    9. Shopping on board. Sometimes even the smallest bareboat charter, and often on crewed yacht charters, merchandise is for sale bearing the ship’s name or logo. I was once on a windjammer where a crew member made nautical rope work key rings that he could be persuaded to sell. Who can resist?

    10. Personal needs. I  once sailed on a yacht charter that had a merchandise cart offering sundries and toiletries such as sun block, shampoo and toothpaste. The cost is twice what you pay home but after all, you may need it and it's good of them to have it available.  Very large charters may have a dispensary on board stocked with basic first aid or medical supplies. 

 

Janet Groene is a professional travelwriter  and member of Boating Writers International. She has sailed, liveaboard and charter, bareboat and crewed, power and sail, in many parts of the world. Her books include Survival Food Handbook, a guide to provisioning a boat with affordable, familiar supermarket staples.   https://amzn.to/2PvOBbx

 

See Janet Groene's easy recipes for the small cruising boat at https://boatcook.blogspot.com  

SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE ON BOATS, BOATING, CRUISING, LIVING ABOARD

NEWS FROM SEAS AND SHORES, BOATING AND CRUISING

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2021, all rights reserved 

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR TIPS ON HOW TO CHOOSE A DOCK BOX

 

 

 

 

CRUISE THE BLUE DANUBE IN 2022
    Plan now to score your place on 2022 Oberammergau sailings that include the famous Passion Play.  Emerald Cruises offers six departures. The revered play is put on only every ten years and 2020 performances were postponed to 2022 because of COVID. Book your 2022 package by February 28, 2021 and save $2,000.  Go to emeraldcruisesusa.com

WINDSTAR SEES THE FUTURE

 

    Itineraries and reservations are now available through 2023 at Windstar, the cruise line that sails in seagoing luxury around the globe. None of their yachts are larger than 312 passengers.  See windstar.com.

NEWS FROM US HARBORS
    Tune in often at usharbors.com to see weather, tides, and other updates of nautical information for more than1,400 harbors on the Coastal US and Great Lakes. MANATEE MAX , an online marine supply shop is offering a discount code on their marine supplies and gear to all USHarbors.com users. Use code USHARBORS42 at checkout for $10 off your order of $50 or more. Discount code is valid 02/01/21 to 03/31/21.

 

 
Who is Farley Halladay?

    A fictional widow who operates an online charter boat booking agency, Farley lived on their ketch with her husband until he was killed. Now she copes, cusses, cooks and solves crimes in a series of poignant, funny “cozy” nautical mysteries on Kindle. Introduce your favorite “cozies” fan to the frothy five-book Yacht Yenta series, January Justice through May Misfire.   March Malice,  https://amzn.to/30CJRY3

 

 

 AMERICA’S GREAT LOOP CRUISER’S ASSOCIATION provides regular events briefings and lifestyle sessions for those who plan to sail the Great Loop. See www.greatloop.org. 

NORTH CAROLINA -- H2O Captain - This year will see three new excursions created by National Park Service’s H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions. Learn about their  boat and land tours in the Beaufort/Morehead City/Atlantic Beach, North Carolina areas.  One will ytake passengers to The Cape Lookout Lighthouse with arrival before dawn to be the first one to view the Lighthouse in its early morning light.  This tour will begin in complete darkness with passage on the open ocean. Go to _ https://h2ocaptain.com_

MAINE -- Maine Boatbuilder's Show - The Maine Boatbuilders Show will move back to the Portland Waterfront. Portland Yacht Services opened its doors to those who found the art and craft of messing around in boats a consuming passion.

 

 It’s all still in the planning stages but stay tuned for news of dates, venues, demonstrations and other boatbuilder events.See mainbuiltboats.com

 

 

 

The Sea Tow Foundation, a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading awareness of safe boating practices, urges communities and groups to apply to host a life jacket  loaner station, or restock one in their community. They received funding to add at least 50 new Life Jacket Loaner Stations and restock hundreds of existing stations for this year’s boating season. Have a one-time use for a life jacket for, say, an extra guest, infant or small child on board? Borrow it, return it. Go to boatingsafety.com

    
HOW TO CHOOSE A DOCK BOX

Ask yourself:

    * Is it to be used on deck or on the dock? (Consider its size, weight, windage, footprint, capacity and how it will be secured in place.)

 

    * A dock box with a flat top can substitute as a shelf or  seat.  Some are even long enough to serve as a spare bunk.  A rounded top sheds rain and splashes, and removes any temptation to pile stuff atop it.

    * Is it UV resistant ? Cheaper plastics are too thin, too weak and will get brittle after a while.  Some marine dock boxes are also made of fiberglass.

    * How easy is it to stay the lid where you want it? Gas struts, also called gas shocks,cost more,  keep the lid open.

    * Is it suitable for rod storage? Some dock boxes have built-in clips for rod storage under the lid.

    * Is it waterpoof or merely “weatherproof” or “leak resistant”

    * How lockable is it?

    * Is it made for saltwater use? Many great waterproof boxes are made for home patio use but the hinges, hasp and other fittings may rust. Marine dock boxes have fittings made from stainless steel, marine grade aluminum or brass.

    * Size it up before adding high box to the foredeck.  Will it block the view from the helm? 

This vertical box design from Better Way Products opens from both top and front, has small footprint. Windage and CG could be a problem

 

Boating, Fishing, Sailing News, Safety Tip

 
HUBBELL TAKES A CHARGE
 

    Small electronics need to be recharged, but using power adapters of questionable quality in the marine environment can be a fire hazard.  Hubbell says the best answer for boat owners is to replace  electrical outlets with Hubbell Marine USB Charger Receptacles. They accommodate standard two- and three-pronged plugs and have two USB inlets for fast and safe charging.

BOB BITCHIN IS AT IT AGAIN

 

 
    Bob Bitchin is at it again, offering a free issue of the maverick sailing and cruIsing magazine, Latitudes and Attitudes. Affectionately known as Lats and Atts, it’s a collector item in print form. Get the digital issue here. https://latsatts.com/latitudes-attitudes-magazine-issue-33/ See the website to order a print subscription. 

In May Misfire widow Farley Halladay returns to the ketch in St. Thomas where her husband died and finds questions, answers and much more. Light chick lit with both humor and pathos, the Yacht Yenta cozy mystery e-book series will keep her looking for the entire series, now numbering five books.   https://amzn.to/3gJPBF2

 

 ANNAPOLIS MAKES BOAT SHOW COMMITMENT
    AnnapolisBoatShows.com has announced its five-year schedule of power and sail shows through 2025. Maybe 2020 was a so-so year for boating and boat shows but  Annapolis is looking ahead.  Go to the site and mark your calendar 

 

 

BOOK RIVER CRUISES BACK TO BACK    
    In response to cruisers’ requests for longer river cruises, AmaWaterways is offering a discount on back-to-back cruises in Spain, Italy and Roumania. Take two or more and get a break on the price.
AmaWaterways.com or call 1.800.626.0126

 

Farley Halladay’s
GALLEY RECIPE
Chicken Chipotle Pan Pizza

    As a charterboat cook, I cut this in small wedges to serve as a cocktail hour finger food. Add a salad and it also makes a great meal for 4 to 6.

Packaged, baked pizza crusts come in several sizes, plain or seasoning.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pre-baked pizza crust that fits your skillet (10 inches is ideal)

1 cup pumpkin puree
2 minced chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1 can,  chunk chicken
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Small sweet onion, finely diced
½ teaspoon dried, crumbled thyme
1 ½ to 2 cups shredded Mexican mix cheese

    Brush oil evenly over bottom of a cold skillet that fits the pizza shell. Drizzle with juice from the canned chicken.

    In a bowl mix chipotle peppers and pumpkin. Spread evenly over pizza crust. Sprinkle with  chicken, tomatoes and onion.  Sprinkle lightly with thyme.

    Cover skillet and heat over low/medium burner to heat through. Add cheese, cover and heat until cheese melts. Let cool 5 minutes, cut in wedges and serve as a meal or snack.