Author George Day

Cruising Life
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Cruising Odyssey Tries First Volvo Assisted Docking System in North America

The Swedish marine engine builder, Volvo Penta, has been working on their Dynamic Positioning technology and the all-new Assisted Docking function for years. Finally, at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show the company was ready to give real-life demonstratiosn. The first Assisted Docking system in North America is installed on a new MJM M4. The boat was at the 17th Street Boat Basin, where I met up with the Volvo team. I had used Volvo’s Dynamic Positioning technology before, so this was not new. Basically, the technology relies on a highly sensitive GPS receiver with eight antennas that then feeds…

Cruising Life
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Cruising Odyssey Tests Seakeeper’s Revolutionary Ride Stabilizer System

Last Friday, during the Ft. Lauderdale boat show, I had the opportunity to go out on a 37-foot center console powered by twin Mercury Verado 300-horsepower engines.  The boat was equipped the Seakeeper’s new Ride stabilizers, and we were going to put the system to a test in some bouncy water. Seakeeper is well-known for their gyro boat stabilizers that have become increasing popular in the cruising fleet. The gyro systems use heavy flywheels spinning around an axis to create the stabilizing force to hold the boat level, much the way a spinning top is hard to reorient due to…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Maritimo Introduces Flagship M75 to the U.S.

The Australian builder of hand-crafted cruising boats introduced their flagship, the Maritimo M75, to the U.S market last week at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show.  They also brought the first new M55 Black Edition to be landed in America. I had the chance to thoroughly look at the new M745 at FLIBS and saw at once that the flagship represents the pinnacle of Maritimo’s boat building art. When you step aboard, you realize at once how big the boat truly is. A flybridge, sport cruiser with four cabins below and a spacious salon, the 75 has a huge amount…

Boat Reviews
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Fly Over the Waves on a Foiling JetCycle

In 2020, the French company JetCycle introduced their innovative and patented water toy of the same name. The original JetCycle is a recumbent, pedal-powered foiling boat that, with spirited pedaling, will rise up onto its foils and then soar over the waves at up to 20 knots, as long as your legs last. It’s a fun idea and at about $10,000 apiece it quickly found a market in Europe among outdoor enthusiasts, cyclists and energetic youngsters. The company now runs JetCycle family-oriented events with races and point to point rallies.  And, they have recruited a team of ambassadors who help…

Boat Reviews
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Hylas Launches New Downeast-Style M47 with Diesel Outboards

Hylas Yachts, which builds finely designed and crafted sail and power yachts at their Queen Long yard in Taiwan, has a hard-earned reputation for delivering sensible, conservative powerboats that are first and foremost good sea boats. Their powerboat line, designed by the New Zealand-based firm Salthouse, has roots deep in workboat traditions with sea-kindly hulls, flared bows and deep cockpits. The new 47, with twin outboards, is the first to have outboards and also the first to run with diesel-powered engines. The move to alternative propulsion was driven by a need to deliver  more sustainable boats to customers who are…

Cruising Life
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Collapse of Gulf Stream Will Create Weather Crisis in North Atlantic

Here’s a sobering report published on Monday on the website LiveScience. Forty four top climate scientists have alerted policy makers in the Nordic countries that the collapse of the Gulf Stream and the other major Atlantic currents will precipitate devastating weather and climate changes in Europe and North America. While this threat has been on our radar for a while, the group of scientists argue that they and many others have seriously underestimated the rate and immanent timing of the current collapse. The currents involved are part of what is known as the North Atlantic Meridonal Overturning Circulation. The currents…

On Watch With Peter Janssen
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Get Ready for the 2024 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show

The 2024 Ft. Lauderdale boat show, known as FLIBS in the marine trade, kicks off next Wednesday, October 30 at noon. The show is America’s largest in-the-water show and will have more than 1,300 boats on display ranging from small personal watercraft to 300-foot mega-yachts. The show runs through the weekend and show management expects more that 100,000 people to attend. FLIBS is truly an international show. You will find boat brands on display from the four corners of the world and from the most prestigious builders. An all-powerboat show, you will find the latest designs and some new radical…

Boat Reviews
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Pearl Yachts Brings New 82 and Full Fleet to FLIBS

The British yacht builder Pearl Yachts introduced their brand-new 82 at the Cannes boat show in September and the Bill Dixon design earned top honors for “Best Interior Design” for yachts in its size category. That’s not surprising. Pearl, which began building yachts in 1998, is a boutique builder of highly refined mini-super yachts from 62 to 95 feet. They maintain limited production because they want to focus their attention on quality instead of quantity. The results are reliably stunning. The new 82 has the brand’s aggressive lines and modern styling with a racy speed-boat bow and sharply angled glazing…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Zeelander 8 Number 2 Launched in Early October. A Study in Marine Elegance

On October 4, Zeelander launched hull number two of their 79-foot 8 model. The gala party for the launch was held at the builder’s facilities in The Netherlands and was attended by the family that bought the new 8, many other owners and the Zeelander staff. The new 8 represents the apex of the Zeelanded line and is a highly refined motor yacht that combines the company’s unique curvaceous hull and cabin designs with the highest of high-tech engineering and onboard systems. As the builder likes to say, Zeelander yachts are not for everyone. The 8 is a three-season cruising…

Boat Reviews
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Introducing the New Saxdor 340 GTWA Spacious Weekender

The Finnish boat builder Saxdor introduced their new 34-foot this year to acclaim. The boat was awarded a Finish Design Innovation Award and it has been nominated for the prestigious European Power Boat of the Year Award. But such elevated status should not be too much of surprise given the company’s pedigree. Saxdor was founded by Sakari Mattila who was also a founder of  Aquador, Paragon, XO Boats and the incredibly successful Axopar. The. new boats Mattila is building in Finland and Poland are brimming over with high-tech, high-speed powerboat DNA. The new 34 GTWA is one of the few…

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