Cruising Life

CL Yachts Launches New, Prize-Winning 96

By Peter Janssen on January 4, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

CL Yachts has just launched its innovative, prize-winning CLX96 in Hong Kong, and it’s meant to have the luxurious conveniences of a contemporary flybridge motoryacht with the offshore capabilities of an expedition yacht. The CLX96 is the first in the company‘s line of Sea Activity Vessels, with a larger-than-usual amount of interior volume for comfortable living. It also is the first yacht ever designed by Jozeph Forakis from Milan and New York. The yard said it turned to Forakis to bring a “rebel’s insight” into the 96’s lines, and he said he was inspired by the New York City loft…

Sunseeker Plans New Superhawk 55 Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on January 4, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sunseeker just announced that it’s building a new Superhawk 55 luxury performance cruiser, the first Superhawk the British company has launched since 2009. The aggressively styled Superhawk 55 is built for sporty handling and blue-water performance, powered by twin 725-hp Volvo IPS950 pod drives. The new Superhawk has the long, low profile of its predecessors, with a wraparound curved windshield. The new centered helm station is flanked by two navigators’ seats. In a change from previous models, the lower deck houses a salon and galley amidships and two cabins fore and aft. The long hull-side windows providing light to the…

Spirit Building Retro 35 Foiler with Electric Power

By Peter Janssen on January 3, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Spirit Yachts is working with BAR Technologies in the UK to build a high-tech, electric-powered, foiling speedboat that’s modeled on an American Gold Cup racer from the 1920s. The new boat, called the Spirit 35 Foiler, will have an Alaskan yellow-cedar frame covered with carbon fiber, solid titanium retractable foilers, and African Sipo wood topsides. Sean McMillan, the CEO and chief designer of Spirit Yachts, says he drew the boat along the lines of the classic 30-foot Baby Bootlegger racer that was powered by a converted World War 1 type Hispano Suiza aircraft engine and won the Gold Cup in…

New: Electric Motors for Your Kayak

By Peter Janssen on January 2, 2022 Cruising Life

Like many of us, you like to paddle your kayak at the end of a cruising day, once you’ve dropped the hook and you just want to relax and explore a bit. But after a while your arms get tired; the next cove is just a bit too far away. Now PacMotor, a startup company in Fort Myers, Florida, has something to help you out: A new system that lets you mount two electric-powered motors, one on either side, to the hull of your kayak. The company says the motors can power a ten-foot kayak at 5 mph for about…

$51 Million Superyacht Sinks Tanker in Bahamas

By Peter Janssen on January 1, 2022 Cruising Life

A 207-foot superyacht hit the stern of a 160-foot gas tanker in the Bahamas on Christmas Eve and sank it in 2,000 feet of water. The $51million yacht, Utopia IV, built by the Italian yard Rossinavi in 2018 with an aluminum hull, collided with the Tropic Breeze tanker about 15 miles north/northwest of New Providence Island. A nearby yacht rescued the seven crew on board the tanker before it sank. The Utopia IV suffered damage to the starboard side of its bow and was escorted to the Prince George Wharf by the Harbor Patrol. Maritime Management LLC, which owns the…

Axopar Building New 45-Foot Flagship

By Peter Janssen on December 22, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Axopar, the highly successful and innovative builder from Finland, will introduce a new 45-foot flagship at the Düsseldorf show, starting Jan. 22. The new 45 shares the same DNA as earlier Axopars, with its angular lines, twin-stepped hull and fuel-efficient power-to-weight ratio. Powered by three 300-hp Mercury Verado outboards, the Axopar 45 will top out at more than 50 knots. It will have gullwing doors, similar to those on the Axopar 37, to make access to the salon easier, as well as side-opening platforms to extend the usable seating space. The forward cabin and its head and shower will have…

Faulty Cable Caused Lifeboat Deaths: Coast Guard

By Peter Janssen on December 21, 2021 Cruising Life

The Coast Guard just released its report about a lifeboat accident that killed two people and seriously injured a third on a Shell platform in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago. The final report said that a preventable chain of events contributed to the accident, but “the most significant factor was the degradation and failure of the lifeboat’s aft release cable.” Just a month before the fatal accident, service reps from the original manufacturer inspected the lifeboat and found corrosion and damage to the aft hook cable. They said they told Shell people on board that the cable needed…

What To Do If You Lose Your GPS Signal

By Peter Janssen on December 21, 2021 Cruising Life, Electronics

What should you do if you’re cruising and you lose your GPS signal? Never happen? Well, yes it will. Not often, but it happens on new boats, old boats, coastal boats and offshore boats. But not to panic. Here’s some great advice from Simrad about what to do next: What happens to my boat if I stop receiving satellite positioning data? In the very rare event that the satellites of the GPS global positioning system fail, are taken offline or are blocked, you’ll still be absolutely fine. Here are five useful tips covering what to do if you lose live…

Brunswick Showcasing AI, Electric Power

By Peter Janssen on December 21, 2021 Cruising Life

Brunswick, the recreational boating giant, will be showcasing its move into Artificial Intelligence, autonomous driving and electric power at the Consumer Electronics Show that starts Jan. 5 in Las Vegas. The company says that “its futuristic exhibit will put you behind the helm in a new way with proprietary innovations that promise to change the future of marine technology forever.” David Foulkes, the Brunswick CEO, said the exhibit will include simulation showing how a boat owner might experience a voyage with the help of a suite of autonomous systems. The exhibit will have an immersive 200-degree simulator where you can…

Windy Launches New Long-Range 60

By Peter Janssen on December 20, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Windy has just launched its new flagship, the SLR/SR 60, a chase boat or tender or luxury sport boat with long, low lines and a range of 850 nm at 25 knots. The new 60 was originally designed as a tender for a superyacht owner, and it has seats for 15 people. But Windy says the main deck can be configured so the boat also be used for fishing or diving or exploring far-flung coves and harbors on its own, far from the mothership. At 60 feet, the Windy SLR/SR is large enough to be used for just about anything…

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