Author Peter Janssen

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Wellcraft Launches Flagship 435 Adventure Cruiser

Wellcraft is introducing its new flagship 435 Performance Cruiser to the U.S. market at the big Fort Lauderdale show next week, doubling down on what it calls “go anywhere, do anything” boats and amping up the rebirth of a once-proud brand. Wellcraft introduced its first Performance Cruiser, a 355, in May of 2022, and the boat was welcomed in Europe where it was made and in the U.S. It was Wellcraft’s first entry into the rapidly growing lineup of all-weather, adventure cruising boats that were made popular by Scandinavian builders. The 355 also marked the rejuvenation of Wellcraft, once one…

Boat Reviews
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Swan To Display New Shadow at FLIBS

Nautor Swan will show its elegant new 43-foot Swan Shadow powerboat at the Fort Lauderdale show next week. Powered by three 350-hp Mercury outboards, the latest Swan tops out at 55 knots. But on the Swan Shadow, what’s the hurry? Relax, soak up the sun, or whatever else the weatherman has in mind, and bask in the glow of the admiring glances from everyone else in the harbor. One of the most prestigious names in yachting, Swan has made more than 2,350 yachts, from 36 to 131 feet, in Finland over the past 50 years. Almost all of them, of…

Boat Reviews
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Maritimo M60 Makes Debut at FLIBS

The new M60 Flybridge Motor Yacht from the Australian builder Maritimo will make its U.S. debut at the Fort Lauderdale show, starting Nov. 25. With its creative use of space aft – including an upper cockpit, adventure deck and enormous swim platform – and a large fully enclosed skylounge up top, the new M60 is bound to generate a lot of attention. And it comes with Maritimo’s well-earned reputation for seakeeping abilities, cruising comfort, and craftsmanship. “This new M60 Flybridge Motor Yacht pays homage to Maritimo’s heritage, tracing its lineage back to the very first motor yacht we crafted two…

Boat Reviews
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First Look: Outer Reef Launches 830 MY

Outer Reef just launched the first of its new 830 Classic Motoryacht series and is now shipping it from the factory in Taiwan to a young American couple who previously owned an Outer Reef 700 Classic. Wanting more room for entertaining, the new owners moved up in size, but were loyal to Outer Reef for its combination of craftsmanship, luxury and long-range cruising performance. Outer Reef has been building on its cruising pedigree lately. Two Outer Reef yachts have gone around Cape Horn, one with the company president, Jeff Druek, on board. The new 830 has a clean and contemporary…

Boat Reviews
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Mathews Launches 40 Flybridge Cruiser

I had an unexpected treat at the Annapolis show last week. Walking down the outer dock, a new 40-foot flybridge cruiser caught my eye. It had just enough of the lines of a classic trawler to remind me of my old much-beloved Grand Banks 36, but it was slimmer, newer, lighter. I was looking at hull number one of a Mathews Brothers 40 flybridge, the latest of the company’s “true Chesapeake boats,” a tough customer with an all-fiberglass hull made in the family’s yard in Denton, up the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Mathews also makes a sedan version…

Destinations
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Lauderdale: Much More than FLIBS

If you’re one of the 100,000 or so people heading for the big Fort Lauderdale boat show starting Oct. 25, or if you’re just going to Lauderdale at any other time, do yourself a favor. Stay a while. Lauderdale, in my opinion, is one of the most relaxed, enjoyable cities on the cruising boat circuit. The fact that it’s also one of the world’s major boating centers, virtually filled with marinas, boatyards and boating service operations, is just extra icing on the cake. Fort Lauderdale is often called the Venice of America, for good reason. It has 165 miles of…

Boat Reviews
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Boston Boatworks Unveils New 44 Express

Boston Boatworks has unveiled plans for its second Offshore Express model, a 44-footer, powered by twin Volvo D6s with Aquamatic Drives. It’s already started work on the first two hulls at its factory in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The new 44 comes a few months after Boston Boatworks introduced its first Offshore Express, a 52, made for an owner-operator. The Offshore Express series was designed by Doug Zurn, the Marblehead, Massachusetts, naval architect who’s worked with Boston Boatworks on several other boats in recent years, while Winch Design, the London firm that usually works on superyachts, has done the interiors. Boston Boatworks…

Cruising Life
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Ferry Captain Asleep Before Crash: NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board just said that the master of a Washington State ferry fell asleep at the wheel before it ran into its dock in Seattle. The NTSB’s report on the accident said the master, who was at the helm of the 328-foot-long ferry at the time, had ceased rudder commands about 30 seconds before it hit a dolphin at its cruising speed of 15 knots. The accident caused $10 million worth of damage. Only one  person suffered a minor injury. The NTSB said the master had no recollection of the events before the accident and was not…

Boat Reviews
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Absolute Building New Navetta 70

Absolute just announced that they’re making a new Navetta 70 that they’ll launch at the Cannes Yachting Festival next September. The new 70 represents a new direction for the Italian yard. The Navetta 70 will keep much of Absolute’s original architecture, including the open lateral gunwales, covered walkways, extensive glazing on the main and lower decks, fold-out terraces in the cockpit, high ceilings, and minimal use of steps to make moving around the yacht safe and easy. But now it will introduce a contemporary interior with bleached wood and bronze finishes, a larger galley, and an enlarged flybridge that’s a…

Cruising Life
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New Inflatable 5 mph GoBoat 2.0

For just plain fun, take a look at the inflatable GoBoat 2.0. You won’t want to take it to Bermuda, but if you just want to cruise around your local lake or harbor it would fill the bill. And when you’re done, just deflate it and stow it in your lazarette or the trunk of your car. The company says the GoBoat 2.0 (an improvement over the original model) is safe, stable and easy to pack. You inflate it with a hand pump and then climb on. It’s made with GoBoat’s proprietary AirCore composite construction with three separate air chambers.…

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