We are so happy to hear that Abby Sunderland was found safe after losing communication with her parents and sounding her EPIRB alarms.  She was in radio communication with an Australian jet, and a boat should reach her tomorrow.  Abby was aboard her sailing vessel, Wild Eyes, when she was hammered by 60 knot winds and 20-25 foot waves.

Photo credits by GizaraArts.Com.

We have been following Jessica Watson since the inception of her incredible trip.  She started at 15!  We are pleased to hear via her blog and the LA Times that her mission is complete.

Sea Sense has been offering sailing and power boating instruction primarily to women boaters since 1989. This Florida school offers classes worldwide on charter boats as well as privately owned boats.  Early on, the company integrated international offerings into its courses and has taught throughout the Caribbean and in Italy, Greece, France, and Tahiti. Each year a different international course is offered and in 2010, Sea Sense will teach an all-women course on board a modern, 48-foot canal barge in Ireland along the Shannon River from Sept. 11-18.

The boat travels through the Irish countryside that is home to ancient Celtic monasteries. Each evening will be spent tied along the canal in picturesque village ports with hospitable people and warm pubs for dinner and music.

This is a great way for women to become comfortable with boat handling, navigation, and routine boat maintenance while getting to experience a great travel experience in a beautiful environment.  The course will focus on chart reading, helmsmanship, hands-on maneuvering and docking, knot tying and proper line handling, and basic engine checks and troubleshooting.

The course is open to women of any level of boating skill.  Here’s a way to improve your boating confidence and get a vacation at the same time.

Do you know about Marinalife.com?  This company provides a unique centralized online booking system for marinas.   They provide information on marinas and also gas locations and pricing as well as many other options.  They are currently celebrating their 10th anniversary and there are some special deals on their site.

This is the 2009 version of best gift ideas for boaters.  For those of you who haven’t planned ahead, this could be your salvation.

My  iPod Touch (the new 3rd generation) is the best iPod ever (yes I had to upgrade), and will be cherished as a gift.  A small item that can hold lots of music, videos (including TV and movies), your email, games, and a zillion apps.  Basically it does everything the iPhone does without the phone.  The built in speaker is also handy as is the ability to record voice memos or make free skype calls.  There are tons of boating and sailing apps to keep you informed and entertained.

Captain Fixit loves his Keurig coffee maker.  He has this one but wasn’t lucky enough to save over 25% like that listed price.  No coffee pot to clean, everyone gets their own favorite brew, and you get the perfect cup of coffee every time.  They also sell a tiny one now.

Our favorite earphones for your ipod (or computer) have a great design and come in five colors.  You get 6 sets of silicon earpads so you can customize the fit, a cable winder, and a small, thin case with this luxurious lightweight  earphone set.   We have used these for 2 years, and still love these V-Moda Vibe earphones! The noise canceling properties enhance the excellent reproduction of treble and midrange.  Of course the price is now less than half what we paid!

As recommended last year, the book, Classic Yachts would be a great gift and you can get it for a reduced price here.

The Amazon Kindle is always a wanted gift.  Captain Fixit can’t live without his!  Or for someone who already has a Kindle, get a case like the standard black one, or a funky red one.

And if all else fails, an Amazon Gift Card will do the trick.  After all, who can’t find what they want on Amazon, and you can email or even print the gift card yourself if you run out of time.

So get busy since you only have a few days left and finish that shopping!

It is really easy to follow what is happening with Jessica Watson since there is good web coverage. You can get latest updates, track videos here and read her blog.

It’s clear what 15 year old Abby Sunderland is going to do.  She is going to try her hardest to beat the record of her brother, Zac Sunderland!

Abby plans to leave for her trip next month if her family is able to secure a vessel for her.  Her goal besides beating Zac’s record, is to be the youngest to circumnavigate solo.   Check out Abby’s new website and her blog for more details and some great photos.

Photo credits by GizaraArts.Com.

You have read about Zac and Jessica on this blog, and now we need to report on Mike Perham.  Mike is the youngest person to sail single-handed around the world.  This 17 year-old British sailor become the youngest solo sailor when he completed the trip in his 50ft yacht named Totallymoney.com a few weeks ago.  But this was not enough for Mike, who crossed the Atlantic when he was 14!

It is incredible to think that at 17 he has completed this mission and already announced his next pursuit, the Bounty Boat Adventure. Visit Mike’s new site and blog.

This week, Hilary Lister made history sailing solo around Britain in a 20 ‘ boat.  What makes this story so inspirational is that Hilary, 37, is a quadriplegic, and controls her boat with a series of straws.  The videos below tell the story.

We have been hearing about Linda Lou of Georgetown, a 197′ Lurrsen mega yacht on the marine radio.  Reader Robert Binette observed Linda Lou on the St. Lawrence River in front of Lanoraie recently.   The church in the background is of the Lanoraie village, 35 miles East of Montreal.  Thanks for the photo, Robert!  Diane Byrne has a post about Linda Lou including some great interior photos.