Author Peter Janssen

Cruising Life
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Nordhavn Finishing New 80 with Vripack Interior

Nordhavn is working on its first new 80 with a sophisticated Scandinavian-style interior by Vripack, the Dutch design firm. It will be completed next year. The company has already finished hull number one of the 80, designed as a go-anywhere world cruiser that can be run by an owner-operator. Built at the South Coast yard  in Xiamen, China, the yacht will be ready for inspection by the end of the year at Nordhavn’s headquarters in Dana Point, California. The 80 is a departure for Nordhavn in that the company is collaborating with Vripack to create a new, more contemporary, European…

Cruising Life
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Boat Racer Indicted in Alleged Magazine Fraud Case

Here’s a story from Lake Expo about the indictment of a well-known boat racer on eight charges of  mail wire fraud in a case alleging that he committed $300 million worth of fraud for magazine subscriptions: A well-known member of the Lake of the Ozarks powerboating community has been indicted on federal mail wire fraud charges, in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota. Russell “Rusty” Rahm faces eight federal felony charges, as prosecutors allege he—through multiple Kansas-based companies—committed massive fraud related to magazine subscriptions, to the tune of more than $300 million, with more than 150,000 victims, for 20 years.…

Cruising Life
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Volvo To Stop Making Seven Marine Outboards

For the past several years, the outboard business has been on a tear. The demand for new outboards, even on traditional cruising boats, often outpaced supply. Yamaha couldn’t make its popular large outboards fast enough. Mercury upped its game and produced new outboards that became the power of choice even on such Down East boats at Hinckley and MJM. Suzuki stepped up its presence in the U.S. Three years ago, Volvo Penta, the Swedish giant, bought Seven Marine, a U.S. startup, and it started production of the entire Seven Marine lineup (527-hp, 577-hp, and 627-hp models)  last February in Tennessee.…

Cruising Life
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Nordhavns Notch Up 7 Million nm – and Counting

We all know that  Nordhavn owners like to go far. In fact, they’ve gone just about everywhere in the world, including going around it many times. But now we know exactly how far they’ve all gone – 7 million nautical miles, and that’s pretty far indeed. To track its owners’ progress, and the miles they put under their hulls, Nordhavn started a Distance Pennant program 12 years ago. Owners post their mileage, and earn a different pennant, as they go along, starting with 2,500 nm and then jumping up in 5,000 nm increments. So far, 487 owners have joined; many…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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37-Knot, Porsche-Designed Cat for Sale – Again

Now’s your chance to get a Porsche-designed yacht to go with your Panamera, Cayenne or even an old 911. The 135-foot, 37-knot Royal Falcon One, first launched in the summer of 2019 and listed by Camper & Nicholsons, is on the market again. Campers says it will provide the price for what it calls a spaceship on the water “upon application.” The yacht was built by the Kockums yard in Sweden as part of the Royal Falcon Fleet in Singapore. Porsche Design Studio drew the lines, working with the naval architects Incat Crowther. The entire project took ten years. Porsche…

Cruising Life
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New Resort To Open on Private Island in U.S. Virgins

A new resort will open next month on a private island just a ten-minute boat ride from Cruz Bay in St. John. The resort, the Lovango Resort & Beach Club, will be the first resort to open in the U.S. Virgins in 30 years. And it will have moorings and tender service if you want to arrive on your own boat. The Lovango resort is the third boutique property in the Little Gem Resorts portfolio, which already includes The Nantucket Hotel and Resort, and the Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. It will open in stages over the…

Boat Reviews
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New Sessa Key Largo 40: Versatile and Fast

Lots of boats have terraces or doors that open from the side bulwarks to increase the amount of space in the cockpit and to provide access to water sports. But the new Sessa Key Largo 40 takes that concept to an entirely new level. Take a look: Both sides of the cockpit drop down, creating an exceptionally large open space for a 40-foot boat. The seating is modular and can be reconfigured to fit your mood on the water: Running, sunning, or just enjoying an al fresco lunch or cocktails. Below, the Key Largo 40 sleeps four in a super-modern…

Cruising Life
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Lauderdale Show: Fewer People, but Lots of Buyers

If you’re into boats, you’ve got to love John Staluppi, the Long Island entrepreneur who owns the third largest group of car dealerships in the U.S. Here’s what he has to say about going to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show last week. “I always go to a boat show with intent to buy boats, and I bought two boats at the show. I bought a 32-meter Ocean Alexander and a small outboard Ocean Alexander, 45 feet.” He knew that the show had safety restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with requirements for face masks, social distancing, and one-way passageways.…

Cruising Life
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MIT Creates Self-Driving Roboat To Carry Two People

A team of researchers from MIT and Amsterdam have developed a new autonomous boat that’s big enough to carry two passengers and smart enough to take them on a three-hour trip with a margin of error of just 6.7 inches. The new self-driving boat is 6’ 6” long and it’s called the Roboat 2; the original Roboat was a smaller and not-as-smart version, and it was developed as part of a five-year project by MIT and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions. The goal is to create the world’s first fleet of autonomous vessels for Amsterdam’s canals, working to…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Williams Adding New 13-Foot RIB with Diesel Power

With the expansion of the explorer and semi-displacement cruising market, Williams Jet Tenders is adding a new 13’ 5” Dieseljet 415 to its lineup of premium RIBs. The new Dieseljet will be launched in January, and the British builder says it would be appropriate as a tender for cruising boats in the 75-foot range. The new Williams RIB, of course, has many other uses as an all-around sport boat or second boat in its own right. The new Dieseljet 415 is powered by a 110-hp Yanmar 4JH diesel, paired with Williams’ own jet pump drive. It tops out at 40…

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