Cruising Life

MIT Develops Portable Push-Button Desalinator

By Peter Janssen on September 21, 2022 Cruising Life, Gear

A group of scientists at MIT has developed a portable desalination unit that turns seawater into drinking water at the press of a button. The new unit weighs about 22 pounds, is the size of a small suitcase, takes less power to run than a cellphone charger, and can be run by a portable solar panel. The scientists, from MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics, published information about the desalinator in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The new desalination unit does not use filters or high-pressure pumps that are found on most portable desalinators today. Instead, it uses electrical power…

New Cosmopolitan 66 Electric Cat

By Peter Janssen on September 20, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The aluminum-hulled Cosmopolitan 66 is a new player in the rapidly growing electric catamaran scene. Built by Cosmopolitan Yachts, a Spanish company, the 66 is designed for unlimited offshore cruising, with a focus on its sea-keeping abilities, electric technology and respect for the environment. The company founders, Christian Braun, a German entrepreneur and active yachtsman, and Ivan Salas Jefferson of Iddes Yachts, chose aluminum because of its ability to be recycled, as well as for its light weight. The new cat has foils between its hulls to provide lift and deliver a soft ride. The Cosmopolitan 66 has two propulsion…

New Mo-Jet: Five Toys in One

By Peter Janssen on September 20, 2022 Cruising Life, Gear

Choices, choices. So you can’t decide which water toy to take out today. Well, take a look at the new Mo-Jet and your problems are solved. It’s five toys in one. Made in Germany with Kickstarter funding, the Mo-Jet is based on a modular system, so you can add, or subtract, modules depending on what you want to do. You can configure it as a stand-up board, a ride-on electric surfboard, even an underwater scooter. It has a foil, so you can fly. You just swap out attachments in seconds. The Mo-Jet can be everything from a four-foot bodyboard to…

Gagliotta’s Lobster 35 Heading for U.S.

By Peter Janssen on September 20, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Cantieri Gagliotta just introduced its Lobster 35, a luxury day boat, at the Cannes Yachting Festival. It’s due to be shown in the U.S. at the Fort Lauderdale show at the end of October. Gagliotta’s Lobster 35 is just the latest iteration of the worldwide trend to produce contemporary versions of Maine’s iconic lobster boats. The Gagliotta 35 has the look of a lobster yacht, but you’d be hard pressed to find a Maine lobsterman pulling many traps on one. Gagliotta started making boats in Naples in the 1950s. Since then, it’s produced a series of race boats, fishing boats,…

Williams Unveils New, Improved DieselJet Tenders

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

Williams Jet Tenders just announced it was upgrading the two largest RIBS in its DieselJet range, and launched one, the 565 model (pictured here) that’s more than 18 feet long, at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The larger 625 model will be launched soon. They both have a new look and layout with all-new decks optimized to provide more space. The layouts also make it easier and more comfortable to walk around the boats. Mathew Hornsby, the commercial director of Williams Jet Tenders, says the new models have a host of improvements and upgrades “which not only enhance the performance but…

Front Street Launches 41-Foot Custom Hunt

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

The Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, Maine, just launched a new 41-foot custom dayboat named Blue Chip that it made in collaboration with Ray Hunt Design. The new boat, with its classic Down East lines, low profile and long sheer represents an iconic Hunt design, with the deep-V hull that C. Raymond Hunt first developed for its superior blue-water performance more than 60 years ago. The boat is powered by twin 480-hp Volvo IPS650 pod drives, with a top speed of 38 knots and a cruising speed of 32 knots. The topsides and deck are cored fiberglass with vinylester resin for…

MJM, Sabre, Garmin, All Winners at Newport

By Peter Janssen on September 17, 2022 Cruising Life, Newport Boat Show

MJM was the big winner at the Newport International Boat Show, walking away with two awards (Best Powerboat in the show and Best Powerboat Over 30 Feet), while Sabre won the People’s Choice award for the most popular boat, and the Garmin inReach Mini 2 Marine Bundle won the Best Electronics Award. The Everglades 285cc won in the Best Powerboat Under 30 Feet category. The awards are for domestic and foreign products launched in the U.S. after April 1, 2022, that made their boat show debuts in Newport. Show attendees selected the People’s Choice Award; all the other awards were…

Sea Bubbles Unveils New Hybrid in Cannes

By Peter Janssen on September 14, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sea Bubbles just unveiled their new 26-foot hydrofoil at the Cannes show. It’s powered by a hybrid system using electric motors and a hydrogen fuel cell; top speed is 22 knots with the foils deployed. A French company, Sea Bubbles introduced its first vessel, a five-seat hydrofoiling Bubble Taxi, in 2019. The new Sea Bubble, holding eight passengers, is designed for the recreational market. It’s larger and faster than the original. The new craft provides a smooth and quiet cruise at 18 knots. It can run for two hours and 30 minutes at that speed. You then can recharge it…

Princess Launches New V50 Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on September 14, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Princess Yachts, one of the largest builders in the UK, just launched its new V50 Open cruiser at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The new V50 is an updated version of an aging 50 that was one of Princess’ most popular cruisers for many years, with an all-new hull and deck and considerably more power. For the update, Princess worked with Pininfarina, the iconic Italian design house, for a sleek, more modern look. Power comes from twin 480-hp Volvo IPS650 pod drives, providing 80-hp more than the earlier boat as well as making docking and low-speed maneuvering easy with the IPS…

Barton & Gray Launches First Daychaser

By Peter Janssen on September 13, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Barton & Gray Mariners Club just launched their first Daychaser, an elegant 48-foot luxury day boat, designed specifically for club members by Doug Zurn. Until now, the club’s fleet has included almost 70 Hinckleys, spread among 30 ports around the country. The club, founded in Nantucket in 2006, has been growing rapidly. It now forecasts a record number of 12,000 outings this year. Members, who pay a base fee of $39,500, usually use the boats for one- to four-hour cruises; the boats come with a captain and concierge service. A few years ago the club realized that it needed a…

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