The Norwegian government euthanized Freya, the 1,300-pound walrus who became a beloved media celebrity by climbing on boats around Oslo, earlier this week. They said they acted because too many people insisted on getting too close Freya, including people swimming near her to take selfies and throw things at her. The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries said that euthanizing Freya was their only option when people did not heed the directorate’s warnings to leave the wild animal alone. “We have great regard for animal welfare,” said Frank Vakke-Jensen, the head of the directorate, “but human life and safety must take precedence.”…
Welcoming New Outer Reef 720 M Class Motoryacht Owners To The Family
When cruisers decide to choose Outer Reef for their next cruising chapter, they have chosen reliability, comfort, efficiency, and fun. The Outer Reef Yachts team congratulates Paul and Nancy H., the new owners of SEADUCTION, for choosing a new 720 M Class for their next chapter. This beautiful yacht was recently delivered and commissioned in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Superyachts for Sale, Cheap. Some Water Damage
Mavi Yachts in Istanbul has a deal for you. It has three superyachts, all damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017, in its yard in Istanbul. It will sell them to you as is, or it will rebuild them to their former glory and you can buy them for a fraction of their original price. The yachts are a Mondomarine 136; a Sanlorenzo 126, and a Benetti 94. Mavi, founded in 2001, says they offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a new buyer. They all are survivors of the Category 5 hurricane, although they suffered various categories of damage, including total submersion.…
New Fairline 58 with Balconies, Beach Club
Fairline, the major British builder, is making an all-new Squadron 58 cruiser. It will be the first Fairline with balconies that drop down from the sides of the yacht and a large beach club aft. The forward rake of the hardtop over the flybridge gives the new Fairline a sporty look that carries over to its performance. With standard 900-hp Volvo diesels with straight shafts, the Squadron 58 should top out at more than 30 knots and cruise at about 26 knots. Twin 1,000-hp Volvos are optional. The new Squadron 58 replaces the Squadron 53, and it’s scheduled to be…
Superyacht Launches in July, Burns in August
Aria SF, a 145-foot, $24 million superyacht, was launched in July at the ISA yard in Ancona, on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It was the yard’s latest luxury motoryacht, with five staterooms, a swimming pool, gym, terrace and all the latest bells and whistles. It had a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure, and its two 1,318-hp CAT C32 diesels produced a top speed of 16 knots. After the launch, Aria SF cruised around the boot of Italy, and last week it was anchored off the small island of Formentera, just south of Ibiza in the Balearics. The first…
Sea-Doo Unveils New Electric Foiling Rise
If you think a stand-up paddleboard is fun, take a look at the new all-electric foiling Rise that Sea-Doo just unveiled at its annual dealer meeting in Canada. The new Rise is different from most existing foiling boards in that it can be fun for the entire family, transitioning from a basic surfboard to a flying-above-the-water, adrenaline-pumping foiler as the rider gains experience or confidence. You can enjoy it on the water without foiling, if you’re starting out, riding on your knees or even lying down. The handlebar is retractable so you can decide when you want to use it…
One Dead in Small Boat Collision with C.G. Cutter
One man was killed and his brother was injured when their 23-foot fishing boat collided with a 154-foot Coast Guard cutter about 4 nm off the north coast of Puerto Rico on Monday. The Coast Guard says that the crew of the fast-response cutter Winslow Griesser (pictured above) reported the collision about 2:20 in the afternoon, saying the cutter was in a collision with a fishing boat named Desakata. The accident was near Dorado, which is just west of San Juan. The Coast Guard station in San Juan sent a 45-foot fast boat to the scene. Meanwhile, the crew of the…
Coast Guard: Help Wanted
The Coast Guard needs to find more recruits and then give them better housing, health care, child care and support services, according to Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan. Adm. Fagan has been the Coast Guard’s commandant since May; she is the first woman to lead a branch of the military in the United States. She testified recently before a House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation subcommittee. “My highest priority as commandant is to transform our talent management system, which has not significantly changed in 75 years, to better serve our people in the 21st century,” she said. The Coast…
CL Yachts Launches Entry-Level 65 Cruiser
CL Yachts just launched the first hull of its new CLB65 family cruiser, its smallest yacht to date, at the Cheoy Lee Shipyard in Zhuhai, China. The new 65 is scheduled for its world debut at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, starting Oct. 26. CL Yachts, the new luxury brand from Cheoy Lee, is calling the 65 an entry-level cruiser, the smaller sister to the CLB72. It has a basic layout of three staterooms and three heads. Standard power comes from twin 800-hp Volvo IPS1050 pod drives, delivering a top speed of 27 knots. The 65 was designed by naval…
Sunreef Launching New Luxury 70 Power Cat
Sunreef says it will launch its new, luxurious and fully customizable 70 Power Catamaran at the Cannes Yachting Festival, starting Sept. 6. The massive new 70, which can hold 20 people on its main deck, is the latest in the Polish builder’s power range, which now runs from 60 to 100 feet. The builder of innovative power and sail catamarans, Sunreef is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The new 70 has a beam of more than 37 feet, so there’s simply a vast amount of usable space on the main deck and the flybridge. The salon, with windows all…
Glamorous New Riva 76 Heading to Cannes
The new, elegant and glamorous Riva 76 Bahamas Super yacht, with a cool cantilevered sunroof, will make its debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival starting Sept. 6. This Riva 76 has a glossy hull in what the Italian builder calls a Shark Grey color with Bright Black accents. And new glazing gives the Riva a distinctive look, while providing the lower accommodations deck with lots of natural light. The yacht has three cabins and three heads, plus a crew cabin with its own head. Standard power is twin 1,550-hp MAN diesels, with a top speed of 32 knots and a…
Hanse Launches Versatile New RYCK 280
HanseYachts AG, the giant German builder, has launched a new powerboat line called RYCK, starting with the versatile and highly customizable RYCK 280. The new RYCK, named after the river that flows from the Hanse yard in Greifswald to the Baltic, can hold eight people and tops out at about 40 knots when powered with a 300-hp Mercury Verado outboard. It was designed by Bill Dixon, the British naval architect who has developed leading power- and sail-boats for many years. For its part, Hanse is one of the world’s largest boat manufacturers, building Hanse, Dehler and Moody brands for sail…
Beneteau Installs Garmin Assisted Docking
Beneteau has become the first boat builder to incorporate Garmin’s Surround View assisted docking technology on a production boat, its upscale Gran Turismo 45 cruiser. Surround View will be available on all of those models now, and will probably roll out to other Beneteau models as well. The Garmin system has six cameras on the Gran Turismo so the captain can have a view of all angles of the boat, as well as an overhead bird’s-eye view, all appearing on the boat’s MFD at the helm. Both Beneteau and Garmin say the system gives the captain more confidence while docking…
Garmin Introduces New Boating Smartwatch
Garmin just introduced three models of the new quatix 7 GPS smartwatch that lets you navigate, check your boat’s engines and set an anchor alert, among many other things. The three models are the quatix 7, quatix 7 Sapphire, and quatix 7X Solar. The standard quatix 7 models are cased in a stainless-steel bezel with a Gorilla Glass lens. The quatix 7 Sapphire models are cased in a diamond-like, carbon-coated titanium with a Sapphire lens. The Solar models are also coated with the carbon titanium, but they have a Power Sapphire lens for solar recharging. All the watches provide wearable…
Garmin’s New, Faster, inReach Mini 2
Garmin has launched its new inReach Mini 2 pocket satellite messenger, with a longer battery life, faster processor and more functions than the previous version. In short, the Mini 2 makes it even easier to stay in touch with everyone back home on your next cruise, whether it’s on the Great Loop, the ICW, the San Juans or along the coast. The new Mini 2 is the same size (roughly 2 inches by 3.9 inches by 1 inch) as the Mini 1, and it also weighs just 3.5 ounces. But the all-important battery life is now 14 days (in a…
New Switlik Head-High Life Vest Design
Here’s a new look in life vests from Switlik Survival products – the eVolution UA-80 that provides under-arm floatation to keep the wearer’s head and arms higher out of the water than traditional vests do. So far, most vests are the yoke type that you wear around your neck. Switlik takes a different approach, going under the arms. Switlik, with headquarters in Trenton, New Jersey, says the eVolution UA-80 is the first of its kind to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for professional aviators and flight crews. The new Switlik uses a two-chamber inflatable air bladder, an approach…
Desolation Sound: Beautiful Cruising Grounds
One of the premiere cruising destinations on the West Coast, Desolation Sound, despite its name, is pretty easy to get to. It’s just 93 miles above the city of Vancouver, and getting there is half the fun. For those of us starting from the Seattle area, you just head up past the San Juans, cross the border to the Canadian Gulf Islands, go past Princess Louisa Inlet, and you’ll get there. Keep Vancouver Island on your port side, mainland British Columbia to starboard. Desolation Sound is a destination in its own right, but it also serves as a gateway to…
Riva Celebrates in Venice
Riva, one of the most glamorous boat builders in the world, and Venice, one of the most glamorous cities in the world, seem to go together. So it seems natural that Riva just held its over-the-top 180th anniversary there, a black-tie affair with its own movie premiere, a performance at La Fenice opera house, sports stars, and even the unveiling of a new limited-edition Riva Aquarama, the “Anniversario,” on the Grand Canal in front of the Riva Lounge in the Gritti Palace. Riva was founded in 1842, when Pietro Riva, a local craftsman, started repairing fishing boats damaged in a…
Poets Cove, A Gem in the Pacific Northwest
Just across the border in Canada, the marina at Poets Cove Resort & Spa on South Pender Island is a little gem of a destination in the Pacific Northwest, offering peace and quiet in a luxurious setting with some of the best sunsets you’ll ever see. It’s not a surprise that the marina, with 110 slips, is the host of some boating rendezvous; indeed, Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats owners were just there. But it’s also no secret that the marina, set well into the protected end of Bedwell Harbour, is a great stopping point for anyone in the summer…
Quebec: Cruise To a Piece of France
If you want to give yourself a treat this summer, take a trip up to Quebec, specifically Quebec City. With its rich history, vibrant French culture and large, modern marina, it’s one of the most alluring cruising destinations I’ve ever experienced. In the case of Quebec, getting there is half the fun. In 2014, George Sass, Sr., the photographer, and I cruised 495 nm from New York City (actually, Liberty Landing on the New Jersey side, across from downtown Manhattan) to Quebec City, going up the Hudson to Lake Champlain and then entering Canada. Lake Champlain itself is a great…
Simrad Launches New NSX Line of MFDs
Simrad just announced its latest generation of multifunction displays, the Simrad NSX, during a global livestreaming event from Egersund, Norway, introducing new chartplotters and fishfinders for powerboats. The new mid-range NSX line will be available in 7-, 9- and 12-inch displays and is based on an all-new operating system. Simrad will launch the new line at the Miami boat show, starting next Wednesday. NSX has a new interface with a user-friendly touchscreen with clear views. Charts include C-MAP nav capability and are compatible with sonar, radar and autopilot systems. Simrad says its Setup Wizards system will help users through every…
What To Do If You Lose Your GPS Signal
What should you do if you’re cruising and you lose your GPS signal? Never happen? Well, yes it will. Not often, but it happens on new boats, old boats, coastal boats and offshore boats. But not to panic. Here’s some great advice from Simrad about what to do next: What happens to my boat if I stop receiving satellite positioning data? In the very rare event that the satellites of the GPS global positioning system fail, are taken offline or are blocked, you’ll still be absolutely fine. Here are five useful tips covering what to do if you lose live…
Icom Launches New SSB at METS Show
Icom just unveiled its new state-of-the-art SSB at the big METS marine trade show in Amsterdam. Designed for offshore cruising, the new Icom IC-M804 provides long-range MF and HF radio communications designed to keep you safe anywhere in the world. The new Icom has a DSC radio that scans six distress signals, a distress call button and an integrated GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) providing global coverage through a constellation of satellites. The Icom conforms to the latest European and international standards. SSB radios have been used in offshore vessels for generations. (When Eric Schweikardt, the photographer, and I drove…
Why You Need AIS. A Primer
Here’s a good primer about why you should have AIS on your boat, from America’s Boating Compass and the US Power Squadrons: AIS, or Automatic Identification System, can make your boating safer. Consider the following scenario: You have an AIS system on your boat. You are on watch, 20 miles off the coast, sailing in hazy conditions. An AIS alarm sounds on your chart plotter. Upon scanning the horizon, you see nothing. When you return to your display, you see a target 5 miles ahead traveling at 23 knots and heading toward you. The AIS information data box shows that…
Champagne Charter: Dinner for 6, $30,000
There are yacht charters, and then there are yacht charters, but the new Dom Pérignon charter on a Sanlorenzo 88 superyacht in New York’s Hamptons seems in a league of its own. You can always have a glass, or a bottle, or Dom Pérignon on your own boat, of course. But now, for the first time, you can enjoy a four-hour charter organized by Dom Pérignon on a Sanlorenzo 88 that it has customized for the occasion, for a base price of $30,000. And you, and up to five of your best friends, can sip lots of DP and enjoy…
Archipelago Starts High Latitude Charter
Archipelago Yachts, the new British builder, won’t launch its first 47 Power Cat until the Southampton Boat Show in September, but it just announced that it’s starting a new charter business for the northern latitudes next spring. Archipelago Charters will launch its maiden offshore voyage, called “Cruise North – 47 to 64” in April, when it’s still cold in northern Europe. The plan is to start in Southampton and then cruise to Germany, Denmark, Norway, Shetland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, returning via the Western Isles and Ireland. The charter is scheduled to return to Southampton in early June. You…
New, Relaxed Protocols for Caribbean, Bahamas
It’s now easier to travel to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, and to charter a boat there, since many countries have relaxed their Covid-related protocols. The Moorings, the worldwide charter powerhouse, has put together a list of the new protocols, spelling out what you need to do to enter, and enjoy, a charter there. Here’s a sample: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: First, it’s important to note that cruising between the U.S. and British Virgin Islands is prohibited, although there is daily ferry service between the two island countries. All travelers over the age of 5, regardless of vaccination status, will have…
Aquila Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Aquila power catamarans are marking a major milestone by celebrating their tenth anniversary this summer. The boats, ranging from 28 to 70 feet, are made by Sino Eagle in China and are sold around the world to private owners. They also are put into the charter trade, primarily by MarineMax Vacations, where they have enjoyed a remarkable success and growth. MarineMax Vacations, of course, is part of MarineMax, the retail giant with headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, and 90 locations in 22 countries around the world; it’s the exclusive global distributor for Aquila. In the past ten years, Aquila says it…