S/V Nereida sails around the world day 264 S/V Nereida sails around the world day 264 A nasty storm with gale force winds and big, steep seas Monday 8:30am NZT (Sun 2030GMT) - Very dull, overcast sky. Wind from NNW now and seas still very choppy with only a 5-second interval but down from last evening. by Jeanne Socrates Posted 25 Jun 04:48 UTC First recording of North Pacific whale song First recording of North Pacific whale song Endangered right whale population is the first ever found to sing Unlike some of their famously musical relatives, right whales are known to restrict their vocalizations to individual calls rather than the patterned phrasing that is singing. This has been well documented for Southern and North Atlantic right whales. by NOAA Fisheries Posted 24 Jun 15:29 UTC Postcards from a Caribbean Winter part 8 Postcards from a Caribbean Winter part 8 The Madeira Islands The evening sunlight was rapidly being occluded by an approaching squall that was overtaking us. The sunlit cliffs of Porto Santo Island created a forbidding back drop to the rolling swell, white caps and slowly increasing wind speed. by Rod Morris Posted 24 Jun 13:56 UTC 2019 ARC Portugal - Next stop... Sines 2019 ARC Portugal - Next stop... Sines Leg 7 cancelled due to the fog in the Lisbon region The start of Leg 7, from Oeiras to Sines, has been cancelled this morning due to the fog in the Lisbon region. By 1300 visibility was improved and majority of the boats decided to sail down to Sines. by World Cruising Club Posted 24 Jun 13:52 UTC ARC Portugal update ARC Portugal update The best sailing leg Wednesday in Peniche was busy as boats arrived to the marina where they had been instructed to go alongside a long pontoon, which meant getting boats closely together as they rafted to one another. by World Cruising Club Posted 24 Jun 11:00 UTC Composite Backstays - Your Quick Performance Fix Composite Backstays - Your Quick Performance Fix Lighter, stronger, kinder and safer A properly designed and adjustable backstay system is key to sailing fast and safely through changing weather conditions. Switching from a wire or rod backstay to a composite backstay is one of the simplest ways of achieving a quick performance upgrade. by Kerri Robson Posted 24 Jun 08:00 UTC The World ARC fleet check into Lomaloma The World ARC fleet check into Lomaloma The island of Vanua Balavu is a large atoll and entrance through the reef After a fast sail of 300NM across from Tonga to the island of Vanua Balavu in the Lau Group, the fleet arrived to the beautiful bay off Lomaloma where they set anchor and awaited the officers from Health, Customs and Immigration to clear each boat by World Cruising Club Posted 24 Jun 05:40 UTC Three ways we are restoring sea turtle populations Three ways we are restoring sea turtle populations NOAA & federal/state agencies are helping turtles recover from oil spill The Deepwater Horizon oil spill injured or killed an estimated 100,000 - 200,000 sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2014, federal and state partner agencies agreed to a 10-year early-restoration project to help restore sea turtles. by NOAA Fisheries Posted 22 Jun 22:26 UTC Ocean Month Ocean Month Dive into our online campaigns and features during Ocean Month In honor of World Sea Turtle Day, our Sea Turtle Week celebrated these spectacular marine animals. Also called marine turtles, they are air-breathing reptiles with streamlined bodies and large flippers. by NOAA Fisheries Posted 22 Jun 14:41 UTC Announcing the OCC Challenge Grant Announcing the OCC Challenge Grant A Challenge Grant to encourage challenging oceangoing adventures The OCC has established a Challenge Grant to encourage ambitious expeditions for environmental conservation or challenging oceangoing adventures. by Baxter Gillespie Posted 22 Jun 05:25 UTC Training future leaders in marine science Training future leaders in marine science University of Hawaii's Marine Option Program The top-notch internship is thanks to a unique certificate program within the University of Hawaii system called the Marine Option Program, or MOP. The program was founded in 1971, long before the university offered degrees in marine biology. by Joseph Bennington-Castro Posted 21 Jun 14:49 UTC Performance Soft Shackles Performance Soft Shackles Stronger and lighter than an aluminum shackle Designed in 2017, the Kohlhoff LOOP® Connectors provide a durable, strong, super-lightweight soft shackle which is perfect for splicing onto sheets or halyards. by Phil Anniss Posted 21 Jun 08:00 UTC Your Mediterranean match Your Mediterranean match Sunsail have the perfect destination to complement your sailing experience From strong winds and delicious tapas in the Balearics level-3 sailing ground, to easy, line-of-sight sailing and lush National Parks across Croatia, we've got the perfect Med destination to complement everyone's sailing experience. by Sunsail Posted 20 Jun 11:00 UTC Never Say Die! Never Say Die! Jeanne Socrates - already incredibly inspirational She's already incredibly inspirational, however she is probably best described as the human embodiment of perseverance, resilience, and dogged determination. by John Curnow, Editor, Sail-WorldCruising.com Posted 19 Jun 22:00 UTC ARC Europe concludes at Marina de Lagos ARC Europe concludes at Marina de Lagos That's a wrap! ARC Europe 2019 concluded in style with a packed final prizegiving dinner at Marina de Lagos on Sunday 16th June. Crews enjoyed a celebratory end to a memorable rally that has seen them sail west to east across the Atlantic on the multistage event by World Cruising Club Posted 18 Jun 05:26 UTC No direct link between currents & sea level No direct link between currents & sea level Study into North Atlantic currents and sea level along New England coast A new study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) clarifies what influence major currents in the North Atlantic have on sea level along the northeastern United States. by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Posted 17 Jun 12:43 UTC Getting to Grips with Winch Handles Getting to Grips with Winch Handles Considerations, current trends, alternatives... A winch handle is just a winch handle - right? It's true, but when buying a new one, there are a few things you need to consider. by Phil Anniss Posted 17 Jun 08:00 UTC 2019-20 World ARC: Leg 5 prize giving 2019-20 World ARC: Leg 5 prize giving Dinner at the Mango Bar & Grill in Tonga There was great excitement as participants of World ARC 2019-20 met up again as one group at the dinner and prize giving for Leg 5 at the Mango Bar & Grill. The evening began with a rum punch reception where the local brass band performed by World Cruising Club Posted 17 Jun 04:46 UTC ARC Portugal: Touring by tuk tuk ARC Portugal: Touring by tuk tuk Exploring the historic city of Porto ARC Portugal crews have been enjoying a fun-filled Friday exploring the historic city of Porto by tuk tuk and sampling Portugal's signature delights of port wine and Pastel de nata. by World Cruising Club Posted 15 Jun 15:38 UTC Plastic bag leads to death of a young beaked whale Plastic bag leads to death of a young beaked whale Off Florida's East Coast Biologists with the Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Marine Mammal Stranding Team responded to a dead whale reported Sunday off Ft. Pierce. by NOAA Fisheries Posted 15 Jun 14:41 UTC