Author Peter Janssen

Boat Reviews
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Vicem To Unveil New 55 Flybridge at Lauderdale

Vicem, the highly regarded Turkish builder, will launch its all-new Vicem 55 Classic Flybridge at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, starting Oct. 26. The new 55 flybridge is constructed with cold-molded mahogany and West System epoxy, giving it a semi-custom look. It’s part of Vicem’s Custom series, with boats from 46 to 80 feet; they all feature classic Downeast styling and the company says they’re designed with Maine lobster boats in mind – at least for their seakeeping abilities. But the new 55 does carry Downeast lines, even down to the touch of tumblehome aft. The 55 Classic sedan…

Boat Reviews
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Aspen Launches New, Unique, Tenders

Aspen Power Catamarans just launched their new Carbon Cat, a series of innovative rigid tenders with a lightweight hybrid hull for stability and efficiency. The hull form, with a patent in process, has a deep, single entry forefoot and then gently widens aft and resembles a modified catamaran for stability and lift. The boats are built with a lot of carbon fiber construction (therefore their name). And they’re strong; there’s nothing to puncture. The company says you can step on the gunnels while boarding, or sit there underway. The boat is surrounded by a thick foam bumper made from SeaDek…

Boat Reviews
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U-Boat Worx Unveils 123-foot Superyacht Sub

If you want to channel your inner Jules Verne, take a look at the new 123-foot Nautilus superyacht from U-Boat Worx that cruises on the surface at 9 knots and underwater at 4 knots. U-Boat Worx, a creative Dutch builder, just unveiled plans for the Nautilus at the Monaco yacht show. It’s a unique diesel-electric vessel that functions both as a traditional luxurious superyacht and as an equally luxurious submarine. When it’s on the surface, the Nautilus has a massive sundeck with a freshwater pool, a bar and an al fresco dining area. The deck that all this resting on…

Cruising Life
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Deadly Storm Slams Florida, Heads Up Atlantic Coast

Hurricane Ian slammed into southwest Florida on Wednesday afternoon, with sustained winds up to 155 mph and a life-threatening storm surge as high as 12 feet. It left as many as hundreds of possible casualties as homes floated away, roads turned into rivers and more than 2.5 million people lost electricity. The storm was worst in the Naples, Fort Myers and Port Charlotte areas. Tampa, a bit north, where the last hurricane was in 1921, was spared the worst of Ian. But parts of Tampa Bay emptied out before the storm hit, with the lost water returning as a wind-driven…

On Watch
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New MJM 4: Fast, Quiet – and Fun

“Hang on,” warned Peter Johnstone, the chairman of MJM Boats, as he nailed the throttles all the way forward on his new 46-foot MJM 4 off Newport, Rhode Island. And WOW! The acceleration was fast, almost explosive, as the twin 600-hp V12 Mercury Verado outboards shot it forward. It not only was fast, but it also was smooth, seamless, and quiet. “The 4 is the fastest, and quietest, boat we’ve made,” Bob Johnstone, Peter’s father, told me a few days later at the Newport boat show, where the 4 was named Best New Powerboat. Bob Johnstone founded MJM in 2002…

Annapolis Boat Show
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Historic Annapolis Show Starts Oct. 6

The United States Powerboat Show will start Thursday, Oct. 6, and run through Sunday, Oct. 9, in Annapolis, the heart of cruising in the Chesapeake and one of the premiere cruising destinations in the world. The Annapolis show is always popular, for a whole lot of reasons. It’s easy to get to (less than an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., or Baltimore); it’s easy to see a lot of new boats and gear displayed there, and it’s in Annapolis, with boatyards, marinas, waterfront restaurants and watering holes all around. And then there’s the U.S. Naval Academy with grounds next to…

Boat Reviews
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First Fleming 85 Arrives in U.S.

Designed to be the ultimate cruising yacht, hull number one of the new Fleming 85 just arrived at Burr Yacht Sales in Stuart, Florida. The newest (and largest) Fleming was three years in the making, ending up with a completely new design while keeping the Fleming family lines and character. The company says the goal was “to build the finest ocean-going pilothouse motor yacht,” so its owners could cruise safely and comfortably anywhere in the world. Flemings are made in Taiwan. The hull was designed by Norman R. Wright & Sons in Australia. Standard power comes from twin 1,550-hp MAN…

Destinations
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The Hudson River: A Gorgeous Fall Cruise

For a memorable fall cruise, there are few places more beautiful than the historic and foliage-lined Hudson River. Stretching 153 miles from The Battery in New York Harbor to The Federal Lock at Troy (just above Albany) and the start of the Erie Canal, the Hudson offers a slice of Americana, everything from the adrenaline-pushing bustle of Wall Street and New York’s West Side up past majestic mountains, pastoral countrysides, the stolid buildings at the state capital in Albany, and many harbors and coves of all descriptions. And lots of history. The Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first…

Cruising Life
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New High-Tech Buoys Protect Whales

A new system of high-tech offshore buoys is designed to warn ship captains when whales are swimming nearby. The trouble is, some captains pay attention to it, and some don’t. Four whales have been killed by collisions with boats so far this year near San Francisco Bay. The number is probably higher; dead whales often sink to the ocean floor. Last week, an organization called Whale Safe launched a whale-detection system of buoys in known whale feeding areas outside the bay. The system uses a buoy with a microphone 280 feet underwater to listen for whales. It then relays that…

Boat Reviews
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Pearl To Launch Striking New 72 in Lauderdale

The new Pearl 72, with its striking lines and light-filled interior, will make its worldwide debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show starting Oct. 26. Built in the UK, this latest Pearl has several unique features, including two master cabins designed for co-owners who want to be on the yacht together or simply for favored guests who truly want to be treated like VIPs. Pearl was founded in 1998 with the goal of creating a new range of luxury motor yachts with opulent and voluminous interiors and excellent designs. The fleet now runs from 62 to 95 feet. The…

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