Author Peter Janssen

Boat Reviews
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Sunreef Building New 60 Power Cat; Offers Solar-Electric Version

Sunreef Yachts is building its new 60 Power Catamaran in its factory in Gdansk, Poland, and plans to launch the large, luxury multihull this summer. The 60 has the same lines as Sunreef’s 70-, 80-, and 100-feet power cats.  The boat is powered by twin diesels, but a solar-electric version also is available. Like its siblings, the 60 is built for long-range cruising. The company says it is “a versatile and modern motoryacht offering extreme comfort, seaworthiness and complete freedom for customization.” The 60 can hold up to 12 passengers, and it’s made to be operated by the owner or…

Boat Reviews
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New 420 Fly: Entry-Level Cruiser in the Prestige Fleet

The new Prestige 420 Fly is the entry-level yacht in the French builder’s high-end cruising fleet, which goes up to 75 feet. But it has the same DNA, the same French styling, the same bright and warm interiors, and the same cruising comforts that you’d find it its larger siblings. The 420 comes with two staterooms and one or two heads, and various inviting social areas from stem to stern – plus up top on the flybridge. Its basic power comes from twin 380-hp Cummins, with optional 425-hp Cummins. Cruising speed is 22 knots, with a range of 210 nm.…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Maryland Lifts Ban on Recreational Boating

There’s good news in Maryland. You can go boating there again. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan just lifted the state’s boating restrictions, which have been in place for more than a month as part of the fight against COVID-19. They had prohibited recreational boating, except for paddle boards and for people fishing for food. Now, recreational boats, power, sail and PWCs, are permitted in the state’s waters once more. Anglers can fish for the sport of it, and not just for sustenance. The state’s Department of Natural Resources expanded permitted recreational activities to include boating, fishing, golf, tennis and camping. Hiking,…

Engine Room
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How To Make Your Diesel Last Longer

Here’s some great advice from Captain John at Skipper Tips about how to make your small diesel engine last longer and perform better. Read on: Do you go through a step-by-step inspection of your engine before you hit the “start” button? Make sure you check these seven vital components before you do. This could add years of life to your sailboat’s diesel workhorse. 1. Oil. Use this double-dip technique. Pull the dip-stick out and wipe it off. Push it back in all the way so that it gets to the bottom of the oil sump. Pull it out and look…

Destinations
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Miami-Dade Opens Marinas: Lines Form

People couldn’t wait to get back on their boats when Miami-Dade opened up parks and marinas there last week, after being closed for six weeks because of COVID-19. The pent-up demand was so great that people camped out next to their vehicles on Friday night, waiting for the 6 a.m. Saturday opening at Blackpoint Marina in South Dade. Police had to direct traffic there (see the picture at top) as hundreds of cars and trucks trailering boats lined up, waiting to get in. The marina has four launch ramps, and police let in ten cars at a time. But by…

Cruising Life
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This Summer’s New Cruising Destination: The Maine Island Trail

If you’re looking for another reason to go cruising in Maine this summer, think about exploring the Maine Island Trail, a 375-mile water trail that connects more than 200 wild islands and mainland sites from New Hampshire to Canada. You can visit them individually, or plan a summer-long cruise to stop at them all, and enjoy the best of Down East cruising while you’re at it. Many people’s plans for long-distance cruising have been upset this summer, by a combination of COVID-19 problems and previously announced lock closures for long-delayed maintenance. People planning on cruising the Great Loop, for example,…

Boat Reviews
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Hylas Launches New M49 Blue-Water Cruiser

Hylas just launched its new M49 powerboat for sea trials. It’s the third powerboat in the Taiwan builder’s fleet, which already included an M44 and M58. A blue-water cruiser, the long, low, lean M49 is powered by twin 370-hp Yanmar diesels with straight shafts. Hylas is a semi-custom builder, and the M49 comes in two superstructure styles. The Cabriolet has classic windows in the salon, and a shorter overhang from the cabin top over the aft deck and a pull-out Bimini for added protection. The Euro version has a more contemporary shape to the salon windows and a longer overhang…

Cruising Life
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New King Hell 17: A Retro Runabout with an Attitude

If you’re thinking about something new and different for this summer, take a look at the King Hell Attitude 17 sport runabout, a retro-looking wooden vessel with a Harley-Davidson engine and motorcycle seats and handlebars. There’s only one is existence so far, but Chris Ashley, the King Hell’s builder and designer, is more than ready to make some more. Ashely (pictured at top) grew up messing around with boats in his grandparents’ home in Nantucket; he bought his first restoration project, a 1952 Chris-Craft, when he graduated from Cornell. Over the years, working from his home in Harvard, Massachusetts, Ashley…

Cruising Life
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Sea Ray Explodes at Gas Dock; One Killed, Three Injured

A 1999 Sea Ray exploded after refueling at a gas dock on the Lake of the Ozarks last Saturday. One person was killed, three were injured, and only quick thinking by other people on the fuel dock and on PWCs in the water kept the tragedy from getting worse. The explosion occurred at 3:58 p.m. at the Bridgeview Marina, when Brent Soloman, 52, the boat’s driver, turned on the engines after refueling. The blast threw two passengers, Lauren Wilken, 37, and Benjamin Dodd, 47, into the water. Soloman himself jumped overboard. A fourth passenger, Shawn Carroll, 53, was missing. The…

Boat Reviews
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New DutchCraft 56: Ready for Diving, and Everything Else

The new DutchCraft 56 is nothing if not versatile. With its spacious, open aft deck, it’s perfect for diving and watersports. And with its luxurious four-cabin, three-head layout below, it’s also inviting for comfortable cruising. Either way, you’ll get where you want to go in a hurry. With twin Volvo IPS950 pod drives, the DutchCraft 56 tops out at 40 knots. At 25 knots, it has a range of 500 nm; add the optional 1,188-gallon long-range fuel tank, and it has a range of 750 nm, also at 25 knots. The DutchCraft 56 is made, not surprisingly, in Holland, and…

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