Author Peter Janssen

Boat Reviews
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Axopar Building New 29 Range Line

Axopar, the innovative Finnish builder, created an entirely new genre of adventure boats when it launched its first model, a 28, in 2014. With its plumb bow and, long, low and lean minimalist lines, the 28 has been a big seller in Europe and the U.S.; so far Axopar has made 2,700 of them, and Axopar now makes several other models going up to 45 feet. Last week, Axopar said it would celebrate its tenth anniversary by replacing the 28 with a brand-new 29 Range line, with three models – Cross Cabin, Sun Top, and Spyder. The new 29s will…

Electronics
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Best New Electronics: NMEA Awards

The National Marine Electronics Association just named this year’s award winners at its annual conference in Orlando. The awards were chosen by NMEA members  who voted online in 17 categories for Product of Excellence Awards, while a panel of judges named winners of the NMEA Technology Award and Best New Product Award. The Best New Product Award celebrates a new product that was introduced at the conference and that the judges thought was best in innovation, benefit to boaters, practicality and value. The winner: Furuno’s FCV800 fishfinder, which the judges said was “a real powerhouse of a standalone fishfinder.” The…

Engine Room
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Honda Unveils New 350-hp V8 Outboard

Honda Marine just unveiled its most powerful outboard yet, a 350-hp V8, the company’s first V8 ever. The sleek new BF350 represents a big step up for Honda; the previous outboard flagship was a 250-hp model. The new 350 is aimed at boats in the 25-foot plus range, and Honda says it’s appropriate for single, twin, triple or quad applications. It weighs 765 to 776 pounds, depending on shaft length. Honda says the new outboard provides smoother power throughout the operating range, improved ergonomics, and it’s 17 percent more fuel efficient at cruising speeds than its competitors. It also operates…

Charter
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A New Look for the New Tecnomar 142

You won’t have any trouble spotting your boat at a crowded anchorage or harbor if you charter the new Tecnomar 142 that the company says looks like “a fantastic sea creature.” Whatever. It certainly doesn’t look like anything else out there. Part of the Italian Sea Group, Tecnomar launched the 142 power catamaran just in time for the Monaco show this week. It will be in the charter trade next spring. The yacht was built by Tasos Papanastasiou, the Cypriot founder of the XM financial forum, who named it This Is It, which actually covers quite a bit of ground.…

Boat Reviews
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Wally Launches 50 with IPS or Outboard Power

Wally just launched its new 50 with the builder’s elegant, minimalist and uber-clean lines at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The latest Wally, called the wallypower50, comes in two versions, one powered by twin 480-hp Volvo IPS pod drives, the other by four 400-hp Mercury Verado outboards, with four 500-hp Mercury Racing outboards as upgrades. Wally was not shy about touting the importance of the new 50. Indeed, Stefano de Vivo, the company’s managing director, said “The wallypower50 sets a new standard for being flexible, practical, dynamic and – of course – iconic. It is the  ultimate example of the evolution…

Cruising Life
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Candela Sets Electric Boat Distance Record

A 28-foot Candela C-8 Polestar electric foiling boat just set a record by covering 420 nm in a single day, a milestone accomplishment in the move to renewable energy. The previous record, set by a Voltari 260, was 79 nm in 20 hours. During its 24-hour run, the Swedish-built Candela ran at about 27 knots most of the time. It cruised in a circular 20-nm loop in the waters off Stockholm, stopping each lap to recharge with a fast Plug charger. Each charge took 18 minutes. “This feat shows that fast, electric waterborne transport over long distances is viable today,…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Rogue Wave Sinks Maine Lobster Boat

It was just after noon, but Billy Bob Faulkingham was calling it a day. The weather was turning in the Gulf of Maine, the remnants of Hurricane Lee were just a day away, so Faulkingham and Alex Polk, his sternman, started hauling traps on Faulkingham’s 40-foot lobster boat named 51. They were off the south end of Turtle Island, on the far side of Mount Desert Island, and they were going to head home to Winter Harbor, just a few miles away. Faulkingham knew those waters well. He’s 44, and he’s been a working lobsterman there all his life (although…

Boat Reviews
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Bering Starts Line of Power Cats

Bering Yachts, the Turkish builder that makes rugged, go-anywhere, long-range explorer yachts, just announced that they’re working on a new line of power catamarans, starting with a 60 and then moving on to an 80. In making the move, Bering joins a growing list of powerboat builders that is either switching to multihull yachts or is adding multihulls to their traditional lineup. In Bering’s case, the cats will join its fleet of monohulls that runs from 65 to 145 feet. But the cats will carry on Bering’s goal of building aluminum displacement boats that are designed for distant adventure cruising.…

Destinations
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Charleston: Still a Visitors’ Favorite

Historic, charming and boater-friendly Charleston, South Carolina, was just voted the number one city to visit in the United States by readers of Travel + Leisure – again. Charleston won the top spot in the magazine’s 2023 World’s Best Awards competition this year, for the 11th year on a row. For anyone who’s been there, Charleston’s repeat performance is easy to understand. It offers a mixture of history, Southern charm, great restaurants, hotels, and antebellum homes almost all within walking distance of each other. And it’s always been a favorite stopping point for anyone cruising on the ICW on the…

Boat Reviews
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Cannes Debut for Marex Gourmet Cruiser

Marex, the Norwegian builder, just introduced its new 440 Gourmet Cruiser flagship at the Cannes Yachting Festival. Marex has designed the 440 as a family cruiser with special emphasis on its galley; Marex says it’s the largest in its size range. The 440 is built for safe and easy living on board, with two cabins (and an optional third) and two heads below. A washing machine is standard. The side decks are protected by high railings, so moving around the boat is safe all around. And there’s a door next to the helm so the captain can have fast access…

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