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…
New Study: Gulf Stream Definitely Weakening
A new study confirmed that the Gulf Stream is definitely weakening, with implications for weather systems in the U.S. and Europe. The weakening also means anyone cruising in or across the stream will have to account for the slower current. In the new study, scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Miami examined data measuring the volume of seawater carried through the Florida Straits for 40 years. Their conclusion: The amount of water has decreased by 4 percent. They say their findings represent the first “conclusive, unambiguous observational evidence” of a slower Gulf Stream. They say…
Riva Launches New Diva 82 Flybridge
Riva just launched its new Diva 82-foot flybridge luxury cruising yacht at the Cannes Yachting Festival. It’s the smallest model in Riva’s flybridge lineup, which goes up to the 130 Bellissima. Riva says the new Diva, with an eye-catching, swept-back windshield, offers a “revolutionary approach to the use of space.” Even though the flybridge is located fairly far aft (the Diva has an elongated foredeck), it is large enough for the upper helm, a lounge with a dinette and bar and sunbathing areas forward and aft. A carbon-fiber hardtop offers some protection from the weather. The salon, with large windows,…
Top Boats at Annapolis Show
The only problem with boat shows is that there are so many new boats. So many boats, so little time. It’s easy to feel confused and overwhelmed; it’s hard to keep focused on the boats you really want to see. The Annapolis power show that starts on Oct. 5 is no exception; it will have more than 300 new boats on display on and around City Dock downtown. To help you make the most of your time, we’ve picked some of our cruising favorites that will be displayed there. Take a look: AMERICAN TUG 365: Made in LaConner, Washington, the…
New Endurance 630 Long-Range Cruiser
The 630 long-range cruiser is the newest member of the Endurance fleet, and you can order it with either a traditional flybridge or a fully enclosed skylounge. The new 630 is made for safe and comfortable cruising; the pilothouse has wraparound windows for visibility all around, and a Portuguese bridge provides some weather protection. The heart of a blue-water cruiser, the pilothouse has two Pompanette helm chairs, a dinette and a settee; aircraft-type doors open to the decks on each side. The aft deck is protected by the overhang from the boat deck above, and it has a sofa aft…
Axopar Building New 29 Range Line
Axopar, the innovative Finnish builder, created an entirely new genre of adventure boats when it launched its first model, a 28, in 2014. With its plumb bow and, long, low and lean minimalist lines, the 28 has been a big seller in Europe and the U.S.; so far Axopar has made 2,700 of them, and Axopar now makes several other models going up to 45 feet. Last week, Axopar said it would celebrate its tenth anniversary by replacing the 28 with a brand-new 29 Range line, with three models – Cross Cabin, Sun Top, and Spyder. The new 29s will…
Wally Launches 50 with IPS or Outboard Power
Wally just launched its new 50 with the builder’s elegant, minimalist and uber-clean lines at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The latest Wally, called the wallypower50, comes in two versions, one powered by twin 480-hp Volvo IPS pod drives, the other by four 400-hp Mercury Verado outboards, with four 500-hp Mercury Racing outboards as upgrades. Wally was not shy about touting the importance of the new 50. Indeed, Stefano de Vivo, the company’s managing director, said “The wallypower50 sets a new standard for being flexible, practical, dynamic and – of course – iconic. It is the ultimate example of the evolution…
Bering Starts Line of Power Cats
Bering Yachts, the Turkish builder that makes rugged, go-anywhere, long-range explorer yachts, just announced that they’re working on a new line of power catamarans, starting with a 60 and then moving on to an 80. In making the move, Bering joins a growing list of powerboat builders that is either switching to multihull yachts or is adding multihulls to their traditional lineup. In Bering’s case, the cats will join its fleet of monohulls that runs from 65 to 145 feet. But the cats will carry on Bering’s goal of building aluminum displacement boats that are designed for distant adventure cruising.…
Cannes Debut for Marex Gourmet Cruiser
Marex, the Norwegian builder, just introduced its new 440 Gourmet Cruiser flagship at the Cannes Yachting Festival. Marex has designed the 440 as a family cruiser with special emphasis on its galley; Marex says it’s the largest in its size range. The 440 is built for safe and easy living on board, with two cabins (and an optional third) and two heads below. A washing machine is standard. The side decks are protected by high railings, so moving around the boat is safe all around. And there’s a door next to the helm so the captain can have fast access…
New Fast Vespro from New Italian Yard
Centouno Navi, a new Italian yard, just launched its first boat, a 56-knot luxury cruiser named Vespro, at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The new 54-foot Vespro, powered by two 1,200-hp MAN V8 diesels and jet drives, is more than fast; it’s also efficient, delivering a remarkable range of 350 nm at its top speed. Designed with an emphasis on Italian style and aesthetics, the new Vespro serves as a fast day boat or weekender. The yard says the name translates into “dusk” or ‘twilight” in English, giving the Vespro something of a romantic theme. The exterior is designed to connect…
Brunswick Launches New NAVAN Line
Brunswick just unveiled a brand new line of NAVAN “luxury adventure” boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The NAVAN C30 (cabin) and NAVAN S30 (open bow and cuddy) will make their U.S. debuts at the Miami show in February. One of the giants in the worldwide boating marketplace, Brunswick already makes 18 different boat lines, including Sea Ray, Boston Whaler and Bayliner. But none of them look like the new NAVAN. If you think the NAVAN looks like an Axopar, Saxdor or Nimbus, you’re right. And that’s the point. Those Scandinavian models have become increasingly popular in the past few…
Best New Electronics: NMEA Awards
The National Marine Electronics Association just named this year’s award winners at its annual conference in Orlando. The awards were chosen by NMEA members who voted online in 17 categories for Product of Excellence Awards, while a panel of judges named winners of the NMEA Technology Award and Best New Product Award. The Best New Product Award celebrates a new product that was introduced at the conference and that the judges thought was best in innovation, benefit to boaters, practicality and value. The winner: Furuno’s FCV800 fishfinder, which the judges said was “a real powerhouse of a standalone fishfinder.” The…
New Revolve Emergency VHF Antenna
The new Revolve emergency VHF antenna, a major safety device for serious cruising people, just won an Honorable Mention award at the Newport show. It previously had been nominated for a DAME design award at the big METSTRADE show in Amsterdam. The Revolve antenna is designed to provide you with the ability to communicate on VHF Channel 16 even if your regular antenna is down, or inoperable for any reason. The Revolve also comes with AIS compatibility, so that other boats with AIS (an ever-growing number) can find you quickly. It operates on 156-162MGz, is lightweight, and maintenance free. Based…
Garmin Unveils New, Faster, Chartplotters
Garmin just introduced its new flagship GPSMAP 9000 chartplotter series, with 4K resolution, edge-to-edge clarity and a processor that’s seven times faster than previous versions. The new touchscreen chartplotters come in 19-, 22-, 24-, and 27-inch displays, representing the largest size in recreational boating. Prices start at $9,999. They will be available next month. The new GPSMAP 9000 MFDs work with Garmin’s BlueNet gigabit network to provide comprehensive connectivity throughout the boat, connecting multiple chartplotters, radars, cameras and sonars. They also provide multimedia streaming and video, so users can play and hear the same video and audio over multiple screens…
Mercury Unveils New 20e and 35e Electric Outboards
Mercury Marine just launched its new Avator 20e and 35e electric outboards that you can order now. Mercury launched its first electric outboard, the Avator 7.5e, at the Consumer Electronics Show last January. John Buelow, the president of Mercury Marine, said the two new outboards “set new benchmarks for innovation, performance, and connectivity.” The 20e and 35e have many of the same features as the earlier 7.5e, including transverse flux motor technology, color display, and ambidextrous tiller handles. They also can be connected to multiple Avator batteries to extend their range and run time, and they have access to the…
Charleston: Still a Visitors’ Favorite
Historic, charming and boater-friendly Charleston, South Carolina, was just voted the number one city to visit in the United States by readers of Travel + Leisure – again. Charleston won the top spot in the magazine’s 2023 World’s Best Awards competition this year, for the 11th year on a row. For anyone who’s been there, Charleston’s repeat performance is easy to understand. It offers a mixture of history, Southern charm, great restaurants, hotels, and antebellum homes almost all within walking distance of each other. And it’s always been a favorite stopping point for anyone cruising on the ICW on the…
Saba Rock: A Little Gem in the BVI
It’s small, and a bit off the beaten path, but Saba Rock Resort is emerging as one of the most popular cruising and chartering destinations in the British Virgin Islands. Saba Rock is on North Sound, just above the more well-known Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda, so that getting there is half the fun. But once you’re there, you can tie up or pick up a mooring ball and go ashore for a great lunch or dinner. If you spend the night, you’ll enjoy one of the best places to watch a sunset in the entire BVI. Saba…
Newport: A Cruiser’s Mecca
The 52nd annual Newport, Rhode Island, boat show starts Sept. 14, and if you love looking at new boats, then that’s the place to be. But you don’t need the excuse of a boat show to head for Newport. One of the best and most welcoming cruising destinations on the East Coast, Newport has a lot to offer all year long. At the end of Aquidneck Island, bounded on one side by the Atlantic and the other by Narragansett Bay, Newport (pop. 25,000) is built along a picturesque, largely protected harbor about 10 nm in from Point Judith. That means…
Lots To Do at Wharf Marina in Washington, D.C.
Totally aside from its politics, Washington, D.C., has always been a boater-friendly town, located on the banks of the Potomac with first-class marinas on both the Maryland and Virginia sides. Boaters have been sailing up the Potomac from the Chesapeake and beyond ever since the British sent warships up the river in the War of 1812. It’s much more peaceful now, and much more welcoming, particularly with the completion of the $3.6 billion, 24-acre Wharf project along Washington Channel just south of the Mall. The massive Wharf Marina there has more than 300 slips along the development’s mile-long promenade that…
Stay Safe: Set Up Your Boat’s MMSI
Here’s some great advice from America’s Boating Club, formerly the U.S. Power Squadrons, about how to set up your MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity), a major safety feature. Read on: If your boat has a dedicated marine radio, GPS or AIS, your boat systems are not complete until you also have a Maritime Mobile Service Identity, or MMSI. The nine-digit MMSI uniquely identifies your vessel, which is crucial in the event of an on-the-water emergency. “Each boat is unique. Beyond having a physical name that can be seen up close, each deserves to have its own MMSI that can be…
Simrad Launches Faster NXS Operating System
Simrad just introduced a new NSX operating system for mid-sized dayboats and center consoles with redesigned charts, its fastest routing ever, and seamless integration giving you more control of your boat. The NSX system is meant to be user-friendly, letting you spend less time playing with the screen and more time enjoying your time on the water. It is smoother, faster, and more intuitive than previous versions. It includes a new activities bar, a reconfigured activities menu, and a fully customizable instruments panel so you can make the system work the way you prefer. The new auto-routing is three times…
Garmin Unveils New Series of Open-Array Radars
Garmin just unveiled a new GMR xHD3 series of open-array radars with high-definition imaging and the latest technology for new levels of clarity and performance. The new xHD3 series uses scan averaging, a first for Garmin’s magnetron radar, to help filter sea clutter and interference to provide users with enhanced, consistent targets. Processing of target size uses pulse expansion to optimize on-screen shapes for easier interpretation at all ranges, and true echo trails show a historic “trail” of boats on the water, removing the influence of relative motion, so users can more quickly identify moving targets and potential threats of…
New Radar Helps with Search and Rescue
The Coast Guard just announced that it’s buying a new radar system that will improve their search-and-rescue efforts significantly. The new next-generation weather radar system, the Honeywell IntuVue RDR-7000, uses automated technology; it will be used to upgrade the radar now on Coast Guard Jayhawk and Dolphin helicopters, replacing the current manual systems with fully automated tilt-and-gain controls. With the current system, a pilot has to manually adjust the controls to direct the radar beam. The new automated system, which captures weather as far as 80 nm away, will be particularly valuable to Coast Guard crews on search-and-rescue missions that…
A New Look for the New Tecnomar 142
You won’t have any trouble spotting your boat at a crowded anchorage or harbor if you charter the new Tecnomar 142 that the company says looks like “a fantastic sea creature.” Whatever. It certainly doesn’t look like anything else out there. Part of the Italian Sea Group, Tecnomar launched the 142 power catamaran just in time for the Monaco show this week. It will be in the charter trade next spring. The yacht was built by Tasos Papanastasiou, the Cypriot founder of the XM financial forum, who named it This Is It, which actually covers quite a bit of ground.…
Cruise Through France on Kir Royale
European Waterways just announced that it will start six-night tours of the Champagne region of France next May on its new hotel barge, fittingly called the Kir Royale. The luxury barge will have four staterooms, holding eight passengers, and five crew on its six-night excursions through some of the most beautiful regions in France. It also will stop along the way so that guests can visit some of the area’s most famous Champagne houses. The Kir Royale comes with a history. It served as a beach landing craft in the Second World War, then it was sunk and ultimately refloated…
Freedom To Open 400th Boat Club
Freedom Boat Club, which claims to be the world’s largest boat club, just announced that it will open its 400th club next month in Jupiter, Florida. Freedom now has 90,000 members in its locations across the U.S., Europe, and Australia; about one-third are women. Cecil Cohn, the Freedom Boat Club president, said it would continue to expand its territory “as we continue to democratize boating by providing access and training to new boats.” Freedom has thousands of boats in its fleet; most are single-engine outboards. The idea is that you pay a one-time membership fee and then a monthly fee…
Where To Rent a Boat This Summer
If you’re traveling far from home this summer, you don’t have to go without boating. Indeed, there are now quite a few boat-rental organizations that will help you get your boating fix, no matter where you are. Condé Nast Traveler recently put together a list of some of these organizations, just to give you an idea of what’s possible. For self-drive day boats, it recommends Click&Boat that was founded by two sailors in France in 2013. It’s now one of the largest boat rental companies in the world, with 50,000 boats in 164 countries. Click&Boat is a peer-to-peer platform, and…