Volvo Penta just introduced its new Assisted Docking system for IPS boats, and it’s designed to overcome the effects of wind and current while docking. Assisted Docking isn’t guaranteed to eliminate all the fear and stress from docking in adverse conditions, but it certainly comes pretty close. Volvo announced the new system at its virtual booth in the Consumer Electronics Show. It first unveiled the self-docking prototype two years ago. Assisted Docking uses software from Volvo’s GPS-based Dynamic Positioning System to work with the IPS fingertip-controlled joystick. The new package includes a “human-machine interface” (or HMI, as Volvo calls it)…
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Video: Outer Reef Aft Deck Customizations for Your Cruising Lifestyle
Who doesn’t love the option of customizing your own space – whether in your home, office, garden or yacht? When it comes to yacht customizations, whether you are living aboard or creating a home away from home, Outer Reef is known for creating a unique haven for owners complimented by practical, aesthetically pleasing features… your own personal oasis.
The owners of the 720 Motoryacht TAILWINDS joined the Outer Reef design team to apply a feature new to the Outer Reef Classic Series – a lowering glass wall to the aft deck, complimented by a nearby swivel television, allowing the viewer to enjoy indoor-outdoor TV, gaming, etc. This creates the ideal space for al fresco dining and entertainment. This video demonstration is simple, however it helps us to envision the big impact special features can have.
Luxury Day Charters Adds Vicem 72 to Fleet
Luxury Day Charters has just added a classic Vicem 72 flybridge yacht to its charter fleet in the Jupiter/Palm Beach area. Luxury Day Charters’ motto is “be a yacht owner for a day or longer,” and the Vicem, like the company’s other yachts, is available for highly customizable charters starting at less than a day and going up to a week. With its elegant, timeless lines, the Vicem is certain to turn heads on any charter. It has three staterooms and two full heads, plus a day head. There’s lots of outdoor space, including a large aft deck with a…
Russian Captain Steals Boat’s Props, Worth 39 Million Rubles
Here at Cruising Odyssey we usually focus on recreational cruising boats but, as we know, there can be exceptions to every rule. And this story, from drive.com, is just too good to miss. Take a look: The Russian Navy says that a former commander of the now-decommissioned Sovremenny class destroyer Bespokoynyy conspired with others and stole the ship’s two bronze propellers while it was in dry dock being converted into a floating museum. The alleged caper sounds like it was ripped straight from the plot of a comedic Hollywood heist movie, with the thieves reportedly swapping out the pair of…
Azimut Launching New 53 Family Cruiser
Azimut just announced that it’s making a low-profile flybridge 53 with a spacious interior that’s designed for family cruising. The new 53 has three staterooms with two heads, plus a possible crew cabin with a head aft. Powered by twin 725-hp Volvo IPS900 pod drives, the 53 will have a top speed of 31 knots and a cruising speed of 27 knots. The boat’s bow is almost vertical, to provide more room forward. Its raked front windshield and flybridge set well aft give it an aggressive, contemporary look. Azimut says it choose Volvo’s IPS propulsion system because it gives the…
Wally Building New Wide-Body “Space Ship”
Wally just announced that it’s building an 88’ 9” cruiser called the WHY200 that doesn’t look like any other Wally; actually, it doesn’t like many other yachts, either. The WHY200 is designed to provide more space than other boats of that size. Indeed, Wally says it has 50 percent more space than comparable boats. The most eye-catching feature of the new Wally is the owner’s suite in the bow that takes advantage of the massive amount of space there and offers ocean views from 200 degrees of wrap-around windows. Wally’s legendary designer Luca Bassani created the new look, working with…
Coastal Craft Launches New 41T Fast Outboard Cruiser
Coastal Craft just launched its new 41T, a sturdy, fast cruiser that is built for the waters of the Pacific Northwest and that tops out at 45 knots, powered by four 350-hp Suzuki outboards. The new Coastal Craft has two staterooms and one head, and the cockpit can be customized for fishing or cruising applications. All Coastal Craft are made in Gibsons, British Columbia, above Vancouver on the Strait of Georgia. They are made out of marine welded aluminum, with polyurethane foam insulation in the hull and cabin. The company pays particular attention to detail and its joinerwork, as well…
Helmsman Launches Updated 43E Pilothouse Trawler
Helmsman has updated its 43E Pilothouse trawler, originally introduced five years ago, and has already delivered two of the new models and is finishing work on a third. The changes, including providing more interior volume in some places and tweaking the appearance in others, were all in response to feedback from owners and would-be owners. The Helmsman 43 is a two-stateroom, two-head, sturdy long-distance cruiser with both a raised pilothouse and a flybridge. It has a semi-displacement hull with soft chines, a deep forefoot, broad sections aft for stability, a full keel, a large rudder, and a full skeg. Standard…
Aquila Sells 100th Hull of Popular 36 Power Cat
Aquila power cats are becoming more and more popular. Indeed, Aquila just sold its 100th 36 PC, making it the second model in the Aquila fleet to sell more than 100 boats. Aquila sold its 100th 44 PC last May. The Aquila 36, introduced at the Miami show in February, 2017, is a two-cabin, two-head cruiser powered by a variety of Mercury Verado outboards. With a 14’ 7” beam, it provides a lot of usable space for cruising and entertaining. It can hold 20 adults at the dock, and it has sleeping arrangements for six adults, including two in the…
New 82-foot Crabmaran Cruises on Land and Sea
You can’t say that Pierpaolo Lazzarini, the head of his own design studio in Rome, doesn’t think outside the box. Now he’s come up with an 82-feet-long, crab-inspired luxury power catamaran that runs on land and in the water. Lazzarini calls the new craft Pagurus, or a Crabmaran. It has a total of six different diesel engines, plus solar power, and it costs just $29.4 million. And it has a garage that can be lowered into the water (or the ground) that can hold a tender or a Tesla Cybertruck. Viewed from the front or the rear, the Pagurus looks…
Lyman-Morse Building New Hood 35 Down East Cruiser
Lyman-Morse is building a new Hood 35, named the Hood 35 LM Express Cruiser, and it’s bound to be an instant classic, with simple, elegant, Down East lines and contemporary 38-knot performance from twin 440-hp Yanmar diesels paired with Hamilton waterjets for sporty maneuvering and skinny-water exploring. The 35 is the second collaboration between Lyman-Morse, in Thomaston, Maine, and C.W. Hood, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Just this fall the companies launched the first C.W. Hood 57, also with Down East lines; it was designed by Chris Hood and Stephens Waring Yacht Design in Belfast, Maine. Hood designed the new 35. Designed…
New Solar-Electric Alva 60 To Cruise in Norway
Alva Yachts, the new German builder, just announced that its first solar/electric Ocean Eco 60 Explorer catamaran will be used year-round for cruising in Norway. Alva also is building a 90-foot solar-electric cat. The 60, with a climate-controlled, fully enclosed flybridge, is designed for all-year cruising. The cat has an innovative design; the coachroof extends down to the raised bow to make space for solar panels. They can generate 20kW or 40kW, and work with a 300kWh lithium battery and two 230kW electric motors. Under solar/electric power alone, the Alva 60 can cruise for 110 nm at 7 knots, or…
Endless Summer: YuJet Electric Surfboard
Here’s a new toy that could be a lot of fun for the whole family next summer: The YuJet Surfer, an electric surfboard that doesn’t need surf and that hits a top speed of 24 mph. The YuJet is fun, fast, and easy to ride. You control the speed with a floating wireless hand trigger that has two modes: Beginner, for starting out, and Sport, for full performance, The board, which is just shy of eight feet long, weighs in at 20 pounds with the battery removed, so it’s easy to maneuver from your car or boat to the water.…
Iridium Launches First World-Wide Marine Distress Service
Iridium just launched the first world-wide, real-time emergency marine distress service. The new Iridium Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) started last week; it is the first immediate response and rescue service that works anywhere in the world, even in the Arctic and Antarctic. At a virtual press conference from its headquarters in McLean, Virginia, Iridium officials said the new service can provide life-saving help to mariners at sea. “This is a historic moment in both the satellite and maritime industries,” said Iridium CEO Matt Desch. “It is not every day that you get to announce the launch of…
New Folding Electric Bike Goes 20 mph
Here’s a new high-tech, folding, electric-powered bike that could fit in your lazarette of your boat and then give you a comfortable ride on shore. It has a top speed of 20 mph and a range of about 50 miles on a single charge. The new bike is the Gocycle GXi, just named one of Time’s 100 Best Inventions for 2020, and in ten seconds it folds into a package that’s about two feet high and 14 inches wide. With a frame made from injection-molded magnesium alloy, the Gocycle GXi weighs just 38.6 pounds, and it can carry a load…
Garmin Introduces New, More Powerful GPSMAP X3 Chartplotters
Garmin just launched its new GPSMAP x3 mid-sized chartplotters with more power and higher-res displays; they’re available with or without built-in sonar. The new units were shown at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Designed for a wide range of helm configurations, the new X3 series have streamlined borders with edge-to-edge glass displays and they can be installed in bail-, flush-, or flat-mounted configurations. The 12×3 and 9×3 models offer touchscreens with accurate colors that you can see from all viewing angles, even if you’re wearing polarized sunglasses. The 9×3 and 7×3 models offer 50 percent and 60 percent…
The Moorings Opens New Charter Base in St. Thomas
The Moorings is opening a new charter base in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, offering a variety of charter options for some of the most beautiful destinations in the Caribbean. Crewed charters will be available in February, The Moorings said, while bareboat sail and power charters start in March. The charters operate out of Yacht Haven Grande Marina in Charlotte Amalie, just a ten-minute drive from Cyril E. King Airport, with many direct flights from the U.S. Yacht Haven Grande (pictured below) is a luxury full-service marina, with immigration services, shopping, dining, pool, tennis courts, Wi-Fi and a business center.…
Iconic Hurricane Hole Marina To Reopen in Bahamas
A new and improved version of the iconic Hurricane Hole Marina on Paradise Island in the Bahamas is being built now, with 6,100 linear feet of deep-water concrete docks and slips for up to 420-foot superyachts. The new marina will be renamed Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina at Paradise Landing. It’s scheduled to open by the end of this year. Hurricane Hole, within easy walking distance of the Atlantis Resort, has been a favorite destination for yachts cruising in the Bahamas for years. The new marina is designed to offer boat owners even more, including gourmet dining, exclusive retail stores and…
Bahamas Update: What’s Open Now
What better way to practice some social distancing, and cruise through the pandemic, than to charter a boat in the Bahamas? Yes, there are protocols you have to follow (see the link here: http://bahamas.com/tourism-reopening), but once you’ve done that you can enjoy some of the best cruising grounds in the world. But where to go? Choices, choices. We all have our favorites. One of mine is the pink sand beach on Harbour Town, pictured above. To help us choose, the people at United Yacht Charter have put together a thorough list of the Bahamas’ highlights,…
Silent Yachts Building Solar-Powered Resort in Bahamas
Silent Yachts just announced that will build a solar-powered luxury waterfront resort in Eleuthera, the Bahamas, that also will include the Austrian company’s solar-powered catamarans. The Eleuthera location will include 16 waterfront villas and eight Silent power catamarans. The first of half a dozen other Silent Resorts planned around the world, the Bahamas destination will include a beachside clubhouse, resort pool, restaurant, bar, fitness room, game room, and a spa. Construction will start in 2021. Other possible destinations include Belize, Panama, French Polynesia, Maldives, and Indonesia. “With Silent Resorts, we are creating the world’s first 100-percent solar-powered, luxury adventure cruising…
Simrad Introduces New VHF Systems with AIS
Simrad is introducing a new VHF radio and an upgrade with a Class-B AIS system, representing a pair of multi-station marine radio systems. Both radios, the RS100 and the RS100-B, which is integrated with a Class-B AIS transceiver and a GPS, are expandable and be customized for any boat. The two new radios are part of modular VHF systems that expand to include up to eight handsets (four wired and four wireless) and four external speakers. This possibility makes them appropriate for both medium-sized and larger yachts. “Our new VHF systems offer our customers ever more flexibility and better communication…
U.S. Maritime Administration Warns of GPS Signal Loss
Here’s another warning about possible GPS signal problems from the U.S. Maritime Administration, part of the Department of Transportation. It said it has received reports recently of lost or inaccurate GPS signals in various parts of the world. To be safe in areas where GPS is potentially unreliable, mariners are urged to use redundant nav systems. The Maritime Administration just issued its warning, called “Various GPS Interference.” It says, “Multiple instances of significant GPS interference have been reported worldwide in the maritime domain. This interference is resulting in lost or inaccurate GPS signals affecting bridge navigation, GPS-based timing, and communications…
5 Top Night Vision Cameras for Cruising
Here’s a very helpful review of five night vision cameras from NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) Boater that could help make your cruising life a lot easier and safer. Take a look: ComNav V7 The ComNav V7 thermal night vision camera with multi-axis gyro stabilization and high-sensitive quad payload is designed for situational awareness such as surveillance, navigation, security, and search and rescue applications in extreme low-light environments. Furthermore, it is an effective tool for ice and iceberg detection, as well as marine oil spill recognition. Thermal imaging technology allows the capture of faint image details in challenging light conditions,…
NMEA Makes New Excellence Awards in 17 Categories
The National Marine Electronics Association just announced its annual Product of Excellence Awards for products in 17 categories, plus an award to Garmin as the Manufacturer of the Year. Here’s the announcement: SEVERNA PARK, MD—Manufacturers scored big at the 2020 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Business Meeting held on September 26, following the NMEA Virtual Education Week held last week. A total of 19 products received the top award, and the NMEA Manufacturer of the Year was named. “On behalf of the NMEA Board of Directors, staff, and membership, we congratulate all 2020 award winners,” said Mark Reedenauer, NMEA President…
New: Charter an Iguana in the Caribbean
Looking for a new experience in the Caribbean? Now you can charter an Iguana amphibian boat in St. Martin, and you can enjoy your charter on land and on the sea. The 31-foot Iguana X100, powered by two 300-hp outboards, tops out at 47 knots on the water; its twin tracks, driven by a 15 kWh electric motor, power it at speeds up to 4.4 mph on land. On the water the Iguana, using Hypalon 860 RIB tubes for stability, can handle four-foot seas. On land, the amphibian can roll over almost any terrain, from mud to rocks, and can…
MarineMaxVacations Adds New 545 Power Cat to BVI Fleet
MarineMax Vacations just announced that it will introduce its new flagship, a 545 power catamaran, to its charter fleet in the British Virgin Islands. The large and luxurious cat, with five cabins and five heads, will be available for charter starting in February. Since the new cat can hold up to ten people, you won’t have to worry about leaving anybody behind on your next charter. Bring all your family, or a group of friends, and enjoy a relaxing charter in some of the best cruising grounds in the world. MarineMax says you can charter the 545 as a bareboat,…
MarineMax Vacations Opens Charter Fleet in the Abacos
MarineMax Vacations is expanding its power charter fleet to the Bahamas, in a partnership with Navigare Yachting. The fleet will start with a two-cabin Aquila 362 power cat and a three-cabin Aquila 443 power cat at Marsh Harbor in the Abacos, starting Dec. 1. Under the partnership, Navigare Yachting will operate MarineMax Vacations in the Bahamas. Raul Bermudez, VP of MarineMax Vacations, said that Navigare Yachting was a world leader for charter vacations. “Our shared vision to create an exceptional vacation experience is key with our mutual passion for unmatched guest service, yacht maintenance, and expert delivery,” he said. Although…
Provisioning for a Cruise: 8 Simple Tips
Whether you’re going on a charter or a cruise on your own boat, getting the right stuff on board is a key to future happiness. That’s particularly true if you have more than a few people on board – each with his or her ideas about what to eat and drink. You want to keep everybody happy, but you also don’t want to buy too much, or too little, to last for the duration of your cruise. Here are eight tips from the people at The Moorings about how to make some basic provisioning decisions: Provisioning your yacht can seem…