Cruising Life

Coast Guard Rescues Alaska Fisherman, 2 Dogs

By Peter Janssen on October 31, 2022 Cruising Life

The Coast Guard recently rescued a fisherman and his two dogs after his boat sank in the frigid waters off Hoonah, Alaska, about 30 miles west of Juneau. The first sign of trouble was when the Coast Command Center in Juneau heard a Mayday call about 5 a.m. from the boat captain, who said his boat was going down near Freshwater Bay, just southeast of Hoonah. He was able to say that he and his two dogs were the only ones on board before his transmission cut out. The Coast Guard sent air crews from Juneau and Sitka and the…

Sirena Starts New Superyacht Range

By Peter Janssen on October 31, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sirena Yachts, the high-end Turkish builder, just announced that they’re starting a new line of superyachts that will maximize owner privacy and comfort as well as highlighting a lot of creative spaces for outdoor relaxing. The new Sirena Superyacht Range will start with a 35 Meter (114’), 42 Meter (137’), and 50 Meter (164’), pictured above. During a press conference at the Fort Lauderdale show, Sirena officials said the company is moving into the superyacht category as “a natural progression.” The company now builds yachts from 58 to 88 feet at its yard in Istanbul. “A lot of 88 owners…

See Winners of Nordhavn Film Festival

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2022 Cruising Life

Nordhavn just held its second annual film festival in its headquarters in Dana Point, California, and it was a fun – and festive – event. It’s no secret that Nordhavn owners are an adventurous group; Nordhavns are now cruising all over the world. But, judging from the results of the Film Festival, they’re a creative group too. Here are the winners: Winner of the Nordhavn Film Festival Grand Prize: Nordipedia: An Encyclopedia of Nordhavn Vocabulary, by Alexa Shanafelt and Alison Jefferies. It also won in the Best Comedy category. Winner of the Best Cinematography category: Original Dreamer, by John Ellis.…

New All-Electric Eelex 8000 Gaining Popularity

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The 26-foot X Shore Eelex 8000 is establishing its place as the world’s first mass-production all-electric recreational boat. Indeed, the Swedish company has built more than 40 of them in the past year, and promises to keep growing. Powered by a 170 kW electric motor, the Eelex has almost head-snapping acceleration and a top speed of 30 knots. Dialed back, it has a range of 100 nm and then can be recharged in 70 minutes with fast charging. X Shore, a ground-breaking company in Stockholm, says the Eelex 8000 is a blend of Scandinavian design, Swedish craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology.…

Pardo Unveils New 60 Cruiser at FLIBS

By Peter Janssen on October 23, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Pardo Yachts is unveiling its new Endurance 60 long-range cruiser at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this week. The new Pardo, with its slightly reversed bow, raked windshield, tinted wrap-around salon windows and barely visible flybridge is certainly eye catching, but it’s also an efficient and comfortable cruiser. It features teak walkaround decks with high bulwarks, and two terraces that fold out from the aft deck. Standard power is twin 550-hp Volvo IPS700 pod drives, which give it a 12-knot cruising speed and deliver a range approaching 1,000 nm. Optional 600-hp Volvo IPS800s take the top speed up to…

Prestige Wins Two Awards in Cannes

By Peter Janssen on October 23, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Two Prestige Yachts, one a monohull and the other a multihull, won big awards recently in Cannes. Prestige’s X60 monohull won the award for Best Innovation of the Year at the World Yacht Trophies competition, announced at the end of the Cannes Yachting Festival. The Prestige M48 catamaran won the award in the multihull category for Design Innovation; it also was nominated for the European Powerboat of the Year award that will be announced at the Düsseldorf show in January. The Prestige X60 award came just two years after its larger sibling, the X70, won the award for Best Layout.…

More Protection for North Atlantic Right Whales

By Peter Janssen on October 23, 2022 Cruising Life

Spurred by the growth of offshore wind farms, the Federal Government is trying to offer more protection for endangered North Atlantic right whales. Indeed, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) just announced a draft of their strategy to protect the whales. They want to better understand the effects of offshore wind farms on the whales and their habitat, and they started a public review and comment period that ends on Dec. 4. Amanda Lefton, BOEM director, said the agency “is deeply committed to ensuring responsible offshore wind energy development while protecting…

VisionF Black Cat Captures Solar Power

By Peter Janssen on October 22, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you’re thinking about a boat that stands out from the crowd, take a look at the new all-black VisionF 80 catamaran from Turkey. The company says on its website that “We create innovative, exciting yachts that stand out with their distinctive designs.” But the black color is more than a cry for attention or a fashion statement. The black color is designed to attract more heat from the sun and convert it to energy, feeding the solar panels that seem to cover the boat. As is, the solar panels provide enough energy to power the black cat’s house systems.…

IBEX Makes Ten Innovation Awards

By Peter Janssen on October 21, 2022 Cruising Life

The International BoatBuilders Exhibition (IBEX) just made its annual Innovation Awards to ten companies, plus three more for honorable mentions. The awards program is managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and judged by members of Boating Writers International. The awards this year were presented in an on-line ceremony. The winners: Boat Care and Maintenance: ElectroSea, ElectroStrainer: Judge Phil Gutoski said, “This clever combination of a salt chlorinator cell and seawater strainer reduces biofouling in raw water-cooled marine plumbing systems.. Boatbuilding Methods and Materials: Massivit 3D, Massivit 1000 Additive Tooling System. Judge Julia Carleton said, “The Massivit 1000 dramatically simplifies…

Windy To Debut SR44 SX at Lauderdale

By Peter Janssen on October 19, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The high-end Windy SR44 SX sport cruiser, powered by three 425-hp Yamaha outboards, will make its U.S. debut at the Fort Lauderdale show next week. The new Windy is an acknowledgement of the growing popularity of outboard power here. It has a top speed of just over 50 knots, and provides a fast but solid and comfortable ride throughout the speed range. With its clean, modern, Scandinavian lines, the new Windy is just as likely to garner head-turning attention in Key West and Block Island as it is in Monaco or Ibiza. The SR44 SX is the successor to an…

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