I’ve spent the last two days at the Palm Beach International Boat Show in Palm Beach, Florida, and have had the chance to see a dozen or more brand new family cruisers that are being introduced to the U.S. market for the first time. This morning we’ll take a moment to highlight one that comes from one of America’s most venerated builders. The new Hinchley Picnic Boat 45 is a big handsome day cruiser and sometime weekender with a speedboat’s brisk performance. The design was drawn by Micheal Peters and contains all of Hickley’s Downeast DNA but with a difference.…

So, what is PBIBS, you might ask? Well, it is what marine business folk call the Palm Beach International Boat Show that opens next Wednesday on Marc h 25. This all powerboat show, which is actually located in West Palm Beach along the Intracoastal Waterway, has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade and become one of our favorite shows. The mix of boats seems just about right in a balance between family cruisers (our thing), mega yachts, muscle boats and dinghies. Plus there are acres of gear and equipment and service companies with booths on land. Increasingly,…

While the Great Loop of the eastern half of the US is famous and often referred to, its little cousin, the Great Eastern Loop, is well worth any adventurous cruiser’s attention The 2,400 mile loop makes a circumnavigation of the US Northeast and the Canadian Maritimes. Nominally, the route starts in New York City and leads up the Hudson River to Lake Champlain. From there it follows the Richelieu River the length of the Chaplain Valley into Canada where it joins the St. Lawrence River at the city of Sorel-Tracy.  There’s a 17-foot height limit on this section of the…

Here’s a look at an American-built long range cruiser that embodies the very best of classic trawler design and construction. Hull number one was launched in 2022 in Anacortes, Washington. The Northern Marine raised-pilothouse 57 is long-range expedition yacht, designed for an owner-operator to cruise anywhere in the world. The 57, powered by a single 325-horsepower John Deere, has a range of 5,000 nm at 8.75 knots. The boat holds 2,600 gallons of fuel and burns 4.2 gph at that speed. Top speed is over 10 knots. Northern Marine has a rich heritage of building commercial fishing boats, working trawlers…

The Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, which is run by Informa Markets and the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) opens on February 11 and has a new look for 2026. The reconfiguration of show spaces will simplify moving to and fro between the different venues for the 100,000-plus attendees. Show management has partnered with the Brightline train service which has a station in Miami. There will be shuttle buses running from the station to Watson Island where show shuttles will transfer you to the Convention Center in Maimi Beach and the in-water displays on Collins Avenue. So, to avoid…

Axopar, the Finnish builder of express day boats and cruisers, does not sit still. Every year, if not every few months, they come out with new designs and new ideas all driven by seeming unlimited imaginations. The new 38 XC (cross cabin) that is being introduced at boot Dusseldorf this week is no exception. One look at the angular hull, arrow-like sheer and sharp bow and you know you are looking at an Axopar. The look is truly distinctive. But the 38 XC is pushing the boundaries a bit by taking the walk-around deck concept and splicing it into a…

Here’s a fun way to while away a few winter evenings by the fire. Get out your map of North America and follow Matt and Lucie Clairborne’s guide to the Great Loop and all the alternative routes that go with it. Most Loopers take about a year to 15 months to make the full. traditional Great Loop and that is an adventure in itself. But, if you have the time and inclination, that year can easily be expanded to two or three or more. As most readers know, the 6,000-mile long Great Loop circles the eastern third of North America…