Author Peter Janssen

Boat Reviews
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Helmsman Building New 46 Pilothouse Flagship

Helmsman is building its first 46 Pilothouse trawler, a comfortable but rugged cruiser designed for offshore passages. The new 46 Pilothouse was ordered by the owner of a Helmsman 38 who wanted a larger boat that he could use to go beyond coastal cruising. Hull number one of the 46 has a single 500-hp John Deere engine that is expected to deliver a top speed of 16 knots and a range of 1,440 nm at 8 knots. For future models, a 493-hp Cummins is an option. The new trawler as a semi-displacement hull with soft chines. It also has a…

Cruising Life
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New Suit: Megayacht Caused Damage on Block Island

A marine salvage company has filed a suit in Federal Court seeking damages related to a incident last month involving a $4.3 million, 125-foot Heesen yacht in Great Salt Pond on Block Island, Rhode Island. In the suit, HRM, the salvage company, claims that the yacht, Sea Axis, lost control in a “violent wind and weather squall,” then “dragged anchor and violently impacted other vessels” while HRM’s own salvage tug “incurred significant damage.” The suit seeks “a liberal salvage award” of $247,500 plus costs and interest because “HRM’s efforts preserved the vessel value and likely resulted in the yacht being…

Boat Reviews
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Highfield Launching New Electric RIBs

Highfield just announced it will display a new electric-powered RIB at the Annapolis show starting October 5, and a new electric-jet RIB and a new Sport RIB at the Fort Lauderdale show later in the month. The Annapolis powerboat show will be the debut for the Highfield Classic 340E (pictured) powered by a 9.9 Navy 6.0 Evo electric outboard from ePropulsion. The new RIB is 11’ 1” long and it has a top speed of 10 knots under silent electric power. The aluminum hull has a 15 degree deadrise for performance, it weighs 157 pounds, and it can carry up…

Destinations
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Lake Tahoe Concours: 60 Antique Boats

The 49th annual Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance just ended on the west shore of the majestic lake, one of the most beautiful spots in the United States. (I may be biased here, because I grew up in San Francisco and my family spent many summer vacations there.) Nestled between California and Nevada at 6,225 feet above sea level in the Sierras, Tahoe is about 21 miles long and 11 miles wide. The water, averaging abut 1,000 feet deep, is also clear and cold, very cold. If you’re waterskiing there, the water temperature alone is a major incentive not to fall…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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New Fairline 65 Phantom: Style, Luxury, Performance

The new Fairline 65 Phantom, the first sport-bridge cruiser in the British builder’s fleet, is a combination of style, luxury and performance. Fairline calls the new Phantom a sport bridge because the top deck is situated way aft, making room for the opening sun roof over the lower helm. As a result, it’s a bit smaller than a traditional flybridge, but it still has comfortable seating for at least half a dozen guests aft of the upper helm, plus a wet bar for al fresco entertaining. The lines are an evolution from Fairline’s popular Targa 65 sports coupe that was…

Boat Reviews
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Aquila Launching New 47 Power Cat

Aquila will launch its new 47 Molokai Power Catamaran this fall, the third boat and largest boat in its offshore Molokai line that starts at 28 feet. Aquila calls the new 47 the Big Kahuna, and says it’s the first in its new generation of power cats. The 47 Molokai is ready for fishing, with large fishboxes waiting for the day’s catch, but it also can easily serve as a versatile cruiser, with a 14-foot, 7-inch beam providing both stability and lots of room inside and out. A sliding door near the helm provides access to an interior cabin with…

Cruising Life
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Five Fastest Big Yachts in the World

To most of  us, the concepts of superyachts and fast are almost mutually exclusive. You want to go fast? Get a Cigarette, or a Fountain. (I once drove a Fountain 162 mph, and that’s fast.) You want to relax with your family or friends or enjoy life in the Med like an Onassis in the past or a Jeff Bezos today? Get a superyacht, with all the amenities you could possibly imagine and a top speed that’s basically irrelevant. If you want get somewhere fast, you can always take the yacht’s helicopter. Still, the itch for speed persists, no matter…

Boat Reviews
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Jeanneau To Debut New Family Cruiser in Miami

Jeanneau will introduce its all-new 30-foot NC 895 Series Two family weekend cruiser at the Miami International Boat Show in February. The NC 895 has two cabins and one head below. And it cruises at 20 knots, with power coming from twin 250-hp outboards. They make driving fun and maneuvering easy. The new Jeanneau is meant to be a safe, comfortable, versatile boat. There’s little maintenance involved; it’s the kind of boat that you can wash and put away. Jeanneau, part of the giant French Beneteau Group, has designed the NC 895 with a slash of windows running along the…

Cruising Life
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16 Hurt in Ozarks Fuel Dock Explosion

Sixteen people were injured in an explosion at a fuel dock on the Lake of the Ozarks last Friday afternoon. Missouri State Police say the explosion occurred when the driver of a 2000 Carver motorboat turned on the ignition after refueling the boat at Millstone Marina. They said a spark in the engine area caused the explosion, which ejected three people from the boat. Two people on the fuel dock were also injured, The injuries ranged from minor to moderate, according to the state police. Four adults and a 15-year-old girl were taken to the hospital. The others were treated…

Cruising Life
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Even More Hurricanes This Year: NOAA

This year’s Atlantic hurricane season will be even worse, possibly much worse, than had been predicted, according to NOAA. In fact, last week NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) announced that the likelihood of an “above normal” season is now 60 percent, double what it had predicted in its forecast in May. NOAA also said this year’s season could produce 14 to 21 tropical cyclones, while the May forecast called for 12 to 17. It now said that six to 11 of them (instead of five to nine) could become hurricanes with winds of at least 74 mph, including…

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