Friday, March 29

Browsing: On Watch

When Coecles Harbor launched their first Shelter Island 38 in 1996, it was an instant hit, drawing praise from across the boating world, everyone from Bob Johnstone to Billy Joel. Johnstone later told me that it was one of the half a dozen boats that inspired the lines for his MJM boats, named after his wife Mary (Mary Johnstone’s Motorboat). He also hired Doug Zurn, the designer of  the Shelter Island 38, to design the MJMs. Joel, who wrote Uptown Girl after his then wife Christie Brinkley, told me that the Shelter Island 38 was one of the most beautiful…

The increasingly popular United States Powerboat Show will start Thursday, Oct. 5, and run through Sunday, Oct. 8, in Annapolis, the heart of cruising in the Chesapeake and one of the premiere cruising destinations in the world. The Annapolis show always draws a crowd, for a whole lot of reasons. It’s easy to get to (less than an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C. or Baltimore); it’s easy to see a lot of new boats and gear displayed there, and it’s in Annapolis, with boatyards, marinas, waterfront restaurants and watering holes all around. And then there’s the U.S. Naval Academy, with…

It was just after noon, but Billy Bob Faulkingham was calling it a day. The weather was turning in the Gulf of Maine, the remnants of Hurricane Lee were just a day away, so Faulkingham and Alex Polk, his sternman, started hauling traps on Faulkingham’s 40-foot lobster boat named 51. They were off the south end of Turtle Island, on the far side of Mount Desert Island, and they were going to head home to Winter Harbor, just a few miles away. Faulkingham knew those waters well. He’s 44, and he’s been a working lobsterman there all his life (although…

Two big new power catamarans are getting a lot of attention at the Cannes Yachting Festival, for quite different reasons. One, the Sunreef Power Eco 80, is taking eco-conscious cruising to an entirely new level; its hull sides virtually bristle with built-in solar panels. The other, the VisionF 80, is taking attention-getting to a new level; it’s painted pink. The Sunreef Eco 80 is the Polish yard’s newest power cat, and you can order it in both all-electric and hybrid versions. The all-electric one is at Cannes, and its solar panels produce a massive 36kWp in sunshine, although that’s a…

There certainly is no shortage of new boats to see at the Newport show that starts on Sept. 14. In fact, hundreds of them are on display on the docks at, and next to, the Newport Yachting Center. There are so many new boats that it’s easy to get lost in the crowd, to get sidetracked, or simply overwhelmed and confused. To help you make the most of your time at the show, we’ve picked ten of our favorites. Take a look: AXOPAR 45 The new Axopar flagship, a 45 XC Cross Cabin (pictured above), is an adventure cruiser that…

Nimbus has launched its new 40-foot, 50-knot Nimbus W11, the latest from the long-time Swedish builder. With large and multifunctional social areas from stem to stern, and berths for four below, the new Nimbus is designed as a weekend-or-longer cruiser with a low, lean, Scandinavian profile and outboard-powered performance. Indeed, with twin 300-hp Mercury V8 outboards, top speed is 40 knots. Move up to twin 400-hp Mercury V10 outboards, and the new Nimbus tops out at 50 knots. The W in the boat’s name stands for weekends, and Nimbus wants you to enjoy them. “The W11 is designed to extend…

The Newport International Boat Show, marking the start of the fall boat show season on the East Coast, opens on Thursday, September 14, and runs through Sunday, September 17. The show celebrates its 52nd anniversary this year, and it’s still in the same place at the Newport Yachting center in the heart of historic Newport (the British fleet anchored off Newport during the Revolution). One of the largest in-water shows in the U.S., the Newport show has grown every year, and now will be spread over 13 waterfront acres. Hundreds of exhibitors, dealers and manufacturers will be there, on the…

The new Fairline 65 Phantom, the first sport-bridge cruiser in the British builder’s fleet, is a combination of style, luxury and performance. Fairline calls the new Phantom a sport bridge because the top deck is situated way aft, making room for the opening sun roof over the lower helm. As a result, it’s a bit smaller than a traditional flybridge, but it still has comfortable seating for at least half a dozen guests aft of the upper helm, plus a wet bar for al fresco entertaining. The lines are an evolution from Fairline’s popular Targa 65 sports coupe that was…

Saxdor Yachts will launch its innovative new 400 GTO flagship at the Cannes Yachting Festival next month. The sleek, low, cruiser with its minimalist lines is the latest from Saxdor, a company with a creative DNA that opened its doors in Finland just four years ago. The Saxdor 400 GTO is marked by its folding out terrace that runs about half the length of the boat. In the past few years, many boats have built terraces that fold down from aft bulwarks, creating more usable space in the cockpit. Saxdor’s is different because of its length; it far exceeds the…

Azimut will launch its new Magellano 60, the smallest yacht in the Magellano long-range cruiser series, at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. The new 60 joins the 66, 25M and 30M yachts in the Magellano lineup, and it carries all the DNA that has made the larger yachts so appealing in the cruising community. The 60 may be the baby in the series, but it’s still a 60-foot cruising yacht, with all the Italian style and comfort that Azimuts are known for. The Magellano 60  was designed in collaboration with Ken Freivokh, the UK superyacht designer, and it has…

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