DestinSharks is pleased to announce the availability of ‘EarthNC Plus‘ - a compilation of 677 US marine charts on a single CD for use with Google Earth. Charts are derived from NOAA ENC and Army Corps IENC digital vector charts with significant enhancements for use with Google Earth’s powerful 3D mapping engine. EarthNC Plus is being offered at an introductory price of $49.95 which includes a 12 month chart update subscription.

Following direct sales at the Emerald Coast Boat Show this weekend, we will begin shipping EarthNC Plus orders via our new website at EarthNC.com.

CNN is reporting the rather rare instance of 2 people falling from the Cruiser Liner Grand Princess and living to tell the tale. We were especially interested as we often watch the Princess cruisers sail from Galveston around 6pm each evening via the AIS feed on VesselTrax.com
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The Florida Sun Sentinel reports the unfortunate death of 3 recreational divers on the ex- USS Spiegel Grove off Key Largo (see map below). According to the article: (more…)

We’d been looking for a small boat to carry on our Regal 2760 for use at anchor or at our favorite beach locations. The Regal is big enough for a modest dingy, but we’re not yet in the position to spend for the necessary outboard to go with it. I’d seen advertisements for the Aquaglide products, but hadn’t had a chance to evaluate one up close until our trip to the Miami boat show last month. At the show, we got to see the Aquaglide Multisport, which is a combination towable, windsurfer, sailboat, and kayak built on an inflatable hull for easy portability. We decided this fit the bill as a carry along ‘toy’ for our cruising adventures and would give us a nice platform to teach the kids some basic sailing techniques. Read on for our review: (more…)

This year’s Emerald Coast Boat Show will be held at the Emerald Coast Conference Center on Okaloosa Island from Friday March 30th to Sunday April 1st. This show is normally well attended by local dealers. We’ll post more information on times and special events as they become available.

Today’s demo was highlighted by warm sun, great board action, and tasty food. Unfortunately, a good wind was not to be had. Flexifoil rider Billy Parker reverted fossil-fuel power to put on a show for members of the Gulf Coast Kiteboarders Association and XLKites kite shop. The light winds made for great boating and we took ‘Southern Comfort’ out to watch the wakeboard and wakeskate action. Click on the photo to see the full gallery.

The wind forecast is favorable for tomorrow and everyone will be back out the beach around 9am for the demo and riding. The race and downwinder will start around 4pm wind permitting.