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Learn to Sail with Charlie St. Cloud in British Columbia

Charlie St. Cloud, which opens in theaters today, stars Zac Efron as Charlie, a young man dealing with the fact that his little brother was killed in a car accident while he was driving. Sounds like a downer, right? The good news is that Zac's character is also an avid sailor, which provides some serious travel inspiration for the rest of us, even if Charlie is a little messed up.

Though the movie was set in Massachusetts, it was filmed in and around Vancouver, meaning Charlie did much of his sailing off of Deep Cove and in Port Renfew. For the sailing novice, there are several outfits in the area that will take you out for a day, or even overnight excursions, so you can learn the basics.

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Sailing / Boats / Active Travel / Los Angeles Travel / Marina del Rey Travel / Yacht Charters / Zac Efron / → All Tags

Sailing Around California's Marina del Rey In A Myriad Of Ways

Not far from the hustle, bustle, and general madness that is Los Angeles lies Marina del Rey, a refreshingly laid back waterfront city. Idyllic weather and beautiful scenery provide the backdrop for sailing its surrounding waters, we're hard-pressed to find reasons why you wouldn't want to hit the high seas yourself.

Sailing lessons in Marina del Rey attract both out-of-towners and high-profile celebrities, such as Zac Efron, who's also an occasional thrill-seeker.

In addition to sailing, there is a myriad of options for seagoing adventures depending on your taste. Get in touch with your inner sea captain this summer with Marina de Rey's top activities:

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Good Sportsmanship: Around-the-World Yacht Racers Alter Course to Aid Injured Competitor

The toughest solo yacht race on the planet threw an extra curve ball at French sailor Yann Elies on Thursday, as he suffered a broken leg when his sailboat was hit by a massive wave 800 miles from the coast of Australia. In an impressive show of sportsmanship and support for their stricken rival, two other competitors altered course to go to his aid, arriving at about the same time as an Australian naval frigate. British yachtswoman Sam Davies (pictured) and Frenchman Marc Guillemot both diverted their respective vessels to intercept Elies, because, as Davies notes, "most of the time we are our nearest rescuers." Elies was transferred to the frigate and put under a doctor's care, and Davies and Guillemot have since returned to the race.

And what a race it is: the Vendée Globe requires sailors to circle the globe all alone, without stopping, and with no assistance from anyone. This year's race began at Les Sables d'Olonne, France on November 9 and will end some time in February in the exact same place, after the racers have gone around the world following the old clipper route and passing through gates near South Africa, east and west Australia, and in the Pacific Ocean. Amazingly, some of these talented sailors finish in less than 100 days. It sounds exciting, but with broken legs, seasickness, and the possibility of drowning, we'll stick to the pleasure cruises for now.

[Photo: telegraph.co.uk]

Related Stories:
· British Yachtswoman Resumes Race After Rival is Rescued [Telegraph]
· Injured Vendee Sailor Elies Rescued By Navy Ship [AP]
· Vendée Globe [Official Site]
· Yachting Coverage [Jaunted]

Sailing / Pirates / Pirate Travel / World Records / → All Tags

Let's All Just Give Up Now: Spunky 16-year-old Set to Break Solo Sailboat Circumnavigation Record

Do you ever feel like you need to do more with your life? Do you yearn to tap into your deepest reserves of inspiration and soar to great heights, taking huge risks and making accomplishments that earn you the love and admiration of people around the world? If so, you should probably get over it. Whatever you were going to do, it's already being done by someone faster, smarter, and younger than you. Case in point: 16-year-old Zac Sunderland, who is on course to become the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the earth solo in a sailboat. A nifty LA Times story introduces us to the high-achieving skipper, who is near the halfway point of his journey in a 36-foot boat called the Intrepid. He has already traveled 12,000 miles and gone through every nautical problem short of sinking, including a recent close call with a group of pirates off the coast of Indonesia. A large wooden vessel flying no flags or markings was clearly on course to intercept him, prompting him to call his family in Thousand Oaks, California for advice. His dad's suggestion: load the .357 and shoot to kill. Fortunately for everybody involved, the pirates turned away at the last minute, and a relieved Sunderland continued on toward Mauritius. If all goes according to plan, he'll break the record in another five months or so at the age of 17 when he returns to his home port of Marina del Rey. As for the rest of us, let's congratulate Zac on the impressive feat, secure in the knowledge that we could do it too, if we felt like it.

[Photo: LA Times]

Related Stories:
· Zac Sunderland, Solo Teen Sailor, Discovers Perils of the High Seas [LA Times]
· Zac Sunderland [Official Site]
· Sailing Coverage [Jaunted]

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Great Seas, Small Boats Travel: Crossing the Taiwan Strait

A chemistry teacher from the Sichuan province of China plans to put his glue-making skills to the ultimate test: He's planning to set sail across the Taiwan Strait in a six-foot-long paper boat on October 31.

Teacher Zhu Yalin has made a similar--if shorter--journey before, taking a different paper boat 50 miles down the Mingjiang River in 2005. Perhaps surprisingly, he says this trip will be easier:

According to my observations and experience, the conditions in the Taiwan Strait are much better than the Mingjiang River. I am really looking forward to it.

That said, he's still planning to have a lifeboat along for the trip.

Related Stories:
· Sea Trek by Paper Boat [Ananova]
· Scary China Travel: Algae Attack! [Jaunted]

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Tourist Boat Sinks in the Shadow of Notre Dame

A 45-year-old man and a six-year-old boy drowned in the Seine after a boat they were in sank Saturday. The vessel may have collided with one the flat-bottomed boats that ferry tourists up and down the river or the Pont de l'Archeveche, which links Île de la Cité to the Left Bank. Police are still investigating.

Another ten passengers were plucked from the water after the incident, and a barge from the tour company Bateaux-Mouches is reportedly moored near the scene. The boat's captain and first officer are both in custody.

Though boating accidents on the Seine are quite rare, The New York Times says currents near Paris' bridges can be unpredictable. We'll be sticking to the beach this summer.

Related Stories:
· Shipwreck on the Seine [Metro, in French]
· Two Die After Tourist Boat Sinks [NYT]
· Paris Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Olympics / Beijing Olympics / Beijing Olympics 2008 / Sailing / Boats / Environment / Beaches / → All Tags

Adventures of Link: The Algae-Free Sea

That didn't take long. Just a couple weeks ago, Olympics officials and sailing enthusiasts were panicking about an algal attack off the coast of Qingdao.

But thanks to 20,000 "volunteers," the Yellow Sea is all cleaned up--at least so says the country's state-run media outlet. Officials also say that three sea barriers designed to hold back any further algal outbreaks have been set up around the waters designated for competition.

Related Stories:
· Qingdao Confident of Sailing Success [Xinhua]
· Algae Plaguing Olympic Sailing Venue [AFP, via Google]
· China Says Algae Cleared for Sailing [NYT]
· China Says Olympics Sailing Site is Algae-Free [AP, via Google]
· Scary China Travel: Algae Attack! [Jaunted]

[Photo: Xinhua]

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Not Quite "Master and Commander": Jaunted Goes to Sailing School, Part 2

When last we left Jaunted editor Paul Brady, he had finished the first two days of his basic keelboat sailing lessons at the Manhattan Sailing School. How was Day Three?

It was a serious drag to wake up before 8 am on a Sunday. But I managed to pull myself out of bed, tired from tugging on lines the day before, to meet up with my instructor and fellow students to set out for another day on the water.

The early weather report didn't look good, but like true mariners we rigged our boat anyway. Soon after, we were out on the Hudson again, practicing our tacking and jibing in winds so light we were probably only making a couple of knots.

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Not Quite "Master and Commander": Jaunted Goes to Sailing School

After years of talking about it, making excuses and generally being a baby about the whole thing, Jaunted editor Paul Brady finally signed up for sailing lessons. He took Basic Keelboat Sailing 101 at the Manhattan Sailing School.

The first time I got in a sailboat, I managed to flip the thing over. Granted, it was a Sunfish--and could handle being capsized--but the experience didn't exactly make me eager to get back at the helm.

Still, I can hardly spend my time traveling along the Eastern Seaboard and through the Caribbean avoiding sail boats. It'd be like going to Bourbon Street and ordering a virgin margarita. So since I didn't grow up near water and I don't have a crusty old sea-going uncle to show me the ropes, I did the next best thing: I signed up for a class with an American Sailing Association instructor in Manhattan.

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Scary China Travel: Algae Attack!

Sound the alarms! The Chinese city of Qingdao has come under algal attack--and the Olympics could be at risk! More than 30 percent of the waters designated for sailing contests off the coast of the city are inundated with thick enteromorpha prolifera. But the Chinese authorities have a way with getting people to "volunteer," and a reported 20,000 citizens have pitched in to clean up the Yellow Sea.

Agricultural run off is often the culprit when it comes to algal blooms, but Chinese officials told the state news agency that isn't the case this time. And they may not be lying! Blooms fueled by nitrates from fertilizers are usually red, and the stuff on the shores of Qingdao is bright green.

As the clean-up continues, the local Olympics Sailing Committee is planning a 30-mile-long fence to help keep the bloom at bay. The group says everything should be sorted by July 15; the games start on August 8.

Related Stories:
· Algae Threatens Olympic Sailing [NYT]
· Qingdao Vows to Clean Algae Invading Olympic Venue [Xinhua]
· Beijing Olympics coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Guardian]

Southeast Asia Field Trip / Southeast Asia Travel / Sailing / Boats / → All Tags

SEA Field Trip: Motoring up the Mekong

Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.

The villages along the Mekong River from Cambodia's Phnom Penh to Vietnam's Chau Doc contain unspoiled culture, authentic food and kind, welcoming people willing to take in travelers. We remembered the film "Apocalypse Now," where a boat ride up the Mekong is a trip to the depths of hell. On the contrary: Often times it quite literally felt like heaven on earth.

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African Pirates Kidnap Boating Family

A German family was recently kidnapped aboard their yacht near Yemen by pirates who took them to the quasi-official Republic of Somaliland. A local man who described himself as an elder to the BBC told reporters that a mother, father and child had been captured and taken hostage in the mountains. The elder said he was doing his best to negotiate with the pirates.

Piracy is a major problem in the waterways surrounding the Horn of Africa, but it's usually freighters that come under attack. As for Somaliland, it's one of several disputed territories in Somalia. The area is plagued by lawlessness and has become a popular haven for pirates. Maybe soon it'll be the setting for the Hollywood blockbuster "Black Yacht Down."

Related Stories:
· Pirates "Seize Family off Yemen" [BBC]
· Dangerous Travel coverage [Jaunted]