Author Peter Janssen

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Up Next: Palm Beach Show, March 23-26

The popular and increasingly important Palm Beach International Boat Show starts next month, on Thursday, March 23, and runs through Sunday, March 26. It will have a lot of cruising boats on display, including many that were not at the Miami show last week. Over the past few years, the Palm Beach show has earned a reputation as a serious buyers’ show, for a lot of reasons. It’s a manageable show, where it’s easy to see the boats. They’re all in one location (as opposed to Miami), and the show is easy to get to, with parking and restaurants nearby.…

Charter
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Ellis 36 Charter at Claremont Hotel in SW Harbor

If you’re thinking of heading to Maine this summer, you might want to treat yourself to a charter on a classic Ellis 36 express cruiser, appropriately named Downeaster, from the docks at the elegant Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor. Once you’re on board, you can cruise around Southwest Harbor, home to Ellis, Hinckley and other Downeast builders, across the way to even smaller and quieter Northeast Harbor, or head up Somes Sound, the four-mile-long fjord-like protected cruising ground that basically cuts Mt. Desert Island in half. To purists, Somes Sound is technically not a fjord, although it comes close. It…

Boat Reviews
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Vicem Unveils 65 Classic Flybridge

Vicem Yachts, the highly acclaimed Turkish builder, just unveiled its new Vicem 65 Classic Flybridge, a yacht that’s notable not only for its Downeast looks but also because Vicem is offering it in both fiberglass and cold-molded mahogany with West System epoxy construction. Either way, the 65 Classic Flybridge carries Vicem’s timeless design, with clean lines, a long sheer, and even a hint of tumblehome. Here’s a look that will never go out of style, and would be equally at home in Maine or Nantucket as it would be in the Med. The new Vicem also has the builder’s trademark…

Cruising Life
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Ilmor Unveils 8-hp Electric Outboard

Ilmor just introduced its revolutionary – and colorful – new ION all-electric outboard motor for small boats and tenders to the U.S. at the big Miami show. It had introduced it to the European market, where it would be popular on lakes and canals that have regulations governing gas engines, earlier at the METS trade show in Amsterdam. The ION’s drive runs on a 48V circuit, and it  has an output of 6kW, or around 8-hp. Ilmor says that’s enough to power a 24-foot pontoon boat or tender up to 6 knots. There’s also a “boost mode” that adds another…

Cruising Life
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Fatal Collision: Coast Guard Relieves Captain

The Coast Guard just announced that the commander of a 154-foot cutter that collided with a small fishing boat off San Juan, Puerto Rico, last summer, killing one of the two brothers on board, has been relieved of his command. Rear Adm. Brendan C. McPherson, commandant of the Seventh Coast Guard District, relieved Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Williamsz of his duties, citing a loss of confidence in his ability to effectively command the cutter. He had been reassigned to shore duty in San Juan immediately after the collision last August 8. The Winslow Griesser (pictured) is a Sentinel Class fast response cutter…

Cruising Life
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Rolls-Royce’s $28 Million Yacht-Inspired Car

If your life revolves around all things yachting, take a look at the latest from Rolls-Royce. The iconic luxury car builder has launched its $28 million bespoke new Boat Tail model, and says it’s “inspired by classic J-Class cruisers of the early 20th century.” The Boat Tail is built by Rolls’ custom Coachbuild division; Rolls itself is owned by BMW. It turns out that Rolls built a Boat Tail car in 1910, and decided to revive the model after some yacht-lovers wanted a modern version. The car is entirely built with aluminum body panels that are supposed to create the…

Boat Reviews
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Chris-Craft Unveils New Electric Boat

The cause of electric power for recreational boats got a big boost from one of America’s most famous boat companies at the Miami Show. Chris-Craft, which calls itself “America’s boatbuilder” and which has been in business since 1874, announced that it’s making an electric-powered 25-foot prototype as a test platform for a fleet of electric boats in the future. The new boat, called the Launch 25 GTe, will be powered by a 420-hp EVOA electric motor, paired to a sterndrive. The boat is projected to have a 43-knot top speed and a two-hour running time. It works with a 133-kWh…

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Rescues 6 from Sinking Boat. Video

The Coast Guard rescued six people after their powerboat took on water and started to sink off Freeport, Texas, on Sunday. The Coast Guard reported that its base in Galveston heard a VHF distress call on channel 16 just before noon, when the captain of a 32-foot powerboat said his boat was taking on water and starting to sink. The boat’s three pumps were not able to keep up with the flooding. All six people on board were putting on their life jackets and abandoning ship, climbing into a small life raft. The Coast Guard immediately launched a 45-foot response…

Cruising Life
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10 Winners of Miami Innovation Awards

The National Marine Manufacturers Association and Boating Writers International just announced the ten winners of their annual innovation awards at the start of the Miami show. The awards are designed to recognize manufacturers and suppliers who bring new and innovative products to the recreational marine marketplace. The winners (and three honorable mentions) are: Center Console/Walkaround Fishing Boats: Viking Yachts, Valhalla Boatworks, V-55 Center Console (pictured) Honorable Mention: Boston Whaler 280 Dauntless Consumer Electronics, Mobile Applications and Software: Navico Group, Lowrance HDS PRO with Active Imaging HD and Active Target 2 Honorable Mention: Maretron WSO200 Wind and Weather Station Consumer Safety…

Boat Reviews
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Hylas M49 Makes Miami Debut

Hylas Yachts just introduced its new M49 cruiser at the Miami show, a debut that had been delayed by the Covid pandemic. The hull of the 49 was developed from the Hylas 44, which was launched in 2018 and was well received as a rugged blue-water boat with some classic lines and a nod to Down East looks. Both the 44 and the 49 are designed by Dean Salthouse, whose family has been designing boats in New Zealand for 65 years. Hylas makes its boats at the Queen Long yard in Taiwan, and it planned to have the M49 ready…

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