International Yacht Restoration School launch and open day at Museum of Yachting

The International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) and the Museum of Yachting (MOY) will each host events that celebrate maritime history and craftsmanship on Saturday, May 31.

On the morning of the 31st, the school marks graduation day by launching a fleet of wooden classics restored by students; graduates include students of IYRS' Boat Building & Restoration Program, as well as the first class to graduate from the school's new Marine Systems Program. In the afternoon, the festivities move across the harbor to opening day at the museum, when the public gets its first glimpse at new exhibitions that will run throughout the summer. Both events are free and open to the public.

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Sunday, May 18, 2008, 11am - 4pm
Aselton Park and 135 South Street

Help us celebrate the Cape's Nautical Heritage at a Full Day of Family Fun!
Live music, demonstrations, artists, crafters, food and drink, and loads of kids activities!

Admission $5 for Adults, kids under 15 FREE!

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I also suggest contacting you local Coast Guard Auxiliary or USCG Marine Safety Office for a free, thorough Vessel Safety Check (VSC). The VSC is not a boarding or law enforcement inspection. No citations will be given as a result of this encounter. Upon completion the boater will be given a copy of the completed evaluation with suggestions for improvement. Vessels that pass will be able to display the distinctive VSC decal. The VSC does not exempt the boater from law enforcement boarding, but it could sway a boarding team to inspect another unchecked vessel.

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The 2008 Newport Bermuda Race

By Sheila McCurdy

The Newport Bermuda Race is a 635-mile ocean race, most of it out of sight of land, usually lasting three to six days. It crosses a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean known for challenging weather, especially in the Gulf Stream, where there are strong currents.

Read on...

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Building your own Berkshire Boat, May 24 and 31, 2008

We will offer this two-Saturday course at our home base in Sheffield, MA located in the Berkshire Mountains.

Using the sound, simple methods of modern skin-on-frame construction, learn the elements of boat building while you spend a few enjoyable days in a beautiful place. No prior experience is necessary.

Our canoes weigh between 18 and 30 pounds and are perfect for ponds, flat water rivers, estuaries and all but the largest lakes. Our Kayak weighs about 30 pounds, and our rowing boats range from 25 to 40 pounds - much lighter than wooden or fiberglass boats.

Visit The Berkshire Boatbuilding School website for more information.

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Sip Taratai writes "The Kiribati Is situated in the central Pacific Ocean is an atoll Island nation and our Boatbuilders are moving forward from skiff boat building to catamaran building.

We have successfully build a 30 ton wooden catamaran for Mr. Timieon Beia and it has been servicing within the Kiribati Is group as a passenger/cargo vessel.

Currently, we are engaged in the building of a 60 ton catamaran for Abemama Is project and hopefully to slip it off by June (2008) this year.

As a Boatbuilding manager at Betio Shipyard, I am happy to see a lot of Boatbuilding resources which are posted on your web. Secondly as amateur builders, we are proud to see a Boatbuilding family that can help one another through your web correspondence.

Happy designing and building to all Boatbuilders and see you in the next frame ...... Regards, Sip Taratai Betio Shipyard Ltd"

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Geologists on a search for diamonds off Namibia stumble on a shipwreck loaded with gold coins, elephant tusks, copper, and cannons. They estimate that the ship dates back to at least the late 1400s to early 1500s, which happens to be the heyday of renowned explorers Vasco de Gama and Christoper Columbus.

Once the ship was discovered, all diamond mining expeditions were canceled while the proper authorities were called in to examine and extricate the priceless artifacts.

Read on for more details and photos...

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PUMA Ocean Racing recently teamed up with world-renowned design team Botin Carkeek, and acclaimed custom yacht builder Goetz Custom Boats to commission their new Volvo 70 which will compete in the Volvo Ocean Race. The new generation Volvo Open 70 made the 20-mile journey from Goetz Custom Boats in Bristol, Rhode Island to the Newport shipyard in Newport, prior to going in the water.

What is a usually a 25-minute trip for a passenger car took more than two hours under the power of a Volvo VT800 truck. Setting off at 4am and after negotiating a closed two-lane bridge, streets signs, narrow turns and over curbs, the boat arrived at the Newport Shipyard just before dawn. It will receive final preparations there before launching and departing on its maiden voyage to Boston Harbour at the The Institute of Contemporary Art where it will be officially christened May 12.

The boat was transported in a sling which masked its design and shape. PUMA Ocean Racing intends to reveal the name and look of the boat at its May 12 christening. They also intend to launch their team's website in early may.

Stay tuned for updates!

To read what PUMA Ocean Racing Skipper Ken Read said about the build process and design, click HERE.

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Royal Navy experts in Felixstowe, located in Suffolk in the UK, are on the hunt for a "temporarily misplaced," 1,000lb bomb from WWII. It washed up on the shore over the weekend, evacuating many homes in the surrounding area. As the bomb was being towed out to sea to be remotely detonated, the lift bags and straps broke free, causing the bomb to plummet to the bottom of the sea floor.

For more on this "explosive" story, read on...

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