Finally we were able to depart on time. We only had now 10.5 hours of daylight....we picked up a full 60 more minutes by heading south. The owner was opposed to leaving at daybreak. With the Right Whale speed restriction West of the 80th meridian we had to leave port at first light. The owner also insisted on showing me how good he was in pulling into a slip. Each time "wham, Bam"....way too fast. We braced for impact every time. We had pulled into Port Canaveral at Sunshine Marina. Nice restaurant nearby. The next day we made it to Bahia Mar, Fort Lauderdale or should I say - we crash landed again. Leaving Port Canaveral, the owner forced the hydraulic steering piston beyond the...

We took Calvin under our protected wing after leaving Charleston SC at daybreak. The strong projected winds turned into a full Winter Gale. He was getting beat up. We were getting roughed up in a big behemoth 70' 120,000 lb boat. I called to him to turn back and wait for another day. Calvin is an ex-Alaskan Crabber and an ex-marine with 2 hours of duty in Iraq. "MARINES DON'T TURN BACK, C'MON Captain BullDog. I told him then to snuggle up close to our transom and we would slow down to accommodate him in our wake. Conditions continued to deteriorate. While riding off a big wave, the Big Hatt caught Big Air and caught a 45 knot gust and rolled close to 30 degrees...

Every new delivery has its burning-in process. Crews and owners, if Captain BullDog does commit to them (I am not big on this-I want my ‘no excuses’ crew) always take time to adjust. Crews and owners are anxious to show the Bulldog "how we do it”) and this, of course is a mistake. On Captain Bulldog’s company, there is room for only two ways of doing boat chores, "My way and again!” My job is to make the boat safe for the trip, make the scheduled progress benchmarks promised in the Float Plan, weather and sea conditions notwithstanding, and to keep everyone happy as much as possible. If the owners on board think "who is this little upstart telling me what to do on my...

January 11th, 2017 Landfall is proud to sponsor the 2017 Quantum Key West Race Week. The annual event at "Mile Marker 0" is hosted by the Storm Trysail Club and has over 100 boats on the scratch sheet. This year's J/70 class will definitely have some interesting starts, as over 40 boats will be on the line. The J/70's larger cousin, the J/111 class, has nine boats competing in Key West as they gear up for their world championships this coming August in San Francisco. Not to be missed are the eleven ultra-fast TP52s racing in their 52 Super Series. 2017 marks the first time that these beasts will be returning to race Key West since 2014. The class includes two New York Yacht Club...

SARSAT System Overview The International Cospas-Sarsat Programme is a satellite-based search and rescue (SAR) distress alert detection and information distribution system, best known for detecting and locating emergency beacons activated by aircraft, ships and backcountry hikers in distress. Search and Rescue (SAR) instruments are flown on Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) and Geostationary Orbiting (GEO) satellites. These instruments detect signals transmitted from emergency beacons on the Earth’s surface. Click Here to   ELTs, EPIRBs, and PLBs operate on the 406 MHz frequency.  Each 406 MHz beacon transmits a unique digital code that identifies the type of beacon and that allows registration data to be associated with the beacon.  The registration data provides information such as the beacon owner; the type of platform the beacon is associated...

Recall Advisory Notice for Mustang 3183 and 3184 Inflatable PFDs Containing Fluorescent Green Inflation Bladders (US) PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT RECALL ADVISORY IN ITS ENTIRETY. In keeping with Landfall's commitment to the highest level of quality and safety, we are notifying the public of an urgent recall advisory recalling certain Mustang Survival Inflatable Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) that were manufactured between September 2014 and September 2015. Effective immediately, users are advised to inspect your Mustang Survival PFDs and, if you have a PFD impacted by this recall advisory (as noted below), DO NOT USE and immediately return the affected PFD to us as there is a risk that the bladder may tear when the lobes are flexed apart while fully inflated. WARNING: IF THE BLADDER...

Mustang Survival Announces Safety Recall As a dealer for Mustang Survival products, Landfall is announcing to our customers and clients a safety recall on Mustang Survival HIT Inflatable PFD Safety Alert below: Safety Alert In keeping with Mustang Survival’s commitment to the highest levels of quality and safety, we are notifying the public of an urgent advisory for specific Hydrostatic (H.I.T.) inflatable PFDs manufactured during April and May of 2012. A portion of these PFDs may be subject to delayed or non-inflations. To determine if you are impacted by this precautionary advisory please reference the instructions below. The following Mustang Survival products are affected: MA7214 HIT inflatable re-arm kit MA7218 HIT inflatable re-arm kit for LIFT MD0450 Inflatable Vest PFD with LIFT MD0451 Inflatable Vest...

Written by Lt. Cmdr. Connie Braesch. Knowing how to reach the Coast Guard in an emergency is an important step in getting help quickly. Dialing 9-1-1 may be the best for an emergency on land, but not on the water. Boaters should use marine two-way radios, not cell phones. These broadcast radios allow everyone to listen; whereas a phone call only goes to the number dialed. Okay, so you have your two-way marine radio. But, how do you know which frequency to use? Choosing the right radio channel or frequency can be confusing. What is VHF and when do you use it? Very High Frequency, or VHF, is for emergency and routine line of sight for communications over short distances. Channel 16, is the voice...

By: Captain Henry Marx Anytime we are in restricted visibility - which includes at night - we should fly a Radar Reflector. Given the relative low cost of Radar today and the prevalence of boats equipped with Radar - it would be awfully stupid to be hit and sunk because the other boat "did not see you"! On that note, for those of you equipped with Radar - How well do you understand your Radar receiver and how well do you understand what it displays. Many sailors believe that Radar gives them a "Color TV Picture" of the water ahead, which is certainly not the case. Remember, you will be judged more severely after an accident if you have Radar on the vessel, but did...

Boating is affordable and there’s a boat for every age, lifestyle and budget. Most people don’t realize how affordable boating is: in some instances, you can buy a brand new boat financed for around $250.00 a month, like a car. Boats provide tax deductible and cost effective second homes. Interest on a boat loan can be deducted if the boat has a galley, berth and head. • Visit a boat show to see what boating products are available and line up the best deals. Fuel: The typical boater only operates his or her vessel about 75 hours a season. Nearly 95 percent of boats on the water today are under 26’ in length. These crafts do not require exorbitant amounts of gas, so any impact...