I just came across this old video by my friend Billy Black after we had taken a mid-coast Maine cruise six years ago on the then-new Back Cove 30, a great time. It’s particularly appropriate now since I’ll be taking a similar cruise next week on the brand-new Back Cove 32. I’ve go to say that the Maine-built Back Coves (and Sabres too – their big-brother brand) are among my favorite cruising boats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GmS6_deOh8
Here’s a great tour of an Aquila 44 power cat by an owner who’s bought two Aquilas before. Needless to say, he likes the boat. But it’s easy to see why. With it’s 22-foot beam, the Aquila has space and more space – plus lots of light all around. A fun video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSOBpVj9QzE
The Azimut Magellano line is something of a cross between traditional trawler-type cruising boats – think Fleming or Grand Banks – and the more trendy styling you usually associate with first-rate Italian builders. Here’s a good look at the new Azimut Magellano 66. http://www.mby.com/reviews/trawler-yachts/azimut-magellano-66-review
Here’s a good look at the new Marlow Pilot 31, the entry-level boat in what used to be the Mainship lineup, that’s now has been revised and updated by David Marlow. It’s a basic couple’s single-diesel cruising boat, made for coastal cruising or, say, the Great Loop. http://www.boats.com/reviews/marlow-pilot-31-first-look-video/
Take a look at this just-launched Palm Beach 42, with some of the most graceful lines, not to mention most gorgeous tumblehome, of any boat on the planet. It’s the first new model since Palm Beach Yachts, in Australia, was acquired by Grand Banks Yachts, in Malaysia, in 2014, and it’s heading for the fall boat shows in the U.S. I tested the first Palm Beach to be imported into the U.S. six years ago, and I was knocked out by the thoroughly modern but classic lines, the elegant fit and finish, and the world-class quality of the boat then.…
At first thought, this doesn’t seem like a logical partnership: Doug Zurn, who’s designed the sleek, fast MJM 50Z; the sleek, fast Shelter Island Runabout 38, and the sleek, fast 57-foot Vendetta for Billy Joel, has joined forces with John (Jock) Williams, who designs and builds the most traditional of all Maine lobster boats, originally for commercial fishermen and now for well-heeled owners who appreciate the “lobster yacht” aesthetic. But come together they did, with the new Williams 38 as the result – a classic-looking lobster boat above the waterline, with a state-of-the-art hull design below. The visible part of…
Here’s a first look at Nordhavn’s new 59 Coastal Pilot. a boat that makes cruising easy. This is from the company that took its 40-footer around the world, and then organized the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally in 2004 (when I joined company vice president Jim Leishman on his 57-footer from the Azores to Gibraltar, an all-time-winning trip). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZCahkD7hcE&feature=em-subs_digest
Take a look at one of the best-looking new boats from one of the most prominent boat builders in the world.
Sabre Yachts has just started sea trials on its new 66-foot flagship Dirigo on Penobscot Bay in Maine to test its twin Volvo 900-hp engines and all the yacht’s systems before heading south to deliver it to the owner in Palm Beach and then the Miami boat show. Dirigo, in case you’re wondering, means “I lead” in Latin; it’s also the motto for the state of Maine, where all Sabres are built. It’s particularly appropriate for the new 66-foot express-style yacht, since the largest Sabre so far is a 54-footer. The move up to 66 feet comes after owners told…
When Lyman-Morse launched the first 42-footer in its new Mohegan series, I tested it on the off Port Clyde, Maine, with Drew Lyman, the president of the company, and I was impressed not only by the Hunt-designed classic Downeast looks of this flybridge cruiser, but also by its overall handling and performance. Now Lyman-Morse has launched a commuter version of the boat, designed to carry a dozen or so guests to the owner’s island summer home on Lake Ontario, with the same classic lines, minus the flybridge, and with the same proven Hunt deep-V hull for outstanding blue-water performance. The…