Author Peter Janssen

Cruising Life
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Prestige Wins Three Awards for 2 New Yachts

Prestige just won three awards at the major European shows for two quite different yachts, the flagship 65-foot Prestige M8 catamaran and the 50-foot Prestige F4 flybridge cruiser. The F4, the first model in the French builder’s new flybridge line, won an award for best interior design in its size category at the World Yachts Trophies ceremony in Cannes, while the M8 won the award for power-driven catamarans there. The M8 then won the 2023 Design Innovation Award in the Multihull category a week later at the Genoa show. The interior of the F4 is fluid and elegant, with a…

Destinations
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Baltimore: History Plus Much More

If you’re in Annapolis for the show, or cruising on the Chesapeake at any other time at all, you can broaden your horizons by making a stop in Baltimore. The scene there is very different from the one in Annapolis, or in the little gems of St. Michaels or Oxford on the Eastern Shore. After all, Baltimore (pop. 576,498) is a major urban center; it’s also one of the largest working seaports on the east coast. But Baltimore also has great facilities for recreational boats, and it has a lot of nautical history to offer, all in or within walking…

Cruising Life
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Man Dies After Whale Flips HIs Boat

An Australian man died and his companion was seriously injured when a whale flipped their boat in Botany Bay, off Sydney, and threw them into the water. The accident occurred at 6 a.m. when the two men, Stuart Collings, 61, and his brother-in-law, Darren Curmi, 53, were in their runabout. No one is sure exactly what happened, but apparently a whale breached under the boat.. It was “an absolute freak accident,” police said. Other boaters called authorities saying that an empty boat was running in circles in the bay and two people were in the water. It took 45 minutes…

Boat Reviews
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New North Pacific 450 Pilothouse Cruiser

North Pacific has launched its new 450 Pilothouse, a two-stateroom, two-head serious cruiser. With the standard single 335-hp Cummins, the new 450 Pilothouse cruises at about 9 knots and tops out at 14 knots. A single 480-hp Cummins is an upgrade, and it you want twins, then North Pacific will be happy to oblige you. North Pacific says the new 450, with a more modern interior and exterior, builds on the success of its 43, the company’s first, and most popular, model. The interior displays satin-finished teak, and the drawers are all dove-tailed. The hull is laid up with solid…

Cruising Life
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Panama Posse Forming: 165 Boats So Far

This year’s Panama Posse, a flotilla of power and sail boats that cruise from southern California to the Panama Canal and on to the Caribbean and Florida, is forming. Indeed, the posse will hold its kickoff events from October 20 to 28 in San Diego, Shelter Island and Chula Vista. You don’t have to go the entire way; you can join the posse for a while and then set your own course. But if do want to stay for the entire journey, the itinerary includes Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Roca, Panama, the Panama Canal, Jamaica, Roatan, the Yucatan…

Cruising Life
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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…

Boat Reviews
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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,…

Boat Reviews
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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…

Boat Reviews
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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…

Annapolis Boat Show
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Popular Annapolis Power Show Starts Oct. 5

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…

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