Why Did This Superyacht Sink? See Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suc8pgfB1O0&t=72s
Author Peter Janssen
Aquanima 40: New Solar-Powered, Blue-Water Cruising Cat
Azura Marine just launched the first boat in a new line of solar-powered, blue-water cruising catamarans in Bali, Indonesia, called the Aquanima 40. The new cat is designed to be self-sustaining, and the company says it can complete “non-stop ocean voyages powered only by sunlight.” And it costs about $540,000. Based in Singapore, Azura was started in 2012, and has been building solar-powered ferries and dive boats ever since. The Aquanima 40 is its first entry into the recreational market, and the company says it will launch a 45 before long. The Aquanima 40 has 602 square feet of solar…
Evinrude, an American Institution, Shuts Down
An American institution, Evinrude outboards just show down. BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) made the announcement, closing Evinrude’s plant in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, and saying it will focus on its boat brands and other marine products. “Our outboard engines business has been greatly impacted by COVID-19, obliging us to discontinue production of our outboard motors immediately,” said José Boisjoli, the president and CEO of BRP. “This business segment had already been facing some challenges and the impact of the current context has forced our hand.” The BRP announcement said the company will use the Sturtevant plant “for new projects to pursue our…
Spend a Night, or More, on a Grand Banks in Beaufort, NC
Jan and Lee Rychel finished the Great Loop in January, 2019, on their Grand Banks 46 Shangri-La, but they didn’t want to give up their lifestyle. In fact, they liked it so much they wanted to share it. So they opened an onboard B&B, called Bed & Breakfast On A Boat, in Beaufort, North Carolina, and they’ve now expanded it to include chartered overnight cruises and trawler training. The Rychels have been living on board since 2016, when Lee retired after more than 30 years in the home furnishing business. He had grown up on the Great Lakes and had…
Ray Hunt Designs New Yachts, New Hull Shape
Few names in American boating are more iconic than C. Raymond Hunt. After all, he designed the deep-V hull more than 60 years ago that has been regarded as the gold standard for offshore performance and safety ever since. So it’s news, big news, when his successors have made some adjustments now, creating a more efficient hull shape for today’s yachts with the goal of producing double-digit cruising speeds, under moderate power, while still retaining all the seakeeping abilities of the original. But Ray Hunt Design, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, has done exactly that, drawing a new Ray Hunt Design…
Yacht Hits Savannah Jetty. Coast Guard Rescues 5
The Coast Guard rescued five people after their 57-foot yacht hit a jetty at night in Savannah, Georgia. No one was injured, but TowBoat Savannah reported that the boat lost stability quickly and could not be salvaged. The Coast Guard said its station in Charleston, South Carolina, heard at report over Channel 16 that the boat, Nauty Thoughts, had hit the north Savannah jetties, and had asked for help from TowBoatUS. This was at 10:55 p.m. on Monday. The yacht’s crew said it was aground and taking on water, with five people on board. The Coast Guard dispatched a 45-foot…
Riva Comes Back with Sporty New 88 Lightning
Riva just launched its new, sporty Folgore (Lightning) 88 at its yard in La Spezia, the first new boat since the coronavirus devasted Italy. Alberto Galassi, CEO of the Ferretti Group (Riva’s parent company), said the boat was “a dazzling flash of style” and “a tangible sign of a country that starts again.” The company said the new Riva’s exterior was inspired by luxury sports cars, and the looks carry on Riva’s tradition of glamorous Italian design that dates back to Brigitte Bardot and the Riva she kept in St. Tropez in the ‘60s (see picture above). The new Folgore…
Runaway Boat Hits Sailboat in San Diego. See Videos
MISSION BAY Runaway Boat Causes Havoc on Mission Bay Danyelle Wolf, a three-time USA Boxing National Champion, captured video of the incident By Sophia McCullough • Published May 24, 2020 • Updated on May 25, 2020 at 11:31 pm Danyelle Wolf Drone footage of the runaway boat taken by Danyelle Wolf on May 23, 2020. A runaway motorboat caused quite a scene Saturday on Mission Bay. San Diego lifeguards said the operator lost control of the boat, knocking all of the occupants off and leaving the boat to steer itself. Video shows it making a wide arc, possibly towing an…
Now: Social Distance on Your Own Luxury Island Privè
Here’s a new way to practice social distancing – or just have some fun on the water. It’s called Luxury Island Privè, and it’s an inflatable that you can anchor in calm water just about anywhere. The Luxury Island Privè (pictured at top) is made by the Italian company Yacht Extension, and it lets you create your own oasis to sunbathe on soft cushions, relax in a pool with a net protecting you from jellyfish, have a relaxing drink at sunset, or simply get away from it all. When you’re done, roll it up in its own container and take…
New German Builder Launches Solar-Electric Power Cats
Alva Yachts, an environmentally conscious German company, has just launched a new upscale line of solar-electric power catamarans called Ocean Eco, starting with a 60 and a 90. Alva uses a new manufacturing process to shape and integrate the solar panels into the coach-roof of the boats, providing the maximum number of panels possible. The company now has two orders for the Ocean Eco 60 (pictured at top). At their peak output, the solar panels can generate 20kW for the 60. They work with a 300k lithium battery bank to give the boat a range of 110 nm at 7…