Sailing Samoa: Before the Tsunami

Mark Moore    sailingbreaks     Lalomanu, New Zealand, Pacific ocean, Sailing, Sailing Breaks, Sailing Destinations, sailing holiday, Sailing Samoa, Sailing Trips, Samoa

A tiny speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Samoa is not an easy place to access from North America. My friend and I ended up there during our year abroad in New Zealand. It was a magical place.

Samoa, the tropical paradise of the Pacific Ocean. Image: Flickr/ NeilsPhotography

In late September of 2009, a powerful earthquake measuring over 8.0 struck the deepwater trench roughly 150 miles south of the small Pacific Island of Samoa.

The local time was shortly after 6:00 AM when the resulting tsunami made landfall on the southern coast of the vulnerable island nation.

While most of the island slept, those fortunate enough to have been awake had a measly fifteen-minute warning to seek higher ground…

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Best sailing watches: Start-line saviours and mid-night wakers

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     Best Sailing Watches, Gill Regatta Master II, Ronstan Clear Start Regatta Watch, Sailing, sailing holiday, Sailing Holidays, Sailing Watches, Win Design Racing Watch

I’ve been involved in sailing races without having a watch. It’s not a pleasant experience. A start line is hectic enough without having to guess at remaining time or do countdowns in your head.

Sailing watches are multi-purpose tools.

A good start off the line is important. And the best sailing watches do much more than tell the time…

As with most sailing products, sailing watches are multi-purpose tools. Some of the primary functions that sailing watches offer are: countdowns, stopwatch function, elapsed time indicator, reset time (without too much effort) and an alarm loud enough to wake you up in time for your next duty. And the more expensive models can do a lot more

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Sailing The Caribbean Islands: 10 Ports to Visit

Mark Moore    New Sailing Holiday Ideas, sailingbreaks, Top 10s     Caribbean, Caribbean ports, Sailing, sailing holiday, sailing in Caribbean, sailing trip

Try sailing in the Caribbean if you want to forget those grey, cold winter days. When you think of sailing the Caribbean islands, a flat tropical paradise with white sand and blue water probably comes to mind.

The Caribbean is the perfect place for vacations. Image: Flickr/ parramitta

That visualization, however, is far from the truth: Though some of the more northern Caribbean islands are relatively flat, much of the region is volcanic and mountainous. This makes for some stunning scenery – although yes, you’ll still find those idyllic carribean beach scenes.

The East-North/East trade winds are most reliable from November through April. Wind velocity is usually between 12 and 22 knots, with minimal storm squalls. Sailing the Caribbean Islands here is easy, thanks in apart to the relative proximity of the islands; most crossings are less than 20 nautical miles. Although coast guard service is lacking (at best) so always sail prepared.

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Sailing Gear: Buying boat shoes

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     Boat shoes, Canary Islands, Deck shoes, Sailing, sailing gear, sailing holiday, sailing shoes

I just spent the past month sailing on a 52-foot luxury catamaran in the Southern Caribbean. It was an epic trip with a great crew of friends and a very lenient captain.

Relaxing on deck. Image: Flickr/ drcuddy.

Besides a few urchin spines and reef kisses, the worst injury that I sustained was from not wearing boat shoes – also sometimes called deck shoes.

Now, while I didn’t go to the Caribbean to wear shoes, there are advantages to having protection and grip on your feet while walking on board.

Based on this, here’s what’s on the market for people looking at buying the right boat shoes to protect their feet.

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The 5 best Greek Islands for sailing holidays

Mark Moore    sailingbreaks     greece, Sailing, sailing holiday, Sailing Holidays, sailing in Greece

Greece is a land of utter enchantment. And it’s no surprise that many movies have been shot here. The Greek Islands have a lot to offer almost every tourist, but they are especially tempting for those booking sailing holidays.

Sailing near the Greek coast. Photo:Flickr/fernashes

Think dreamy summers spent enjoying exceptional sailing conditions, hopping between whitewashed coastal villages sampling incredible food.

The Greek Islands and their endless shorelines seem shaped for sailing – little wonder then that Greece has earned its reputation as a premiere travel and sailing destination.

Here are the top 5 islands to cruise to when sailing these shimmering seas.

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Top Dubrovnik tourist spot named

Mark Pawlak    sailingbreaks     Croatia, Dubrovnik, Sailing, sailing holiday, Yachting

Tourism bosses in Croatia have issued their top tip for holidaymakers planning a visit to the city of Dubrovnik.

Any sailing holiday in Croatia this summer is likely to include Dubrovnik in its itinerary, and the local tourism board has highlighted East West Beach as one of the most exciting attractions in the popular coastal city.

The renowned venue has been named as a top site for a chill-out session thanks to its famous day beach soirees, which provide the perfect opportunity to lie back and relax on one of the world’s top coasts.

Those on a yacht charter in Croatia can spend a memorable day at East West Beach and enjoy its restaurant, club, lounge and pampering facilities.

The venue even provides a speedboat that can be used to explore Dubrovnik and nearby islands including Lokrum.

At night, the club becomes a fashionable and exotic party spot where revellers can boogie the night away.

Other recommendations from the Dubrovnik Tourist Board include Culture Club Revelin in the historic area of Fort Revelin.

Sailors face rough weather in island race

Mark Pawlak    sailingbreaks     Isle of Wight, Sailing, sailing holiday, sailing race, sailing races, Yachting

It is not just yacht charter holidays around exotic islands off the coasts of far-off countries that can tempt sailors out onto their vessels.

A race around the Isle of Wight has proved to be a strong enough attraction to draw in over 1,900 boats and 16,000 sailors.

One of the largest yacht races in the world, the J.P Morgan Round The Island Race took place on the 25th June.

The largest ever number of competitors faced rough weather conditions to take part in the sailing event, which is now in its 80th year.

TV presenter Denise Van Outen signalled the beginning of the race from the Crowes starting line, but because of the severe conditions – with up to force seven winds and waves around 20 feet – many boats were forced to retire early.

The winner of the epic race was Lionel Lemonchois, which crossed over the finishing line with a time of three hours, 49 minutes and 58 seconds.