Photo comp winners, shark boats and HUGE barnacles in the savvy news...

Photo comp winners, shark boats and HUGE barnacles in the savvy news...

Hey savvy friends,

How’s it going out there? Are you just heading into summer or battening down the hatches as winter comes knocking on your hull? Either way, we’ve got some fantastic boaty boat chatter to keep you entertained.

In fact, let's start by announcing our photo competition victor!

A whale broaching off the bow of a motorboat in calm waters

Snap! We Have a Photo Competition Winner!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first-ever savvy navvy photo competition. We are stoked to see how many of you sent in your incredible videos and photos from your #savvyadventures around the world.

We’re not gonna lie, picking was tough…but in the end, there could only be one winner and that award goes to Mark Strachan!

Thank you to everyone who took part. We'll likely launch another competition before long so keep an eye out!

A shark jumping out of the water onto a boat

Photo credit: Churchys Charters

Ummm, Say What Now? A Shark Jumps Onto a Charter Boat?! 

I’ll be honest when I stumbled upon this I really thought it was a hoax but it seems it really did happen. 

Apparently on Saturday Churchys Charter NZ skipper, Ryan, was out off the coast of Whitianga with five customers on the hunt for kingfish when the shark took one of the crews' bate. After a few minutes of fighting the shark leapt out of the water and onto the foredeck.

Thankfully all the guests and crew were standing on the aft! We’re sure the poor shark got quite the fright…

Watch the video here.

Golden globe race sailor

Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

Guy Waites Shares His Barnacle Misery in the Golden Globe Race

Can unprecedented barnacle growth really prevent your boat from moving? Well, it seems that is indeed the case. Many of you might have heard of Guy Waite’s struggle with what is known as gooseneck barnacles which are now several inches long and seemingly immovable.

It seems the only solution is to haul the Tradewind 35 out of the water to have them removed which would see Guy move to the Chichester class within the race. But as it looks like the barnacles are acting like a drogue, there is little other option!

Read the full story here. 

man using VHF onboard a sailing boat

Brush Up on Your Skills with Above & Beyond Boatings VHF Radio Course

Pssst! Looking to brush up on your skills over the winter? Our friends over at Above & Beyond Boating have a super useful self-paced online marine radio course designed by experts. This four-hour course helps to prepare you for your SROCP exam and helps you obtain your radio licence.

Get the full details here.

man driving electric boat with USA flag

Electric Boats Making a Splash at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show

With 1,300 exhibitors and 1,000 boats on display across three million square feet of in-water and on-land exhibit space, it’s safe to say the fort Lauderdale Boat Show makes quite the splash!

Whilst it seems 2022 was still dominated by many fuel-powered vessels, did you check out the impressive array of electric boats shammied, shined and on display? Brands included X Shore, Vision Marine Technologies, Limestone/Aquasport Boats, Four Winns, TWIN-DISC, Voltari, Sunreef Yachts, Aqua superPower, ePropulsion and many, many more…

Take a look here.

Man in foul weather gear and life jacket on sailing boat at sea

Credit: Chris Humphries

New boat owner: Lessons learned on a shakedown sail

Okay so you just purchased your new boat and it’s the most exciting day ever! Or is it? Buying a new boat is exhilarating but it’s safe to say it’s also a big learning curve. Any boat you are unfamiliar with is likely to have its quirks, some better than others. 

So, how can you take your new pride and joy for a shake-down trip to iron out all the kinks so they don’t end up taking you by surprise?

After buying a Dufour Classic 35, Chris Humphries experiences a series of hardships when trying to sail his new boat home from Conwy to Plymouth. This handy article from Yachting Monthly shares some of the hardships Chris faced and provides tips for making the transition to a new boat as smooth as possible.

Read more here.

Until next time...

Thanks for joining us for this week's edition of the savvy news, I hope it entertained you and scratched that mid-week boaty itch...

We love to hear from our members, so if you're up to something fun and exciting, please share your stories with us!

Fair winds...

Hannah and the savvy crew

P.S. Read the articles from last months Newsletter

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