Author Peter Janssen

Cruising Life
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Big, Fast, New Tiara EX 60 Flagship

Tiara’s new EX 60 flagship dominates the scene, wherever it is. The 60 is not just the largest yacht that Tiara has ever made; it’s a full 11 feet larger than the next largest model. Named the Crown Jewel (like previous Tiara flagships), the 60 ruled over the Tiara fleet at the recent Fort Lauderdale show, where Tom Slikkers, Tiara’s president, said the company sold 36 boats, a 33 percent increase from 2022, which was a good year in itself. The 60 is large, luxurious, and fast. With twin 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives, it tops out at just over…

Cruising Life
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New Sialia 59: All-Electric Weekender

The new Sialia 59 Weekender, with its clean, modern, European look, would certainly turn a lot of heads on any dock or harbor that it enters. It’s also a high-tech vessel, using state-of-the-art technology to qualify as one of the most advanced eco-friendly electric boats on the market today. The Sialia 59 actually comes in three versions, all made of carbon fiber and all using the same electric power: Weekender, Runabout and Sport. The difference is that the Weekender is a luxury cruiser with refined accommodations for four below, and a supersized head that includes a rainforest shower. Sialias are…

Cruising Life
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Best Marine Design Winners Named

The annual DAME Awards recognizing superior design were just announced at the opening of the big METSTRADE marine equipment show in Amsterdam. The awards were started in 1991 to promote design in all boating fields and to recognize the best-designed products at the show. This year a record 53 products from 100 entries were shortlisted for the awards. An international jury of eight industry veterans then chose the winners in eight categories, plus 14 special mentions. The overall winner was the HighPower ServoProp 25 from Oceanvolt, the Finnish electric inboard pioneer. It’s a 25-kW electric saildrive with a controllable pitch…

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Helicopter Crashes in Alaska

A Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter crashed Monday night while on a rescue mission in Southeast Alaska. The four crew on board were rescued by a second Coast Guard helicopter. Two had serious injuries, and all four were flown to a hospital in Seattle for treatment. The incident started when the crew of the Lydia Maria, a commercial crabbing boat, reported flooding; it was in Farragut Bay, near Petersburg. A Coast Guard helicopter from Sitka responded. At 11:05 p.m. the Lydia Maria reported that the Coast Guard helicopter had crashed on Read Island in the bay. Rescue crews from Alaska Wildlife…

Boat Reviews
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Azimut Grande 36M: High-Style Winner

The Azimut Grande 36M was introduced to the United States market at the recent Fort Lauderdale show, and it wasted no time in making itself known. Indeed, the sleek 116-foot super yacht was named Best of the Show by a panel of independent judges. For the award, Azimut faced some heavy competition, including the Benetti 4M Oasis, Princess Y95, wallywhy150, and Sunreef 80 Eco, among others. But the Azimut stood out for both its innovative design and its creative hull shape, a coupling that was hard to beat. The new Azimut was launched in Viareggio last August, and it caused…

Cruising Life
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Princeton Team Sets Electric Speed Record

A team of Princeton students designed an electric boat that just shattered the world speed record. The boat, a 14-foot hydroplane named Big Bird, flew over a measured kilo course on Lake Townsend in North Carolina on a two-way average speed of 114.4 mph. The previous world record of 88.6 mph was set by Jaguar Vector Racing, a professional racing organization, in 2018. The Princeton team, organized as Princeton Electric Speedboating, started work in February, 2022. It’s made up of more than 40 undergrad and grad students with a wide range of majors, but a heavy concentration on engineering and…

Cruising Life
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New EZRaft Tender for Smaller Spaces

Here’s a new possibility as a tender for smaller cruising boats that don’t have enough room on the swim platform or lazarette for a traditional inflatable or RIB. The company says the EZRaft 250 is the “ultimate in portability and convenience.” Built in The Netherlands, the EZRaft is just 8’ 2” long and 4’ 7” wide, and it folds down to just 2’ 6” by 10” to fit into its own carrying bag. It also weighs just 24 pounds, so it’s easy to carry. You can inflate/deflate it in about five minutes, using the supplied electric pump. It doesn’t have…

Charter
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Six Great VRBO-Type Boat Rentals

Here’s something to think about for the next time you’re traveling in the U.S. or overseas. Instead of staying in a hotel, stay on a boat. This is often simply a variation on the VRBO theme, but it works, and it gives you access to a lot of waterfront living that can make a trip memorable. Here’s a list of half a dozen boat rentals from around the world, collected by travelwaits.com. When thinking about a rental, check the reviews, the hosts, and the boat, and make sure the location is near the other business or sightseeing you want to…

Boat Reviews
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Vicem 55 Classic: A Down-East Favorite

Over the years, the elegant Vicem 55 Classic with its eye-pleasing Down-East lines has been one of the Turkish builder’s most popular boats. Indeed, the company has built more than 150 of them in the past 20 years. Until recently, the 55, like most other Vicems, was built with a cold-molded process, involving layers of mahogany at different angles that are saturated with epoxy over a computer-designed mold. The idea was that the combination of wood and resins produced a hull that was lighter, stronger and quieter than most fiberglass hulls. The problem was that cold-molding takes time, and many…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Viggo C10 Offshore: A Serious Cruiser

With its long, slender, raw aluminum hull and semi-military look, the 36-foot Viggo C10 Offshore looks like a serious boat. And it is. Made in Sweden, the Viggo is designed to serve as a safe, fast, offshore cruiser, one that can go anywhere in almost all sea conditions. That description has been used by a growing number of adventure/explorer boats lately, with varying degrees of accuracy. In the case of the Viggo C10, it fits. There is nothing trendy about the Viggo C10 Offshore. No folding terraces on the sides, no beach club aft. No fridges under the sun pads…

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