Friday, July 18

Browsing: Cruising Life

This spring Riviera, the Australian builder of fine, robust cruising boats, launched the all-new 4300 Sports Express at the big Sanctuary Cove Internatioonal Boat Show. A two cabin, one head coupe, the new design looks like an ideal couple’s cruiser. We immediately thought that this new boat would be perfect for a Great Loop or inland waterway cruises. It has a bridge clearance of only 15-feet, 4-inches which is four feet less than the lowest fixed bridge on the entire Loop. With twin Volvo D6 IPS drives, each rated at 440-horseppower, the new 4300 has all the moxie it needs…

Whether you are looking to add radar to your boat or its just time to replace an old and out of date unit, there are a lot of consideration that should go int the decision-making process. To start, you need to be certain that a new or replacement radar is compatible with you existing marine electronics. In other words, will the radar display appear on your multifunction display so you can overlay the images onto the digital chart.  For simplicity’s sake, it makes sense to stick with one brand for all electronics. The size ofr radar you choose depends on…

As we reported briefly ast March, the new Turkish builder Aiata launched their new Wayfinder 38 at the 2025 Dusseldorf Boat Show in Germany. The Finnish-designed, walk-around, center console express cruiser made a real statement by displaying three versions of the boat side by side. The most obvious innovation that Aiata is bringing to market is the unique square bow above the V-shaped entry that provides an expansive forward cockpit and deck area. Plus, the 38 has an indoor-outdoor salon with a large retracting sunroof. But the real innovation that sets the Wayfinder 38 apart lies in the modular pieces…

This week MJM Yachts, under the new ownership of Seolta Holdings since late 2023, took the bold step to reintroduce their entire line with new model names and a host of upgrades to the yacht finish of the boats, to the standard equipment list and to the owner’s option list. MJM also announced that new boats ordered by July 31, 2025 can qualify for up to $200,000 in discounts. So, if you are in the market for a sport day boat or family cruiser, now is the time to pull the trigger. The promotion MJM sent out emphasizes that their…

This is a down-and-dirty topic but fuel-water separators in your boat’s fuel lines are without doubt your first and most important line of defense in the war against contaminated diesel fuel. This is particularly true of you are cruising away from your home fuel dock and taking on diesel of unknown purity. Water in your fuel can come from several sources. First, it may be in the fuel dock’s own tanks that may have a leak or may not be well insulated and thus can sweat condensation in humid conditions Or, your own on-board metal tanks can sweat moisture from…

Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan (pictured at the left in the photo) is being hailed as a hero for coordinating the rescue of 165 children from the Mystic Camp during the flash floods on the Guadeloupe Rive in Texas. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem singled out Raskin,26, for his efforts as the only triage coordinator in the area. “United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin (Ruskan), directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas. This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only…

Bart Van den Hoven has been building high quality steel and aluminum cruising boats for discerning owners since 1992.  In those three decades, the Dutch yard has launched only 55 boats or roughly two a year. The first five he built by himself. But, in 1999 Van den Hoven “professionalized” the yard and brought on a growing team of highly skilled craftsmen. Today, he has 80 people on staff yet still only produces a few boats a year. Not seeking a large production audience, Van den Hoven instead offers extremely well-built and finely finished semi-custom yachts for owners who are…

As we reported two weeks ago, on June 3 the 600-foot Liberian-flagged car carrier Morning Midas, with 3,169 cars aboard, including 730 electric vehicles, caught fire 250 miles southwest of Alaska.  It was en route from China to Mexico. The 22 crew aboard fought the fire until there was no hope and then abandoned ship. They were rescued by the nearby container ship Costco Hellas. The fire, based on crew reports, was most likely caused by damaged lithium batteries in one or more of the EVs. The sea-going tug Gretchen Dunlap was deployed with a salvage crew aboard and has…

Bering Marine, which is a subsidiary of Bering Yachts, the Turkish builder of large expedition yachts, recently introduced the new BM50 SE. The SE stands for Swift Explorer and being 14 feet larger than the next model in the line, the BM50 is the company’s new flagship. Berinig Marine builds recreational cruising catamarans of aluminum in rugged, working craft style. The designs all have hydrofoils between the hulls that provide lift and improve fuel efficiency. The foils also act as stabilizers that keep the twin-hull designs from pitching and yawing. The builder’s intention is to combine the larger living spaces…

Volvo Penta introduced Joystick steering two decades ago and has continued to pioneer ways to use the combination of engines,  thrusters and GPS to help skippers maneuver their boats more easily and precisely. I was involved in the early demonstrations of the Volvo Dynamic Positioning technology  back then and was amazed at how well even the prototype held a boat in position and allowed the skipper to turn a boat inside its own length. Last fall at the Ft. Lauderdale show, I got to test the latest Volvo Joystick iteration with the new Assisted Docking Function that allows you to…

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