Author Peter Janssen

Boat Reviews
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New Sphinx 40: Living Off the Grid

If you really want to get away from it all, take a look at the new Sphinx 40, a solar/electric cat developed by Sovereign Ships, a Pensacola startup. The Sphinx is much more than one more environmentally friendly, fossil-free cruising boat. On its website, Sovereign says the new cat is designed for “living free on the sea,” and that the company’s mission “is to maximize personal freedom by creating self-sufficient, ocean-going homes.” The Sphinx creates its own renewable power, it collects rainwater and has a desalination system for fresh water, a 97-square foot garden can grow carrots, potatoes, kale and…

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Italia Yachts Launches Its First Powerboat

Italia Yachts just entered the powerboat market with a splash, introducing its new 43 Veloce with a sculpted, super-modern look and an unusual sheer. The new Italia is built for inboard power, with its massive drop-down aft sections, although, in a nod to the American market, it also comes with three outboards. Founded in 2011, Italia has concentrated on making sailboats, only sailboats, until now. But times, and markets, change. The 43 Veloce is the company’s first entry in the power market, and Italia wanted to create a boat that had its own look and identity. The 43 Veloce is…

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New Absolute 52 Fly: Extra Space and Light

The Absolute 52 Fly sets a new bar for interior light and glazing as well as for serious social zones inside and out. Introduced to the U.S. at the Miami show in February, the Italian-built Absolute is a three cabin, two head luxury motoryacht, with a crew cabin aft. Powered by twin 600-hp Volvo IPS800 pod drives, it cruises at 22 knots, and tops out at 28 knots. But, as with most Italian yachts, with the Absolute 52 Fly, the theme is as much about style and living on board as it is about performance. The new 52 is remarkable…

Cruising Life
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Ocean Warming “Headed Off the Charts”

Ocean temperatures around the world are “headed off the charts,” according to scientists, who say that April set an all-time high. The average temperature since the start of April has been 21.1C, the scientists say, beating the previous high of 21C in 2016. They base their reporting on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The high surface temperatures can lead to marine heatwaves around the globe. NOAA reports that ocean surface temperatures are the highest since they started taking satellite records. “The current trajectory looks like it’s headed off the charts, smashing previous records,” Professor Matthew England, a…

Cruising Life
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Tourists Follow GPS: Drive Into Water 0000

Two tourists who said they were following GPS instructions for a local snorkel tour shop drove their rental car off a boat ramp and into the water in Hawaii. They eventually climbed out the front windows of their van as men from a nearby sailboat dove into the water to save them. The two women said they were looking for the Manta Ray Snorkel tour company last Saturday and entered its location in their GPS. They ended up in the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Christie Hutchinson, who lives there, started filming the accident, saying, “Pretty sure…

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Xquisite Building Hybrid 60 Power Cat

Xquisite Yachts, the South African company, is now building its new hybrid 60 power catamaran, designed to cruise the oceans of the world, in Portugal. The first two hulls have already been sold, and the first will be delivered next year. Xquisite worked with Dixon Yacht Design for two years to develop the new 60, with solar/electric/diesel propulsion. The 60 follows the successful debut of the company’s 40 power cat, also designed by Dixon, at the Miami show in February. Xquisite was founded in 2014 to build sail and power cats “for adventurers who wish to explore our oceans without…

Cruising Life
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2 People, Dog, Rescued from Sinking Cat

The Coast Guard rescued two people and their dog after their 28-foot power catamaran started to sink Monday near St Catherine’s Sound in southern Georgia. The Coast Guard station in Charleston, South Carolina, heard a distress Mayday call on VHF Channel 16 from a man on board the cat, named Pisces, at 5:32 on Monday evening. The caller stated the boat’s name and its position. The Coast Guard called its air station in Savannah, which launched a Dolphin helicopter, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The helicopter arrived on the scene, and a rescue swimmer helped the two people…

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Hylas Launches First Diesel Outboard in U.S.

The first outboard-powered Hylas M47 just arrived in the U.S. from the company’s yard in Taiwan. The M47, an adaptation of the diesel-inboard-powered M44, has two 300-hp Cox diesel outboards on its transom. Hylas says it’s the first twin-diesel outboard on the  U.S. recreational boat market. The Cox CXO300s push the new Hylas to a top speed of 31 knots, and a cruising speed of 17 knots. The outboards burn just 15 gph at 2,500 rpm. With the outboard’s standard four-blade props and the boat’s standard 475-gallon fuel capacity, the Hylas has a range of 1,000 nm. With optional 700-gallon…

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Selene Launches Latest 60 Ocean Explorer

Selene just loaded its latest 60 on a cargo ship in Yantian Port, Shenzen, China; it’s hull number 46 of Selene’s popular Ocean Explorer series. This newest 60 has a modern full-body layout and a new profile with large side windows and three staterooms with en suite heads. It’s meant for an owner-operator, but it also has a crew stateroom aft with a full head; this space could serve as a fourth cabin. The company calls it “a compact super-yacht.” The 60 is the smallest in Selene’s Ocean Explorer line that goes up to 128 feet. Ocean Explorers have been…

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New Rhea 34 Trawlers Heading to U.S.

Rhea Marine’s Trawler 34, made in France, is now heading for the United States, with two boats going to Cardinal Yacht Sales in Bellingham, Washington. The Rhea 34 has a conventional trawler layout, with two cabins, one head, and either one diesel or two. As a former trawler (Grand Banks) owner, I found a few things appealing in the new Rhea. It has a door on each side of the salon, providing immediate access to both sides decks. This is an great help in docking (which I often did by myself), as well as providing more fresh air and ventilation…

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