Author Peter Janssen

On Watch
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Captain Sets Autopilot, Leaves Helm, Boat Crashes

The captain of a fishing boat set the autopilot as it was heading out of the St. Marys River Channel south of Cumberland Island, Georgia, last June, and then went below to talk on his cell phone, leaving the helm unattended. A few minutes later, the 78-foot boat ran into the channel’s north jetty and subsequently sank, leaking more than 2,000 gallons of fuel and oil into the water. The National Transportation Safety Board just issued its report about the accident, concluding that “leaving the wheelhouse unattended is imprudent, especially when navigating areas like the St. Marys entrance, which included…

Boat Reviews
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Saxdor Unveils New 400 GTC Flagship

Saxdor just unveiled its new flagship, a 400 GTC, with a full-beam wheelhouse, “terraces” that fold down from the sides, and outboard power for sporty performance. Essentially, the new 400 is a stretched version of the popular Saxdor 320, with a twin-stepped, vacuum-infused hull for strength and light weight. With twin 300-hp Mercury outboards, the new 400 is expected to top out at 40 knots; with optional 450-hp Mercury Racing outboards, 50 knots. With its low profile, plumb bow and aggressive styling, the new Saxdor, made in Finland, is reminiscent of the fast-selling Axopar line. (Axopar also has its headquarters…

Cruising Life
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Garmin Introduces New Boating Smartwatch

Garmin just introduced three models of the new quatix 7 GPS smartwatch that lets you navigate, check your boat’s engines and set an anchor alert, among many other things. The three models are the quatix 7, quatix 7 Sapphire, and quatix 7X Solar. The standard quatix 7 models are cased in a stainless-steel bezel with a Gorilla Glass lens. The quatix 7 Sapphire models are cased in a diamond-like, carbon-coated titanium with a Sapphire lens. The Solar models are also coated with the carbon  titanium, but they have a Power Sapphire lens for solar recharging. All the watches provide wearable…

Cruising Life
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New Rules for Boating Safety

National Safe Boating Week is coming up (May 21-27), and BoatUS has developed some good tips about how to keep you and your crew safe then and during future boating times on the water. Heres’a look at some new safety regulations: ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 9, 2022 – National Safe Boating Week arrives May 21–27 with an annual reminder for boaters to champion recreational boating safety all summer long. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water suggests that boat owners need to know about three recent U.S. Coast Guard regulations that have changed, what’s needed to be carried aboard,…

Cruising Life
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Wake Sinks Food Boat in Lauderdale

Jays Sandbar Food Boat, a 32-foot, homemade floating restaurant, capsized and sank in the ICW in Fort Lauderdale after one of the workers on board said that wake from a passing boat snapped one of its pontoons. The boat sank in less than five minutes. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to a call of a boat sinking, and they issued a statement saying, “Upon arrival, crews found the iconic Jay’s floating food truck rapidly sinking.” Jeremy Lycke, who build the boat from reclaimed wood and metal, said he was out on a delivery about 12:30 p.m. when he heard a…

Cruising Life
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SILENT-RESORTS Building Yacht Club in Bahamas

SILENT-RESORTS and EcoIsland Development just announced that they’re building what they say is the world’s first fully sustainable, zero-carbon, solar-powered yacht and residents’ club in the Bahamas. Named Club Ki’ama Bahamas, the eco-friendly development is only a ten-minute boat ride from Great Exuma Island. Construction is scheduled to start in June. People who buy homes there also will have the use of SILENT-YACHTS luxury power catamarans for a specified number of days. (This is the first SILENT-RESORTS destination property, in proprietary ownership with SILENT-YACHTS.) Club Ki’ama Bahamas will be a new enclave on Elizabeth Island, and it is the first…

Boat Reviews
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Sherpa Launches New 80 XL Light-Filled Cruiser

Arcadia Yachts, the creative Italian builder, is going to display its latest Sherpa 80 XL at the Venice boat show, starting on May 28. The company calls the new Sherpa “a pocket mega-yacht,” and it’s certainly a uniquely designed cruiser with light-filled spaces on all three decks. Powered by twin 880-hp Volvo IPS1050 pod drives, the Sherpa 80 XL has a cruising speed of 18 knots and a top speed of 20 knots. It also has a range of more than 1,000 nm at 12 knots. The yacht is marked by its open outdoor spaces, extensive glazed surfaces, and a…

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Rescues Disabled 143-foot Yacht

The Coast Guard just rescued a 143-foot yacht that was taking on water in the Pacific about 45 miles northwest of Grays Harbor, Washington. You can see in the videos below that the large transom garage in the yacht is open. The Coast Guard said that water was entering the stern. “Vessel cannot close transom door and water has entered the stern,” the Coast Guard said. “Flooding is under control.” There were seven people on board, but no one was injured. The Coast Guard sent a 210-foot cutter to tow the yacht, named Domani, up to the entrance to the…

On Watch
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Jeanneau Launches Stunning New DB43

Jeanneau just launched its breakthrough DB43 premium day boat, starting a new style and a new line for the French builder. The first boat, powered by twin 380-hp Volvo diesels, has a top speed of 33 knots, and a range of 276 nm at 8 knots. The DB43 represents a major move by Jeanneau, part of the Beneteau Group, a worldwide giant in both the power and sail markets. With its plumb bow, low profile and Euro-modern design, it is more reminiscent of a new Axopar or Pardo than of the traditional Jeanneau cruisers. But that’s the point. The DB43,…

Boat Reviews
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Bering Launches 145 Long-Range Explorer

Bering Yachts just launched its new 145-foot expedition yacht, the first in a new series, with an incredible range of 5,000 nm at 12 knots. The new Bering, named Heeus, also has an ice-class hull so it can explore Arctic and Antarctic waters safely. The new 145 was launched at the Bering yard in Antalya, Turkey, with a displacement steel hull, aluminum superstructure and a reinforced “ice belt” amidships. It was built by in-house engineers and naval architects. Hybrid power starts with twin 1,200-hp CAT C32 Acert diesels producing a top speed of 15 knots and the cruising speed of…

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