Author Peter Janssen

Destinations
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Mississippi River Hits Record Lows

In normal times, Tower Rock (pictured above) serves as a landmark on the Mississippi River, about 90 miles below St. Louis. It’s 344 feet high, and it’s accessible only by boat. As of a few days ago, school children were walking out to the rock without getting their feet wet. These are not normal times. The Mississippi is running low; some 40 gauges are recording low water records all along the mighty river, according to NOAA. Barges carrying crops and cargo from America’s heartland are getting stuck and running aground in mud; the delays will cause disruption in supply chains…

Boat Reviews
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Iliad Unveils New 53 Flybridge Power Cat

Iliad Catamarans just unveiled its new 53 Flybridge in Australia, a blue-water, long-range cruiser with impressive space and performance. The new power cat has high clearance and high freeboard for its bridge deck that helps to keep its ride soft and safe, even in less-than-ideal conditions. The flybridge makes use of the cat’s almost-25-foot beam to create a large social area that offers unobstructed views all around. It has a centered two-person helm seat with a bar on the starboard side and a large U-shaped seating area and table to port. A hardtop, with a sunroof, provides some weather protection.…

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Rescues 3 Men and a Dog

The Coast Guard and others recently rescued three men and a dog from a 57-foot cruising boat that was sinking off Sucia Island in the San Juans in Washington State. The Coast Guard received a call about 2 p.m.saying that a boat was taking on water after it hit some rocks entering Echo Bay on Sucia. A small, picturesque island, Sucia is just north of Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands group. It’s near the U.S.-Canadian border. The Coast Guard immediately sent a 45-foot response boat from Bellingham to help. Fortunately, Good Samaritans arrived at the scene first and…

Boat Reviews
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Nimbus Launches 365 Coupe Family Cruiser

Nimbus will display its new 365 Coupe, a sporty cruising boat with some Scandinavian flair, at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, starting Oct. 26. Nimbus, a Swedish builder, says the 365 Coupe is a functional boat; it has everything a family or a couple need for a weekend, or much longer, cruise. There are two cabins below, with one head, and two more people can sleep on the convertible settee in the salon. And it’s made for easy handling and comfortable cruising. The walkaround side decks are protected by high railings, and there’s a door opening from the helm…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Hunt Launches New Ocean 68 Flybridge

Hunt has launched its new Ocean 68 Flybridge yacht, the latest in the legendary builder’s line of classic, sea-kindly Down East cruisers.The Ocean 68 has a large extended flybridge, a custom interior, and the deep-V hull that provides a fast, safe and soft ride offshore in all kinds of conditions. Hunt’s Ocean series already has a 56, 63, and 76; the new 68 is designed to fill the gap between the 63 and the 76. All the boats are designed to provide the best ride in their size range. The 68 gets up on plane easily, and provides a dry,…

Boat Reviews
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New Hope 40: A Power Cat with Foils

At first glance, the Hope 40 looks like another Down East picnic boat, but with a slightly broken sheer line. But then take a look under the hull. It’s a state-of-the-art power catamaran with hydrofoil technology. The new Hope 40 is the brainchild of McCullough Yachts in Newport, Rhode Island, and it’s going to be built at Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, Maine. On its website, McCullough says, “For years customers have asked us why existing power catamarans look like futuristic alien spacecraft.” They say their reply is the Hope 40, “an attractive vessel that still utilizes the smooth riding…

Boat Reviews
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New Hardy 65: A Serious Blue-Water Cruiser

The new Hardy 65 is a British-built, go-anywhere traditional blue-water cruiser with a blend of modern comforts and high-tech components. The 65 is the flagship of the Hardy fleet, which starts at 32 feet. They’re all built by Cockwells, in Falmouth, England. The company says the 65 is “a little ship with a big attitude.” Standard power is twin 800-hp MAN diesels, with a top speed of 25 knots on the 65’s semi-displacement hull. Optional 1,200-hp MANs produce a top speed of 30 knots. The Hardy 65 is a serious, seaworthy boat; there aren’t a lot of frills. The side…

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Rescues 3 Boaters from Sharks

The Coast Guard rescued three missing boaters in the Gulf of Mexico last Sunday after their boat sank and they were attacked sharks. Two of the three had serious cuts on their hands from the sharks, and the sharks had almost eaten through one of their life jackets. “Rescued just in the nick of time,” the Coast Guard said in a release. The three men left Venice, on the southeastern coast of Louisiana, early Saturday morning for a fishing trip on their 24-foot center console. It sank about 10 that morning, leaving them in the water with life jackets but…

Charter
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Lagoon Starts Fractional Ownership with Sea Style

Lagoon Catamarans and Sea Style Partners just formed a joint venture to promote a fractional ownership program for Lagoon’s multihull power and sail yachts. The two companies announced their new partnership at the Cannes Yachting Festival, saying it will give owners access to Lagoon’s international network of yachts and Sea Style’s experience in fractional ownership, yacht management and crew services. Mathias Chouraki, the president of Sea Style, said the new partnership “shows that fractional ownership is not only trending, but also will become an important part of our industry in coming years.” The program offers owners a 25 percent or…

Boat Reviews
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New Evo 43 with Ever-Expanding Beach Club

The new Evo 43 R4XT, just displayed at the Cannes Yachting Festival, takes the idea of a transforming beach club to an entirely new level. Evo, based in Naples, hired Besenzoni to create a transformer-like, expandable stern platform for its new boat. Opening in a series of steps, the new stern extends the length of the boat by three feet, and the beam by six feet. And it drops 30 inches below the waterline when you want to launch tenders or toys or go for a swim. The aft bulwarks also fold out from the cockpit to open up the…

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