Blue Book of Boats

Suffering a heart attack while boating is becoming common as more baby boomers engage in boating activities. If you are travelling in remote areas, and emergency help not instantaneous, this can be a problem.

In June 2008, Kelsey Grammer, famous TV star of “Cheers” and “Frasier” suffered a mild heart attack while paddleboating with his wife Camille in Hawaii. He survived the attack. In July 2010, Former Detroit Red Wing Bob Probert died of an apparent heart attack Monday while boating on Lake St. Clair with one of his children. It has been told that he collapsed during boating and he was immediately taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Bob Probert was just 45 year old.

What to do in an emergency case like this, when you are the only person around when another boater suffers a cardiac arrest. You can lessen this recurring loss by learning Continuous Chest Compression CPR, a hands-only CPR method that doubles a person’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest. It’s easy and does not require mouth-to-mouth contact, making it more likely bystanders will try to help, and it was developed at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

This new method of CPR is now advocated by the American Heart Foundation. Named “continuous chest compressions”, and described as “high-quality chest compressions by pushing hard and fast in the middle of the victim’s chest, with minimal interruptions.”

Here is a video explaining the process.

“This video is worth sharing,” said Gordon A. Ewy, MD, director of the UA Sarver Heart Center and one of the research pioneers who developed this method.

What do Jack Nicholson and James Bond have in common? They both driven the Monte Carlo 30. Built by Riva, the Italian yacht builder in the 80’s and 90’s, the Monte Carlo 30 Offshore is very popular in Europe. With a maximum cruising speed of 55 knots, it is easy to scoot in and out of popular destinations.

Here is Jack Nicholson having fun with his guests. As shown on the photo, the cockpit deck is large and can easily accommodate up to 8 guests. The master cabin offers overnight accommodation for two people. With the right weather, and the right company, small boats can be just as much fun. Price tag for this boat, around $50,000 to $60,000.

Developed together with Bob Hopps and Cal Connell, the Monte Carlo offshorer 27 (70’s), 30 (80’s) and 32 (early 90’s) was built out of fiber glass and was the first production runabout with a “stepped” hull to improve ride and stability. The engines and fittings were mostly the same as those used on Rivas at the time. Most of the Monte Carlo 30 offshorer used 2 crusader 454 bringing them up to 55 knots in standard configuration (faster engines were BPMs while a slower diesel BMW engine set was also offered). The boats were built by R.A.M. – the maintenance part of the former Riva company, still owned by the Riva family.

About 400 hulls of the Monte Carlo 30 were built and they mostly replaced aquarama specials (built by the Italian yachtbuilder Riva from 1992-1996) on the riviera or were used as yacht tenders.

A Monte Carlo 30 offshorer was the speedboat driven by James Bond during the helicopter chase in the movie Goldeneye.For more information and photos about the boat, click here.

Ellen Degeneres, Michelle Williams are some of the famous movie stars who join other famous kayakers. Abraham Lincoln and Mao Tse Tung seem unlikely kayakers, but they were trailblazers in what has become a very popular sport. Kayakers divide into the whitewater variety, sea-kayakers, surf kayakers and general recreation kayakers – with many sub-sets below. Kayaks are fitted out to purpose. There are many companies who offer kayak courses and expeditions – though some of the best whitewater kayaking, for example, is found in the more remote regions of the world.

Photo on the right shows Ellen Degeneres in an low quality inflatable kayak. Likely she was just out for a quick trial run. There are advantages of an inflatable kayak over a hardshell kayak. Inflatables are easier to store, transport and enjoy. One of the main advantages of inflatable kayaks is price. While hardshell kayaks can run into the thousands of US dollars (USD), you can find good-quality inflatable kayaks for as little as 150 USD. Although many factors, such as size and brand name, affect the price of an inflatable kayak, it’s still possible to find something that is both affordable and long-lasting. Portability is another advantage of inflatable kayaks. They can be folded to the size of a suitcase and stored almost anywhere, as long as there are no extremes of temperature and humidity in the area.

Good-quality inflatable kayaks have multiple air chambers, as opposed to a single chamber in the cheaper models. This guarantees the raft will stay afloat even when punctured. The most important sign of quality in an inflatable boat, however, is the quality of workmanship. Strong, firm seams are the sign of an inflatable kayak that can stand the abuse of both long voyages and Class IV whitewater. Good quality can also be recognized by the presence of accessories, such as fabric floors and carrying cases. While not necessary, they add to the user’s comfort and can help extend the life of the kayak.

While many celebrities go mega yachting, a few hard-bodied celebrities are taking up SUP – which stands for Stand Up Paddle Surfing. Stand up paddle surfing (SUP), or in the Hawaiian language Hoe he’e nalu, is an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage. The sport is an ancient form of surfing, and reemerged as a way for surfing instructors to manage their large groups of students, as standing on the board gave them a higher viewpoint, increasing visibility of what was going on around them – such as incoming swell. To begin with, this started with using a one-bladed paddle, whilst standing on a normal length surfboard.

The popularity of the modern sport of SUP has its origination in the Hawaiian Islands. In the early 1960s, the Beach Boys of Waikiki would stand on their long boards, and paddle out with outrigger paddles to take pictures of the tourists learning to surf. This is where the term “Beach Boy Surfing”, another name for Stand Up Paddle Surfing, originates.

The sport benefits athletes with a strong ‘core’ workout. SUP’ing is popular at warm coastal climates and resorts, and is gaining in popularity as celebrities are sampling the sport, and cross-over athletes are training with SUP. SUPs have been spotted around the globe, anywhere where there is easy access to safe waters, as well as in the surfing lineups of the world.

The first “modern” surfer to bring Stand Up Paddle Surfing out of Hawaii and onto mainland USA was Vietnam veteran, Rick Thomas. In 2000, Rick – on a 11ft Muñoz board, and with a Leleo Kinimaka paddle – introduced California to the new sport.

Surfers have converted because of the versatility of the new sport. Stand up paddle boarding offers surfers the ability to catch more waves in a set, as well as offering a better view of incoming sets.

Famous celebrities who paddle surfs for sports include Jennifer Anishton, Michelle Williams, Kate Hudson, Rihanna, Matt Damon, Pierce Brosnan to name a few.

New custom SUP board prices range from US$600 to US$1500, and most use glass-reinforced plastic construction using epoxy resin that is compatible with the expanded polystyrene foam used in the core. The boards are generally longer than 9 feet (3 m), and up to 12 feet (4 m) or more in length, with features such as padded decks and concave hulls; they generally have one or three surfboard-style fins in the stern for tracking.

As of October 3, 2008, the US Coast Guard now classifies SUPs as vessels and as a result SUP riders are obliged to wear a personal flotation device when paddling in certain areas. Whether this will affect the continued take up of stand up paddling in the USA remains to be seen. The Canadian Coast Guard has implemented similar rules, however SUPer’s are only required to have a PFD with them, they don’t have to wear them.

Article source: Wikipedia