Nautical Luxuries Blog

Code Flags, with their bold colors and sharp angles, are a terrific nautical accent any time of the year. Summer, though, seems like the best time of year to indulge in a little code flag fun!

Out on the back patio in Newport Beach, these canvas code flag pillows represent the initials of the owner’s four children. Each pillow is made to order, so you can spell out the name of your boat, or your own private message. They’re available in standard canvas and Sunbrella canvas for your outside patio or aft deck.  You’ll find them on the last page of the Pillows & Throws section.

These hand-hooked, 100% wool code flags pillows add a bright, cozy touch to any seaside home or yacht. Also available in hand-hooked 100% rugs and runners of various sizes to fit any room or hallway. You’ll find these in the Curtains & Rugs section.

Your guests will enjoy this fun set of code flag glasses; available in either acrylic or glass. Each of four glasses features a different code flag with the mariner’s meaning, including U: “You are running into danger” and K: “I want to communicate with you.”

Set a casual, nautical table this summer with our versatile and virtually indestructible Waving Flags melamine dinnerware. They come in a complete service for four, which includes 16 pieces.

Add a nautical touch to your year-round wardrobe with our silk Code Flag Scarf. Scarves are available in a variety of designs, and each is completely custom made, with your choice of up to 20 code flag letters. Get creative with a great fashion accessory and be a stand-out at the next yacht club event.

For him, a beatiful, bespoke set of gold Code Flag
Cufflinks with up to three enameled initials. A true
Nautical luxury! Find them in the Trophies & 
Jewelry section, under Men’s Accessories

Here’s a treat for you both!  His and hers Code Flag Watches, in elegant gold and in a stainless steel sport design. You’ll find them in the Trophies & Jewelry section, under Bracelets. 

There are plenty of other great ways to accessorize your home, your boat, or yourself, with colorful, nautical code flags! See more great ideas by searching “code flags” on the home page.

DJ

There’s no shortage of smiles and laughter around here, each time we get a new Bobblehead order in from the sculptors. It’s hard not to laugh at those little heads bobbling about!  Too bad we can’t capture that in a still photo.

Just received a thank you note from another happy helms-couple:

“Caryn LOVED the Bobbleheads of us. We look at them and laugh often. Enclosed is a photo of our bobbleheads. Thanks again.    Best regards,  Bill”

What yachtsman or yachtswoman wouldn’t get a kick out of a miniature caricature of themselves at the helm! From their deck shoes to their sailing jackets, our bobblehead figures are truly a one-of-a-kind gift idea for any sailor. All we need to create your very own bobblehead figure is a front and side close-up photograph of the face and head.

Can you imagine an entire AC team of Bobblehead Sailors? Larry Ellison? Russell Coutts? Spithill? Cayard? How about Dennis Connor? Lowell North? … bobbling away on YouTube? The mind bobbles – boggles!

DJ

March 5, 2011 Hout Bay, South Africa
Hout Bay Sandcastle Competition

Whether you’re a professional sand artist, an amateur castle creative or just love the feeling of beach sand between your fingers and toes, this is a day not to be missed. The annual contest, organised by Hout Bay’s Valley Pre-Primary School, is celebrating its 15th year. Building sandcastles is the order of the day but families can also enjoy activities such as face painting, pony rides, balloon artists, jumping castles, magicians, food stalls and other entertainment.

Registration is at 8.30am at Hout Bay beach on the day and the competition kicks off at 9.30am and runs until 1pm. Prizes will be given to winners in each category as selected by celebrity judges. Funds raised at this annual competition go toward improving facilities and sponsoring underprivileged children at Valley Pre-Primary school and Hout Bay Educare Centre in the Hangberg area.

March 12-27 Doha, Qatar
QATAR MARINE FESTIVAL

The Qatar Marine Festival (QMF) takes place at Cultural Village Foundation (Katara), with a wide range of family-oriented attractions on offer to visitors including ‘Sands Kingdom,’ which features 10 internationally-renowned artists crafting sand sculptures from the ground up. 10 artists work in five pairs creating sculptures on the theme of Qatar’s marine heritage. This week, the sand sculptors go head-to-head fashioning individual sculptures on endangered marine species and marine life.

Visitors will be given the opportunity to judge the works of the artists in high-tech ‘video booths’.
Additionally, every evening from 7-9pm, the sculptors will be taking time out from their own labour of love to conduct family sand sculpture workshops where visitors can create their own works of art under the supervision of the professionals. 4:00pm until late through 3/27.

April 15-17, 2011 Port Aransas, TX
TEXAS SAND FEST

SandFest has 24 Master Sculptors competing in 2011. It has become the largest Master Sand Sculpting Competition in the US!!!! SandFest is spread over three days, with a solo and a duo master’s contest and one day with over 200 amateur sculptors.

April 15 – June 15 Algarve, Portugal
9TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL SAND SCULPTURE FESTIVAL

The festival is unique in the Iberian Peninsula and is considered the largest festival of sand sculpture in the world, by the size of his sculptures and the area occupied by them. Every year, a group of talented sculptors, from various parts of the world and experts in the art of sculpting sand, joins to form thirty-five thousand tons of sand, an area of fifteen thousand square meters.

June 4, 2011 Galveston, TX
A1A SANDCASTLE COMPETITION

The American Institute of Architects is celebrating its 25th annual SandCastle Competition on Galveston’s East Beach. Watch as teams of architects, designers, and engineers vie for what is considered one of the world’s largest sandcastle competitions, organized by the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). This year over 60 teams have their eyes and shovels set on winning the prestigious Gold Bucket Award. 

On the day of the event the teams, stretched along the beach front, meticulously sculpt their piles of sand and work non-stop for five hours. The judging of all sculptures is rated on originality of concept, artistic execution of the concept, technical difficulty, carving technique, and utilization of the site. In addition to the Gold Bucket, best team t-shirt design, best team signage, best costume, and public favorite.  

Awards are given in 8 different themed categories: 
1.  That’s Entertainment 
2.  Let the Games Begin 
3.  Stars and Stripes 
4.  Most Complex 
5.  Best Traditional  
6.  Best Architectural  
7.  Most Hilarious
8.  Most Lifelike / Realistic

June 18, 2011  Cannon Beach, OR
CANNON BEACH SANDCASTLE CONTEST

 Image by George Vetter
It’s hard to tell whether the participants or the spectators enjoy this event more. It all begins just after the early morning high tide, and ends as the next high tide reclaims the beach.  Anyone can participate. The emphasis is on fun. Contestants pre-register online, as individuals or as teams by age group, and are judged not only on the finished product, but also on enthusiasm and teamwork.

The rules are simple. Contestants must stay within their designated plot (20′x 20′ for adults). No sand may be added or removed from the plot. Only materials natural to the beach may be used in the finished sculpture. Plots and judging are organized into divisions by age, individual or team, and building instruments, such as forms, used.

July 11, 2011 Belmar, NJ
25th Annual New Jersey Sandcastle Contest

New Jersey’s largest sand sculpting event!  Building runs form 8:00am – 2:00pm at Belmar’s 18th Avenue beach. The competition is free and open to participants of all ages. Three prize places are awarded in six individual categories:

• 7 and under
• 8 to 11
• 12 to 15
• 16 and up
• Family
• Day Camps

There is also a “Best on the Beach” award. Spend a fun day at the beach – free giveaways, drinks, snacks,
music and more!

July 16, 2011 Weston-super-Mare, UK
25th Annual New Jersey Sandcastle

RIBA South West, RIBA Bristol & Bath Branch, RSAW and Design Circle (RSAW South) bring you the 2011 Architectural Sandcastle Competition for budding young designers and those with a little more experience to engage in some light-hearted competition on the sands of Weston-super-Mare, next to the seaquarium. 1pm – 5pm.

There will be four categories:

• Tallest sand structure
• Most technically daring
• Best overall scheme
• and the publically voted People’s choice.

Teams should consist of up to six members and children are more than welcome to take part. Each team should provide their own equipment; buckets, spades and any other tools that are to be used (please note: motorised diggers are not allowed).

July 16-17, 2011 Parksville, BC, Canada
QUALITY FOODS CANADIAN OPEN SAND SCULPTING COMPETITION & EXHIBITION

A world class event for Master Sand Sculptors, this event is an official qualifying event for the World Championship of Sand Sculpting in Federal Way, Washington! Master Sand Sculptors travel from all corners of the globe to participate in our remarkable competition and exhibition in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada. Sculptors have 24 hours over three days to create their masterpieces from just sand and water (and a lot of ingenuity!)

July 20-24 Long Beach, WA
SANDSATIONS SAND SCULPTURE CONTEST

2011 is Sandsations 27th year of family sandcastle building and entertainment on the beach in Long Beach, WA. FREE sculpting lessons on Friday, followed by a beach bonfire Friday night.  Saturday is the big day, with five hours of sculpting on the beach and the Sand Flea Pet Parade.  Prizes and notoriety are guaranteed!

Also, four Masters artists will build sand scultures in downtown Long Beach on Wednesday, culminating Friday afternoon with a sculpture you can stand in to have your photo taken for your holiday cards and scrapbooks.  This is a great opportunity to watch masters artists in an environment where time is less of an obstacle to their building and they’ll be able to answer questions.  There will also be a children’s learning play area and our Sandsations trailer will be on hand for early registration, purchase of Sandsations t-shirts, hoodies, and baseball caps. The sculptures will be on display through Sunday 6:00 pm

July 22-23, 2011  Imperial Beach, CA
THE US OPEN SANDCASTLE CHAMPIONSHIP

Visitors stroll up and down Seacoast Drive, closed to traffic for the event, taking in the entertainment, food, arts and crafts, and other experiences the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition has to offer. The musical entertainment, selected from a wide variety of family friendly local acts, draws a huge crowd every year. The Kids-N-Kastles Competition is held on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, the official U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition will be held.  Professional and amateur sand carving teams throughout the U.S. will compete in the sandcastle building competition with more than $21,000 in cash prizes. Sandcastle building begins at 9:00am and concludes at 2:00pm. Sculptures are only available for viewing until 4:00pm due to the tides.

August 6, 2011 Amagansett, NY
20TH ANNUAL EAST HAMPTON SANDCASTLE CONTEST

East Hampton’s Clamshell Foundation presents the 20th annual East Hampton SandCastle Contest FROM 9:00AM – 4:00PM.  Talented, creative and fun loving people of all ages will compete on the beach in five categories for who can build the best sandcastle. Trophies and prizes are awarded in each of the 5 categories.

October 19-23, 2011 South Padre Island, TX
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND SAND CASTLE DAYS

Amateur and professional sand sculptors from all over the world descend on South Padre Island every year to create beautiful works of art using natural elements of the beach. The not-for-profit event showcases the artwork and an appreciation for the coastal environment, and donates to organizations helping to preserve it.

Masters of Sand – Twenty four of the best sand sculptors in the world will work their magic in Isla Blanca Park for three days on the shores of the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. This South Padre Island family festival has become one of the biggest and best international sand sculpture competitions in the United States!

Mid-November, Dates TBD Fort Myers, FL
THE 25TH ANNUAL AMERICAN SAND SCULPTING CHAMPIONSHIP FESTIVAL

Mid-November, Dates TBD Fort Myers, FL
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF SAND SCULPTING

For the second time in history, The World Championship of Sand Sculpting, the largest gathering of sand sculptors in the world, will be in the United States! You’ll see master sand sculptors from across the globe competing to create glorious works of art out of nothing more than sand and water. You’ll see a competition where the contestants must have the physical ability of an athlete and the precision of a surgeon. Each, whether team or solo, must move their sand by the shovel full into forms, compact it, and carve to completion within a set time frame.

To travelers from all around the globe, Fort Myers Beach has world class sand. “The beaches of England are quite rubbish and they don’t have many shells. So I was expecting it to be a little like England, but its not. It’s much better,” said Caitlin Devereaux, who is visiting Fort Myers Beach from England. In fact it’s so much better that a stretch of Fort Myers Beach will be the home of the 2011 World Championship of Sand Sculpting. Works of art will be on display right behind the Holiday Inn, bringing in at least 60 international artists to the fierce competition. The 10-day event is expected to bring out hundreds of thousands of people to Fort Myers Beach, pumping millions of dollars into the economy.

October 1, 2011 (TBD) Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA
28th Annual Leap Sandcastle Contest

The Leap Sandcastle Contest is Northern California’s largest sandcastle building event. Leap hosts this spirited competition between teams of architects, engineers, contractors, designers and local elementary school students each October at Ocean Beach. With proceeds from sponsors and team fundraising, Leap serves over 6,500 students in over 25 schools across the Bay Area with hands-on learning experiences in art and architecture. This event is a fundraiser, but admission is free. Be there, from 10:00am – 4:00pm, for another exciting competition showcasing the Bay Area’s most enthusiastic young minds!

Images of the new superyacht design concepts from Schopfer Yachts just arrived in my inbox, making my jaw drop, and making me wonder… is this really the future of superyachts and, if so, why am I having such a hard time embracing it!

It’s a showstopper, to be sure, and I applaud the innovation E. Kevin Schopfer has employed in the design of these extraordinary vessels. The specs reveal an enviable level of comfort and style, with accomodation for 12 guests and “speeds upwards of 25 knots.” Yet, in my old-school opinion, that design innovation also presents a curious contradiction between exterior lines that (purposefully?) associate the vessel with the sea, through their resemblance to a whale’s eye and jawline, and a reverse bow that counters my long-held expectations of what a seagoing vessel should look like. This is definitely not your father’s superyacht!

I’m trying to imagine feeling comfortable with an intimate group of friends, under the 12 foot high ceiling in the main salon, or in the cylindrical double height dining room, or getting cozy on furnishings that look like they were designed for an intergalactic space shuttle. 

So is this the future? Maybe. With an increasing number of superyacht purchases being a first-boat purchase, more and more owners have no previous yachting, (much less sailing), background. They approach yachting with no preconceived expectations.

Why am I not quick to embrace it? I’m still not sure, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that I’d still rather be sailing than looking, like Jonah, through a whale’s eye, at the surrounding seas while sitting next to an onboard water feature. In the mean time, I enjoy the imaginative creativity of new concepts like this and look forward to what the future has in store.

DJ

I have so may wonderful memories of the International America’s Cup Class, (IACC), yachts – from building our own USA 50 and 54 in Hawaii, to competing in Auckland, to seeing IACC yachts compete alongside 12 Metres and other classic AC yachts during the America’s Cup Jubilee in Cowes, to their final “battles” in Valencia.  

With the shift to catamarans for AC 34, the IACC has officially become a matter of record and an important part of Cup history. Twenty years of design innovation, 100 boats constructed, and over 1,100 fiercely fought races. It was a great run!

Thank you, Bruno, for organizing this farewell tribute, as well as nearly 30 years of Louis Vuitton Cup competition! It is welcome news that Louis Vuitton will be onboard for the next (FB?) generation of Cup racing in San Francisco.

Wyland painting 50                                                            And at the helm

USA50 Sailing off Diamond Head                               50 & 54 Awaiting Offloading in Auckland

Farewell to the IACC!

DJ

Or, is that A Sailor’s Favorite Competition?  Surely, the race back to the bar is one our crew has won a time or two!  For the second year running, Wight Vodka partnered with Scuttlebutt Europe to present one of the most “important” contests in the sailing world…. the Favorite Yachting Bar of 2010! 

Last year’s winner was  Peter Café Sport, located in Horta in the Azores. This year, voting was done on the Scuttlebutt Europe website, with the winner announced on New Year’s Eve… but before we reveal the winner… a tasty cocktail idea from Wight: 

NORTHERN WIGHT

- 1/2 shot chilled Wight Vodka
- 1 shot Cranberry Juice
- 1 shot Pomegranate Juice
- Champagne
- Chambord

Combine Vodka and juices in a cocktail shaker with ice and mix for a minute or two to really chill it. Strain into your favorite (Nautical Luxuries) champagne flutes, top with champagne and a splash of Chambord.

Back to the competition, “hundreds and hundreds” of submissions were received this year, but the winner was the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke in the BVI. The birthplace of the Painkiller cocktail, the bar derives its name from the yachtsmen and women who swim ashore to enjoy the food, drink and conversation there, paying with wet dollar bills pulled from their pockets.

If you find yourself in the BVI, make your way to the south coast of Jost Van Dyke and enjoy a few cocktails while overlooking White Bay. If you can’t make it to the BVI this winter, mix up a batch of Northern Wight cocktails and make plans for next year!

DJ

Admittedly, I am passionate about the sea - the lifestyle it engenders, the beauty it embodies, the pleasurable moments it brings - and I feel strongly that with that passion comes a responsibility to preserve this priceless resource. 

Once again this December, Nautical Luxuries is donating a percentage of wreath sales to the International SeaKeepers Society. The SeaKeepers not only share my passion for the sea, but are also actively involved in protecting it. A US-based non-profit organization, SeaKeepers monitors the health of the world’s oceans by deploying information-gathering modules on private yachts, cruise ships, and other vessels and coastal locations around the planet. 

I cannot think of a more beautifully appropriate gift for nautical enthusiasts to give or receive, than a holiday wreath adorned with the sea’s bounty;  a beautiful statement of their passion and commitment to the sea! 

Included with each wreath is a note letting the recipient know that the wreath they’ve received has helped to protect our oceans. 

Learn more about the SeaKeepers. 

See our entire selection of coastal wreaths. 

  DJ     

It isn’t often that we introduce such a great fashion accessory!
Quintessentially nautical, fashionably elegant and truly clever fun, these hand-painted scarves are now on my Christmas wish list! And, I hope every gift-challenged man out there who thinks a polo shirt and a matching team hat are exactly what she wants for Christmas, is listening. Not only will she look terrific stepping off the boat, attending this year’s Installation Banquet, or even sitting in a meeting at the office, you’ll score extra points for creating something that’s uniquely hers.

Customized code flags let you create your own special message, just for her. Four different scarf styles allow for up to 20 letters along one side, or up to 10 letters on each end. Our staff came up with a few favorite ideas:

ITS HAPPY HOUR SOMEWHERE         LOVE TO SAIL  
 WINK IF YOU CAN READ THIS         SAILING NUT
 CHAMPAGNE FOR EVERYONE         TROPHY WIFE 
I AM THE COMMODORES WIFE       BORN TO SAIL
 I AM NO MANS GALLEY SLAVE      WINCH WENCH
   THIS IS MY SAILING SCARF          I SAIL DO YOU
  WILL SAIL FOR CHAMPAGNE         TIME FOR RUM

Have fun getting creative, but do order by December 1st to ensure delivery in time for Christmas!

DJ

In the ‘bizarre but thematically timely’ nautical decor category, this surreal set from an editorial in Vogue magazine has an extravagantly haunting impact. According to the editorial, (about ice, of all things), the lowly ice cube has been elevated to new heights by bartending cognoscenti. Designer ice. Who knew. Love the set design, and fully intend to ask the bartender about my ice’s pedigree, next happy hour.

DJ

50,000 people turned out this past weekend for the Annapolis Boat Show, and I was lucky enough to be walking the docks right there with them! To make it even better, we had sunny, warm weather the entire weekend. My neighbor Chuck swears it was the best weather the show’s seen in its 41-year history! 

My first time visiting this show, I was impressed with the size of the show, and with the unique “sailing vibe” there. The Fort Lauderdale and Miami shows are larger, but they’re predominantly powerboat shows, and their “vibe” is very different. Here in Annapolis, it was all about sailing. 

My own show favorites were the hot little Audi Melges 20 and the beautiful Oyster 72 with a great cockpit setup.  Aside from the boats and accessories, the show also offered basic sailing instruction in an onshore classroom setting – people were constantly lined up waiting to get in! It was also great fun running into so many people I’d worked or sailed with before, including our 2000 America’s Cup skipper, John Kolius with KO-Sailing in Texas. 

Enjoying "Pain Killers" on the Rooftop Terrace Bar