Cruising Life

Sunseeker’s New Manhattan 68 Pacific

By Peter Janssen on February 20, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sunseeker, the big British builder of luxury motoryachts, made a big splash in Miami last week. Indeed, Sunseeker had eight yachts there, including the Manhattan 68 Pacific specifically designed to appeal to a U.S. market. In the past few years, Sunseeker has been increasing its presence here, and the new Manhattan 68 Pacific should add to that growth. It’s basically a four-cabin, three head flybridge yacht with some appealing features. Extensive hull glazing provides light throughout the yacht, including the Grand Master stateroom below. It’s set full-beam amidships, and you get there via a private staircase from the port side…

NTSB: Why Fishing Boat Sank in Alaska

By Peter Janssen on February 19, 2024 Cruising Life

A new report from the National Transportation Safety Board about the sinking of a 52-foot commercial fishing boat off the coast of Alaska highlights the importance of having high-water bilge alarms on your cruising boat, no matter how big or how small. The NTSB investigation said the bilge alarms did not sound before the Hotspur, a 1988 purse seiner (pictured), capsized and sank while heading west in the Dixon Entrance, about 43 miles south-southwest of Ketchikan, on August 2, 2022. It said that if the alarms had been working, the crew might have been able to correct the problem before…

13 Innovation Award Winners in Miami

By Peter Janssen on February 18, 2024 Cruising Life

The National Marine Manufacturers Association announced the 13 winners of its annual innovation awards at the Miami show last week. The awards, judged by members of Boating Writers International, were made at the NMMA’s annual breakfast at the start of the show. The awards recognize boating manufacturers and suppliers who introduce new and innovative products to the market. The eight judges were all member of BWI who have experience in writing about boats and marine equipment. They were Ben Stein, Tim Murphy, Kelsey Bonham, Kevin Falvey, Alan Jones, Adam Quandt, Gary Reich, and Tony EspositoThis year’s winners are: The 2024…

Tiara Unveils New Updated 43 LE

By Peter Janssen on February 14, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Tiara just announced at the Miami show, where it’s celebrating its 50h anniversary, that it will launch an updated version of its 43 LE this year, with new interior and exterior designs and new outboard power. Tiara first launched the 43 LE (luxury express) in the summer of 2020, and it hit a popular spot as a well-designed, high-quality family cruiser with power from three 450-hp outboards. The LE fleet then expanded with a 48 flagship in the spring of 2023; it had a lot of new touches that the Holland, Michigan, builder now wants to incorporate in the updated…

Meet Victorious, the Largest Yacht in Miami

By Peter Janssen on February 14, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you’re in Miami, you may want to take a look at Victorious, at 278 feet and 11 inches long the largest boat in the boat show there. It’s over at the superyacht show on Watson Island, where tickets go for $135, but it takes up so much waterfront you can see it easily from Miami. If you have to ask, you can’t afford it, but Victorious is for sale for $129 million. (It’s been on the charter market for $950,000 a week.) Even as one of the world’s largest superyacht, Victorious is a bit over the top. It has…

New Prize-Winning Fairline Squadron 58

By Peter Janssen on February 14, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Fairline, the British luxury yacht builder, just introduced its Squadron 58 at the Düsseldorf show last month, and the innovative flybridge yacht with twin balconies and a creative beach club aft won the Best Motoryacht Up to 60 Feet Award given by Motorboat and Yachting. “The stern arrangement in the Squadron 58 is a true game-changer,” the award said. “It features a cockpit with a glazed transom, modular furniture, drop-down terraces and a foldout-bar with a pair of stools that can be relocated to the port side. Things are equally enticing on the inside. The playful integration of angles transforms…

Sirena Reveals Hybrid-Power 48 Coupe

By Peter Janssen on February 13, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sirena Yachts, the upscale Turkish builder, just unveiled its new Sirena 48 hybrid coupe with silent electric power. The Sirena 48 actually made its world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. The entry-level yacht in Sirena’s fleet, which goes up to 164 feet, the original 48 had a flybridge configuration and traditional diesel engines for power. In the new version, Sirena has remodeled the superstructure to make it into a coupe layout, complete with solar panels integrated into the coach roof. It also has a hybrid power train for quiet and eco-friendly cruising. The core DNA of the…

Sleek Itama 62RS Debuts in Miami

By Peter Janssen on February 13, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you liked the looks of classic Rivas, you’ll certainly love new Itama. Indeed, the Itama 62RS, making its U.S. debut at the Miami show from Feb. 14 through 18, takes more than a few design cues from the iconic wooden Rivas whose ownership ranged from Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren to the Aga Khan. In the U.S., the new Itama also touches the fast-driving, fast-living world of Miami Vice days but with a lot more room and amenities than Sonny Crocket ever dreamed of. The teak foredeck, for example, goes on forever, and has luxurious sun pads for lounging…

Lazzara Building Wide-Open 85-Foot Cat

By Peter Janssen on February 12, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Lazzara LPC500 gives a whole new meaning to the idea of an open layout. On the lower deck of the 85-foot luxury power cat, both sides drop down from the owner’s massive, full-beam midships stateroom, so you can eat breakfast, lunch or dinner sitting out over the ocean, while enjoying the breeze from the other side. On the main deck, the port, starboard and aft glass walls slide open to provide a massive open area so you can enjoy the view, or the weather, in three directions. The cat’s 35-foot beam ensures a lot of fresh air moving…

First WiLder 60 Launches in Italy

By Peter Janssen on February 12, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

WiLder, the new brand from Wider Yachts, just launched its first hull, a 60, in Italy. Wider says the new WiLder, a semi-custom cruiser, is designed “to appeal to the wilder side in us all.” Wider usually builds superyachts. The idea behind WiLder is to bring superyacht-quality fit and finish and construction to a wider market with a 60-foot yacht. In the new 60, the hull is all aluminum, and all the amenities are indeed what you’d usually find in much larger vessels. The new boat “represents a leap forward in what a 60-footer can offer and how it can…

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