KWBaker

Inside the Outer Banks

Cruising the sounds of North Carolina’s east coast is full of adventure. 

One of the wildest watery destinations for boaters on the East Coast of the U.S. is North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Boats of all sizes and shapes venture to four main ports along the coast and often turn west into the sounds, rivers, and creeks for small-town diversions and solitude.

Comprising more than 3,000 square miles, Pamlico Sound is the second-largest estuary in the U.S., eclipsed only by the Chesapeake Bay. It’s big water. Navigation, safety, and weather are always the watchwords when venturing to the delightful destinations along the inside and outside shorelines. 

Outer and Inner Banks

The Outer Banks were once defined only as the Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. Portsmouth Island is considered the Core Banks but has also been grouped into the Outer Banks. Over the years, common usage and marketing has expanded the term to mean pretty much every stretch of sand from the North Carolina/Virginia border south to Beaufort. Then someone decided that Inner Banks might be a catchy title for the coastal region on the western side of the Pamlico. Regardless of what you call them, the ports, anchorages, and waterways are some of the best boating in the U.S.

Getting There

Choose your destination based on your abilities and vessel. Do not rush. Plan carefully. Running Pamlico Sound can be a slick ride or a pounding that makes you want to be at the dock. The shallow water and open fetches mean that winds over 15 knots will stir things up to uncomfortable levels for all but the largest boats, and there are shoals and shallows that must be avoided. But you don’t necessarily need to run in open water for long to get to your Outer Banks destinations. You have options.

The Big Four

Four ports that beckon for a full-on Outer Banks adventure are Manteo, Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Beaufort. Visited one at a time, or as a complete trip, there are facilities and amenities at each for boats of all sizes. While the Pamlico Sound system is the overall geographical designation of the region, there are several other named sounds through which you will navigate. Albemarle, Croatan, Roanoke, and Core Sounds are shown on the charts and maps, so you know where you are.

Manteo

At the northern end of the Outer Banks on Roanoke Island is the town of Manteo. One of the most historically significant locations specific to the European settlement of North America, Manteo’s waterfront and marina can accommodate vessels up to 100 feet with seven feet of dockside depth. Navigation to the harbor from the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) to the west when you are southbound requires some planning, and there is ample advice available from various sources.

The town has plenty to offer within walking distance, and the oceanfront comprising Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills is a short drive east. You can spend weeks here exploring, eating your way through superb restaurants and visiting America’s history.

Hatteras

Forty-five nautical miles south of Manteo is Hatteras. Home to commercial and charter fleets, the harbor has room for transient and visiting vessels at several marinas as well as a boatyard for services or maintenance. If you arrive by boat, plan ahead. You will need transportation to get to the few restaurants and grocery stores on quaint Hatteras Island. The National Park Service maintains the Hatteras Lighthouse and Visitor’s Center, and there are plenty of campsites, some B&Bs, and a hotel or two. Hatteras Island is a long way from anywhere, but worth the trip. 

Ocracoke

In order to make the next port of call, you will need to run about 25 nautical miles to avoid shallow water and shoals. Ocracoke Island and the little town of the same name is a favorite for boaters and landlubbers alike. The island comes alive in the summer for families and travelers wanting to get away from it all. Miles of beaches, some great little cafes, a brewery, and gift shops keep the island vibrant. There are only a few marinas and an anchorage in the harbor known as Silver Lake. Golf carts and hoofing it are the primary means of transportation. Provisions are easy to come by, and you may find yourself spending a week or more lolling about in the southern sunshine and breezes. Call the marinas and docking facilities in advance as space is limited.

Beaufort

Fifty nautical miles farther southwest is Beaufort and Morehead City. Using either Core Sound or crossing the southern end of Pamlico Sound to take the ICW inside will get you there. Beaufort is the quintessential ICW town with plenty of marinas, restaurants, inns, and a waterfront vibe that’s pure North Carolina nautical. A favorite stop for many making passage on the ICW, Beaufort—and its next-door neighbor Morehead City—will keep you entertained and also offer protection from weather and wind. 

Navigation

Navigation advice for these destinations abounds. There are several important considerations when planning a visit to any of these Outer Banks locations. First, from which direction are you leaving? Second, what size is your boat? Third, what is your experience and comfort level?

If you travel from north to south and visit each destination in order, then the mileages and suggested routes will get you there with minimal stress as long you watch the weather and have a well-found vessel. Albemarle, Pamlico, Croatan, Roanoke, and Core Sounds will beat you up if you don’t pay attention. Summer thunderstorms and passing fronts are not to be disregarded. The Bermuda High dominates in the summer and southwest winds of 15-20 knots may last for days. But, as stated earlier, you have options. 

You can visit two of the destinations without spending too much time in open water. Manteo and Beaufort require less open-water navigation than Hatteras and Ocracoke. Beaufort can also be reached via the ICW canals, rivers, and protected portions of the Pamlico. If you are in a sailboat and relish 15-20 knots, then sailing the sounds to the true Outer Banks towns of Hatteras and Ocracoke is a breeze, but watch the depth sounder. Many large vessels go outside and come in at Hatteras Inlet for visits to Hatteras and Ocracoke, and Beaufort Inlet for that location. Avoid Oregon Inlet unless you have local knowledge or the confidence of following the charter fleet that comes and goes daily when weather permits. 

If all of this sounds daunting, then there are many towns, marinas, and anchorages on the western side of the Pamlico that can keep you cruising all season ducking in and out of protected harbors with enchanting waterfronts, restaurants, and shops for provisioning. 

-by Ed Tillett, Waterway Guide

The post Inside the Outer Banks appeared first on Southern Boating.

Celebrate the Burger

Once a landlubber’s traditional meal choice, now the beef is on board.

Burgers are the classic American food and an easy choice for cooking on the boat. We often cook extra burgers to reheat later for quick meals while underway. While my husband is a fan of the traditional ground beef burger, I like to try other ground meats, like chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, or tuna, shrimp, and salmon, with assorted toppings and exotic add-ins. Below are some of the fun burgers I love to make aboard.

Cajun Chicken Burger

1 lb. ground chicken 

4 tsp. Creole or blackening spice

4 slices each pepper jack cheese, tomato, onion 

4 lettuce leaves

4 hamburger rolls

4 Tbsp. mayonnaise mixed with 2 tsp. hot sauce

Mix chicken with spice mix, cook, and top with pepper jack cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce. Place on rolls spread with spicy mayonnaise.

Horseradish/Blue Cheese Steak Burger

1 lb. ground beef 

4 Tbsp. blue cheese, crumbled

4 tsp. prepared horseradish

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. each salt and pepper

4 slices each tomato and onion 

4 lettuce leaves

4 hamburger rolls

4 Tbsp. horseradish sauce or blue cheese dressing

Mix first five ingredients and shape into four burgers. Cook and top with onion, tomato, and lettuce. Spread each roll with horseradish sauce or blue cheese dressing and place around burger. 

Tex-Mex Beef Burger  

1 lb. ground beef

4 Tbsp. pepper jack cheese, shredded

1 tsp. each chili and cumin powder

4 hamburger rolls

1 avocado, peeled and quartered

4 tsp. salsa

4 leaves lettuce

Pickled jalapeño peppers, sliced

Mix first three ingredients and form patties. Cook and serve on rolls spread with avocado and salsa, topped with lettuce and peppers. 

French Onion Turkey Burger

1 lb. ground turkey

4 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix

¼ cup breadcrumbs 

¼ cup mayonnaise

4 slices Swiss cheese

1 onion, sliced and sautéed until softened

4 brioche rolls

Mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup 

Mix first four ingredients and shape into burgers. Top the cooked burgers with Swiss cheese, onions, and serve on brioche rolls with mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup on the side.

Caprese Pork Burger

1 lb. ground pork  

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. each salt and pepper

4 hamburger rolls

4 slices tomato

4 slices fresh mozzarella

Balsamic vinegar

Mix first three ingredients and form patties. Cook and place on rolls topped with tomato and mozzarella drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar.

Asian Seafood Burgers

1 lb. fresh tuna, salmon, or shrimp, finely diced (or pulsed in a food processor 2-3 times
to coarsely grind)

1 cup panko or breadcrumbs

4 eggs

4 Tbsp. scallion, minced

½ tsp. each salt and pepper

4 hamburger rolls

4 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce or Asian peanut sauce

4 slices cucumber 

Mix first five ingredients and form patties. Cook and place burgers on rolls. Top with teriyaki or peanut sauce and cucumbers. 

Note: When making burgers, fold in the spices and flavoring ingredients and shape them gently to avoid overworking and toughening the meat. The recipes are flexible and may be made with any ground meat or seafood either grilled or sautéed on a stove top. Enjoy as burgers, sliders, or meatballs, served on rolls, on salad, or as lettuce wraps. 

-by Lori Ross

The post Celebrate the Burger appeared first on Southern Boating.

Restaurant Summer Salads

Prepare these refreshing salads in your own galley. Recipes serve 4.

We all love crisp, refreshing salads in the hot summer. Whether simple or elaborate, they keep us cool while satisfying our appetites.

On our boat a few summers ago, I started experimenting with “copycat” recipes of our favorite restaurant salads. I made the dressing a couple of days in advance to meld flavors. I prepared the lettuce ahead of time and stored it in a large Ziploc bag or container. While working in a restaurant kitchen,

I learned that lettuce will brown if cut in advance with a metal knife. To avoid browning, simply tear lettuce into bite-size pieces with your hands. Toss each salad with just enough dressing to coat ingredients and serve additional dressing on the side. 

The Original Chef Salad 1910 Ritz Carlton NYC

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. ketchup

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

½ tsp. paprika

Pinch of white pepper

1 egg yolk

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp. salt or more, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Set dressing aside.

Salad: 

8 cups mixed lettuce (romaine, arugula, iceberg)

8 slices of each:
deli ham, roast beef, chicken, or turkey and Swiss cheese 
(sliced into strips: 2-inch-long x 1-inch-wide)

2 hard-cooked eggs, halved

1 cup tomatoes, sliced

1 cup cucumber, sliced

8 whole anchovies (optional)

Spread lettuce on a platter. Arrange ham, beef, turkey, or chicken, Swiss cheese, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and anchovies attractively on top of greens. Drizzle with some of the dressing and serve remaining dressing on the side. 

California Pizza Kitchen: BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Dressing:

Herb Ranch (or your favorite bottled ranch dressing)

¼ cup sour cream

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. each minced dill, parsley, and chives (or a pinch of each dried herb)

½ tsp. pepper 

½ tsp. salt 

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Salad:

8 cups bite-size iceberg or romaine lettuce

1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen or canned and drained)

1 cup jicama, peeled and diced (or other crunchy vegetable such as radish or celery)

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup tomato, diced

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed 

½ cup BBQ sauce

1 cup tortilla strips (or crumbled tortilla chips)

1 cup avocado, diced (optional)

Hot sauce

Combine lettuce, corn, jicama, beans, cheese, and tomatoes in a salad bowl. Toss with ranch dressing. Combine chicken and BBQ sauce. Place chicken on the salad. Sprinkle salad with tortilla strips and diced avocado. Serve with extra BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, tortilla strips, and hot sauce.

Columbia Restaurant’s Original “1905” Salad

Dressing: 

½ cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dried oregano

⅛ cup vinegar (not balsamic)

½ tsp. each salt and pepper 

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (or 2 Tbsp. chopped anchovies)

3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl to form an emulsion.

Salad:

8 cups bite-size iceberg or romaine lettuce

2 ripe tomatoes, large, diced

1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives

1 cup each of ham and Swiss cheese (sliced into 2-inch-long narrow strips) 

½ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. Add dressing and toss well. Serve immediately. 

-by Lori Ross

The post Famous Restaurant Salads appeared first on Southern Boating.

Fish Food

Catch and prepare your own meal. Each recipe serves 4.

I love fishing and eating freshly caught fish. I remember fly fishing in the Florida Keys with a guide and catching a mess of sea trout. We had plenty to make delicious fish sandwiches, fish tacos, and fish dinners. Below are some of my favorite ways to enjoy seafood.

Fish Tacos

Crema:

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

3-4 Tbsp. lime juice 

1 tsp. lime peel, grated (optional)

Slaw:

4 cups cabbage, shredded

⅓ cup vinegar

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt 

½ tsp. pepper

Tacos:

2 lbs. fresh fish

3 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup onions, chopped

12 small corn or flour tortillas

1 bottle hot sauce, for serving

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, and lime juice in a bowl. In another bowl, mix cabbage with vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle chili powder and salt all over the fish. Grill or sauté fish on medium-high for 3-4 minutes per side (more if fillets are thick), and heat tortillas for 1-2 minutes on the grill. To assemble, spread crema on each tortilla, top with hot fish pieces, slaw, and onions. Serve with remaining crema and hot sauce.

Grilled Caesar Fish 

1 clove garlic, minced 

1½ tsp. anchovies, mashed

1½ Tbsp. lemon juice 

½ cup mayonnaise

½ tsp. each salt and pepper 

4 fish fillets: swordfish, tuna, or other firm fish
(1-1½ inches thick)  

4 cups lettuce 

2 lemons, quartered

Mix first five ingredients to make Caesar mayonnaise; set aside. Heat a grill to medium-high. Smear both sides of the four fish fillets with Caesar mayonnaise. Place fish on the grill, turning once, until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. Toss lettuce with remaining Caesar mayonnaise and divide among four plates. Top salad with fish and serve with lemon wedges.

 

Fine Fish Sandwich

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish

1½ Tbsp. capers

2 tsp. mustard

4 fish fillets

4 Tbsp. mayonnaise

¼ tsp. each salt and pepper

1 cup breadcrumbs

3 Tbsp. oil

4 hamburger rolls, halved

4 lettuce leaves

4 slices tomato

4 slices onion (optional)

Heat a frying pan to medium-high. Mix first four ingredients to make tartar sauce; set aside. Slather fish with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and press into breadcrumbs to cover both sides. Sauté* fish in oil for 3-4 minutes per side. Spread rolls with the tartar sauce, then place lettuce, fish, tomato, and onion on the bottom half of the roll and cover with the top half of the roll.

*May also be baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.

Spectacular Seafood Cakes

2 cups chopped shrimp, scallops, crab, or cooked fish

¾ cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

¼ cup onion, finely diced

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

½ Tbsp. Old Bay or other seafood seasoning

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2-4 Tbsp. oil or butter for frying

Place all ingredients, except oil/butter, in a large mixing bowl. Gently fold ingredients together until evenly combined. Portion into patties (about 2 tablespoons each). Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil or butter and heat to medium-high. Sauté fish cakes in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.  

Florida Fishing Guide’s Fish Salad

1 lb. cooked fish, flaked

¼ cup each onion and celery, chopped 

2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice (or chopped dill pickle)

¾ cup mayonnaise

½ tsp. Old Bay or Cajun seasoning (or equivalent salt and pepper)

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, onion, celery, lemon juice, and Old Bay. Add fish to the mayonnaise mixture, folding gently to combine. 

-by Lori Ross

The post Fish Food – Top Fish Recipes from Southern Boating appeared first on Southern Boating.

The Choice is Yours

There’s more to chartering a boat for a week than just choosing from a pretty picture.

Sailing charters have been around for decades, and they’re a great way to explore well beyond your home waters. But powerboaters have been shy to sign up, primarily because of the whole sailing obstacle. If you’re in this group, here are two secrets: Sailors motor on charter, a lot, and the number of powerboats available to charter has been growing rapidly over the past 10 years, so you now have a choice of exotic destinations to visit nearly year-round without ever raising a sail. 

Let’s first outline the kinds of charter available: fishing, superyacht, small boat crewed, and bareboat. The first three have always been powerboat-based and are crewed, which means you get a captain and a variably sized crew to take care of all the things you don’t want to or don’t know how to do. The last one is bareboat chartering where you’re the skipper with all the decision-making power and freedom…and the headaches that go with it. 

Let’s dive into what each means and what to look for in a boat. 

Fishing Charters

Fishing charters have been run on powerboats since there’s been power. They vary greatly—everything from day trips on center consoles with just a captain to overnight deep-sea outings on 80-foot-plus battlewagons with a full crew. When choosing one that’s right for you, determine what kind of fishing you want to do and for which species. Assess your skill level and decide on the duration of the trip you can afford. Short trips in protected waters will be calmer while offshore excursions will put you onto bigger fish. 

Things to look for in the boat will differ by the factors just mentioned. Useful features include good deck space, a fighting chair, plenty of room for gear and tackle, and a day head close to the action.

For bigger boats, a gyrostabilizer will make the deck steadier and reduce fatigue as well as seasickness. Check for the latest electronics and powerful engines to get you to the fish and back quickly because that’s downtime you’re still paying for.

If you’re bringing non-fishing family members, room to relax out of the way is key as is a galley for refreshments. More than the boat, the captain will make the difference so do your research on proper licensing, extensive experience, and great reviews.

Superyacht Charters

Luxury charters come in many flavors, and they’re always crewed because no owner will let you out on his superyacht with just a VISA card. You can opt for a day trip on a midsize Prestige, Azimut, or Sunseeker yacht, or go big with a Sunreef cat or a 200-foot monohull that will set you back $250,000 a week or more.

Things to look for in the boat include enough accommodations to sleep your entire party, multiple relaxation zones to separate guests and enhance privacy, and maybe even a hot tub, cinema, or beach club for exercise and waterside respite. Review the list of toys the yacht carries including SCUBA tanks, PWCs, slides, and more. Inquire about the yacht’s cruising speed and grounds so you get to see as much as possible. Again, it’s all about the captain and crew, so find out the crew-to-guest ratio and the captain’s reputation for accommodating guests. 

Small Boat Charter

“Small boat” is a misnomer here because we’re talking charters on vessels up to 55 feet. They come in crewed and bareboat versions and, these days, are typically catamarans. On a crewed charter, check out their preference sheets for provisioning. Ask about crew experience, if they allow kids, and a sample itinerary. 

If you go it alone, rest assured you now have lots of choices in both the kind of boat as well as the destinations you’re likely to find with outfits like The Moorings, Dream Yacht Charter, Horizon Yacht Charters, and MarineMax Vacations. 

There are plenty of powercat brands out there, including Aspen, World Cat, Fountaine Pajot, Arrowcat, Leopard, and more. But only a few appear in charter and, therefore, are available to you without writing a big check to buy one. The sweet spot for charters is in the mid-40-foot range but some reach beyond that. Let’s look at how to evaluate the options.

Engines/Fuel

“The appeal of power is that you can get everywhere faster in a shorter amount of time, and you can do multiple stops in a day,” says Ian Pedersen, senior marketing manager of The Moorings. Yes, big engines get the job done, but you’re responsible for the fuel you consume, so large engines aren’t always better and powercats differ in fuel efficiency. A 46-footer may offer all the same creature features for a great vacation, but it will burn less than a 54-footer.

Space

In general, powercats offer 1.2 times the accommodations and deck space of a same-length monohull, and that makes them ideal for groups who like to spread out. Most powercats will have a flybridge which includes a full helm station, summer galley, and wraparound seating. This adds more living space and creates a lounge from where to enjoy panoramic views. The foredeck, cockpit, and salon are commodious, too, as are the cabins below, so they’re perfect for new boaters who don’t like to feel claustrophobic. 

Privacy

A powercat creates natural divisions for semi-private zones. If your kids are playing in the cockpit, you can enjoy happy hour on the foredeck sunbed or up on the flybridge. Check to see if your cat is set up well for privacy zones.

Swim Platforms

Many of the larger cats have hydraulic swim platforms where they carry the dinghy rather than on davits, and that’s a bonus. First, once the dinghy is in the water, you can lower the platform to the waterline and create a teak beach club that’s perfect for lounging or entertaining kids. Second, it’s a great way to exit the water. The elderly, mobility impaired, or kids often have a tough time climbing the ladders, so just lower the platform, let them swim onto it, and then raise it. Easy peasy.

Accommodations

Most cats offer three to four cabins with or without ensuite heads. The cabins are larger than on monohulls or converted sailing cats, and they generally offer better light via ports because they’re not buried in the hulls. A private head per couple goes a long way to making guests comfortable. A rule of thumb on cabin count is the last number of the model. If a model is a 484, it’s a 48-footer with four cabins. A 433 is 43 feet and is the owner’s version (three cabins) for maximum privacy in one of the hulls. 

Details

Raul Bermudez, vice president of MarineMax Vacations, adds some other things to look for: Are the air-conditioning systems individually controlled for each cabin? Are the heads electric or manual? Is there a watermaker? How is the galley equipped, and how large is it? The key is comfort.  

Destinations

Powercat charter popularity is on the rise but that doesn’t mean you can get one anywhere. The Moorings offers Leopard powercats in the Abaco Sea/Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Croatia, and Thailand. MarineMax has a fleet of Aquila cats in the BVI and the Abacos. Horizon Yacht Charters has a Nautitech 47 and a crewed Lagoon 64 in the BVI, while Dream Yacht Charters offers Leopard, Fountaine Pajot, Aquila, and Bali in numerous destinations including Key West, the Sea of Cortez in Mexico, Exumas/Bahamas, Martinique, St. Martin, Croatia, Whitsunday Islands in Australia, and Nouméa in New Caledonia.

“Vacation time is precious, and powercats aren’t reliant on the local weather so they’re much faster, up to 10 knots faster in fact,” says Dan Lockyer, vice president of global tourism of Dream Yacht Charter. “Plus, they’re easier to maneuver than sailcats.”

Distances where you want to cover a lot of ground in a week, like the Exumas and the Sea of Cortez, are ideal for power charters. That said, destinations with shorter legs, like the BVI and the Abacos, are great, too, because you can check out four anchorages in a day and not burn a lot of fuel. “With the powerboats, you have the option to go as slow or as fast as you want, and you get to the mooring balls a little faster than the sailboats,” says Bermudez.

Leopard 46 and 53

The Moorings partners with South African builder Robertson and Caine who delivers Leopard cats. Leopard offers the 53 and the new 46 which is expected in charter soon. The 53 has twin sunbeds on the foredeck, a flybridge with a full staircase for easy access, a door from the salon directly to the bows, and that fabulous hydraulic swim platform. It also has a split galley so multiple chefs can work simultaneously.

Lagoon 65, 67, and 78

A charter on a Lagoon powercat will likely be crewed because Lagoon doesn’t currently build models less than 60 feet. However, you’ll find ultimate luxury on any of the models that are most likely in charter right now. Depending on the size, expect to find five or six cabins, a hot tub, superyacht-like amenities, and on some models, a separate galley where the crew prepares meals out of sight, leaving the salon strictly to the guests.

Nautitech 47

The Nautitech 47 with 300-hp Volvo Penta engines has a max speed of 22 knots and an interior helm so you can drive in comfort even if the weather is frightful. A dozen people can relax on twin lounges on the foredeck or take the party to the flybridge. A nice feature is the high bridge clearance that should minimize pounding from underneath when running into head seas. 

Bali Catspace MY and 4.3 MY

Bali Catamarans are built by Catana of France, and they have two models in their motoryacht range. Bali has dabbled in some layout innovations. First, they’ve done away with the idea of a separate salon and cockpit. Instead, the entire aft bulkhead lifts like a tilt-up garage door so the inside becomes the outside and it works well. Bali powercats also have an interior helm and full-size refrigerators that guests love.

Aquila 36, 44, 48, and 54

MarineMax Vacations is exclusive to Aquila powercats. They offer various models between 36 and 54 feet. For two couples, the 36 is a fantastic express-style boat with the helm and dinette outside under the hardtop and a summer galley with a grill aft. It’s powered by twin 350-hp outboards so it can really get up and go. The behemoth 54, on the other hand, has five cabins and five heads for bigger groups and may be offered with crew.

Don’t Be Shy

“The demand for powercats has grown consistently each year for the past decade,” says Pedersen. “That trend looks to continue in the years to come.” 

Bermudez agrees. “Power catamarans are the future of the charter industry,” he says. Indeed, powercats have made progress, from being too weird for most boaters to contemplate to becoming the ideal way to experience some of the world’s greatest charter destinations. Check out available models with a large charter company and then dive in. The water’s great.  

-by Zuzana Prochazka

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Chartering a Yacht appeared first on Southern Boating.

Taking place in Le Puy-En-Velay, France, the 96th edition of the world’s most iconic enduro event got underway with riders facing fast, dusty tests that soon became a lot rougher and cut up following the [...]

The post World’s most iconic enduro event got underway in Le Puy-En-Velay appeared first on Total Motorcycle.

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BMW celebrating three Paris-Dakar rally wins in 1986 with this ultra-rare 1-of-200 RS80G/S.

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The 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals will take place from September 8 - 16 in San Clemente, California.

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After eight years of research — including talking to nearly a dozen eye-care professionals and testing more than 50 comparable frame-and-lens pairings from 15 retailers — we recommend that you start your search at Zenni Optical.

Zenni has an easy-to-browse selection of over 2,000 frames, a helpful virtual try-on tool, multiple lens options, and more-affordable pricing than competitors.

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In the spring of 2020, as eight million residents of the Bay Area hunkered down at home hoarding toilet paper and dried beans, the natural world sprang to life. By night, San Francisco’s darkened, deserted streets echoed with the howl of coyotes. By day, they filled with the song of birds.

It wasn’t just that the pandemic-induced pause in activity made it easier to hear urban wildlife. Some animals adapted almost instantaneously to exploit soundscapes vacated by traffic and construction. In the unnatural quiet of the Bay Area, amid noise levels that hadn’t been heard since 1954, white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) changed their tune.

Elizabeth Derryberry, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, had been studying how noise affects the white-crowned sparrow’s song for close to two decades when the pandemic began its 2020 surge. In San Francisco’s high-noise urban environment, the birds historically sang higher amplitude, higher frequency songs. But in April and May of 2020, suddenly they no longer had to shout over the traffic.

“They stopped singing loudly, yet you could hear them at greater distances because it was so much quieter,” Derryberry explains. You can hear the differences in recordings Derryberry captured in the same spot near the Golden Gate Bridge before the pandemic and during the widespread shutdowns.

The characteristics of their vocal performance changed, too. No longer needing to sing at high frequencies that could be heard over the highway’s rumble, the sparrows' songs became more expansive, occupying more of the soundscape’s “acoustic bandwidth.” Even those with quiet voices became audible; in those first months, “you could hear four times as many birds as you could before,” says Derryberry.

Song has an essential function in avian social life. In temperate zones, it is used almost exclusively by males as a means of defending breeding territories and attracting mates. In quiet, rural environments, birds tend to sing at lower frequencies at which they can maximize their vocal performances with trills and twitters. But in urban environments, the low frequency noise of traffic gets in the way. In order to be heard, birds subconsciously raise the pitch and volume of their songs, a phenomenon called the Lombard effect.

While birds are easier to hear due to the Lombard effect, when they raise their voices the quality of their vocal performance goes down. They can no longer fill their songs with warbles, trills, and flourishes. Without them, the birds are less effective at defending breeding territory from encroaching bachelor birds. There is one thing they do better, though: they are easier to hear over long distances not just by other adult males or randy females, but by juvenile birds learning to sing.

Songbirds have a narrow window in early life where they listen and then they start to babble just like infants. They compare that to their auditory memory, and they practice over and over, just like a baby,” says Derryberry.

The songs they are most likely to listen to and imitate are those that are “most transmissible in a noisy environment,” says Bruce Byers, associate professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. “If they carry better or farther, the chance of young birds hearing those songs is higher than songs that don’t carry as well.”

In rural communities then, young males are more likely to pick up more complex low-amplitude, low-frequency songs while birds in urban communities will mimic simpler high-frequency, high-amplitude songs. Continued repetition over time results in a cultural trajectory of vocal performance that is specific to that community of birds.

Although it is once again noisy enough to drown out the quieter, lower-frequency in San Francisco, the white-crowned sparrows still seem to be singing the songs of the “silent spring. While it is possible that the pandemic catalyzed long-term changes in the cultural trajectory of sparrow songs, it’s also possible that the change is simply a reflection of the vocal elasticity of the sparrows, says Byers. “The birds have the same old types of songs they always had but individual birds altered them in response to noise,” he explains. “That really suggests there was no kind of permanent change that couldn’t quickly be undone.”

Derryberry isn’t so sure. The interruption in the soundscape caused by the pandemic was, after all, a once in a lifetime event with no scientific precedent. “I don’t have a clear answer here, but the preliminary data suggests they haven’t switched back [to their pre-pandemic songs], and we don’t know why,” she says. “We don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. We’re waiting to see what their songs do.”

A sudden shift in vocal performance has the potential to divert the cultural trajectory onto a new path. When the pandemic quiet caused San Francisco’s white-crowned sparrows to trade “shouting” for low-frequency twittering, the types of songs being picked up and repeated by juvenile birds changed, too. They acquired the lower frequency songs their fathers had adapted for the new soundscape, not the pre-pandemic songs tailored to high noise levels.

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