Cruising Life

Living the Dream, Until…

By Peter Janssen on February 28, 2024 Cruising Life

Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel had been married for 27 years. He was 66 and a retired financial advisor; she was 70 and a retired real estate agent. They had lived in Alexandria, Virginia, until years ago when they decided to retire and live on their 48-foot St. Francis catamaran named Simplicity. Then they followed their dreams, spending summers in New England and winters in the Caribbean. Warm and popular, they made friends everywhere. Practicing Christians, they made a prayer before dinner every night, giving thanks for their blessings. Last fall, they joined the Salty Dawg Sailing Association rally from…

Iliad To Show New 53 Cat in Palm Beach

By Peter Janssen on February 28, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Iliad Catamarans, the up-and-coming Australian builder, will show its new 53 Flybridge long-range cruiser at the Palm Beach show, starting March 21. It just introduced the 53 to the U.S. at the Miami show last month. The new cat has already been nominated for a 2024 Multihull of the Year award. The new Iliad 53 has high freeboard for protection from challenging conditions on long blue-water cruises. The ride is soft and safe. Power comes from either 440-hp Volvo or Yanmar diesels, with a top speed of about 21 knots. At lower speeds the cat has a range of more…

New Sirena 48 To Debut in Palm Beach

By Peter Janssen on February 27, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sirena Yachts just announced that its new entry-level 48 flybridge will make its U.S. debut at the Palm Beach show, starting March 21. The 48, designed, like all previous Sirenas, by the acclaimed Argentinian naval architect Germán Frers, made its global debut at the Cannes show in September. Since then, Sirena has sold 27 of them, including 13 to American buyers. The new 48 is the smallest Sirena to date, in a fleet that includes a 58, 68, 78 and 88. “This expansion into the 40-foot sector will complete our lineup in the most competitive area of the market,” said…

Aquador Launches 250 HT Pocket Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on February 26, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Aquador has launched a new 250 HT (for hard top) pocket cruiser that offers almost all-weather protection for a couple or small family and is powered by a single 250-hp Mercury outboard. The 250 HT is the latest in the Finnish builder’s “next generation” of boats, following the successful reception of its 300 HT. A 380 HT is coming later in the year. The 250 has a relatively low profile and a wide internal helm deck that stretches out almost full beam. The Eco Teak side decks are fairly narrow as a result, but they have high stainless steel railings…

Riviera Unveiling New 46 Sports Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on February 26, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Riviera, the large Australian builder, will display its new 46 Sports Motor Yacht at the Palm Beach show, starting March 21. The 46 is a luxury family cruiser with three staterooms and two heads, a large aft galley in the salon and lots of room aft for relaxing on board and enjoying water sports. The new 46 is the entry level model in Riviera’s Sports Motor Yacht series, which already includes a 50, 68, and 72. Standard power comes from twin 600-hp Volvo IPS800 pod drives, with fingertip control from the joystick for easy maneuvering around a dock. Top speed…

How To Use Nav Aid Sound Signals

By co_admin on February 26, 2024 Cruising Life

Here’s some great advice from Skipper Tips that could help you navigate safely in fog or reduced visibility: Imagine you’re cruising on a fogbound coast in New England, the Great Lakes or the West Coast. You see a note on your chart that tells you that you can trigger a fog signal on a lighthouse nearby. Follow these three easy steps. Mariner Radio Activated Sound Signals (MRASS) gives the skipper more control over aids to navigation fog signals. If you see the chart abbreviation MRASS in the description of an aid, you can use your radio to trigger the sound…

Tyde Making 48-foot, e-Foiling Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on February 21, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Tyde, the German startup that works with BMW, just released images of its new Open, a 48-foot sports cruiser that it says is the world’s largest foiling electric recreational boat. The Open is the production version of the prototype Icon that Tyde revealed at the Cannes show last September. Tyde plans to start delivering the Open in the fall. Powered by two 100-kW Torqeedo Deep Blue electric motors, the Open starts to fly, or foil, at about 17 knots. It tops out at 30 knots, and has a range of 50 nm at 25 knots. Its zero-emissions drivetrain includes a…

Outer Reef Commissions First 830 Classic

By Peter Janssen on February 21, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Outer Reef just commissioned its first 830 Classic Motoryacht, a luxurious long-range cruiser, for its new, and repeat, owners in Fort Lauderdale. You can see this latest Outer Reef at the Palm Beach show that starts on March 21. The 830 is the latest addition to Outer Reef’s X Class fleet, designed for ocean-crossing capabilities. It’s a combination of timeless motoryacht lines with cutting-edge features and technology. Hull number one was made for owners of an Ocean Reef 700 Classic who wanted more space for entertaining and spending time on board. They already were familiar with Outer Reef’s craftsmanship and…

Breakthrough in EV Batteries

By Peter Janssen on February 20, 2024 Cruising Life

StoreDot, a high-tech Israeli company, is on the verge of a major breakthrough in making batteries for electric cars and boats that can be fully recharged in just ten minutes. The goal in the electric car market, and by extension the electric boat market, has been to make it just as easy to recharge an electric vehicle as it is to refuel a gas or diesel vehicle. That centers around a “100 miles in 5 minutes” theme, meaning you only have to charge the vehicle for 5 minutes (about the same time you now spend at your neighborhood gas station)…

New Fiat 500 Offshore: Big Hit in Miami

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

The real hit of the Miami show last week wasn’t the 278-foot, $129 million superyacht Victorious. It was the 15-foot, $122,000 Fiat 500 Offshore, making its U.S. debut. Made in Italy by Car Off-Shore and Fiat, the new car-like tender was launched there last summer (pictured above). The idea was to replicate the look and lines of the iconic Fiat 500, one of the most-recognized European vehicles ever. Fiat described the boat as the “500 of the seas.” The boats were shown in Miami by 1 Ocean Yachts Group. The Fiat 500 Offshore is not mass produced like its land-based…

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