Cruising Life

Riviera 645 SUV: 34-Knot, Blue-Water Flagship

By Peter Janssen on February 10, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Riviera just announced that it will launch its new 645 SUV, the flagship of its SUV fleet, in April. The largest luxury motor yacht builder in Australia, Riviera says the new 645 offers longer-range offshore cruising capability and more entertaining and living space than its previous models. The SUV fleet, now with six models starting at 39 feet, is designed to combine offshore performance with entertaining features to make life comfortable underway, even in Australia’s often-challenging sea conditions. The new 645 is powered by twin 1,300-hp MAN diesels, with straight shafts. MAN 1,550-hp powerplants are optional, and produce a cruising…

Sea Levels Rising Faster than Expected: New Study

By Peter Janssen on February 9, 2021 Cruising Life

Sea levels around the world are rising faster than current models predicted, according to a new study by a group of European researchers. A result of warming temperatures and climate change, the rising sea levels could result in massive coastal flooding and property damage. The new study was just published in Ocean Science, the journal of the European Geosciences Union. It considered more data to revise previous estimates made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that predicted that seal levels will rise about 39 inches by the end of this century. That prediction was based on data going back…

New Otam 65: 60 Knots, Private Jet Design

By Peter Janssen on February 8, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

With a 60-knot top speed, there’s no denying that the Otam 65 HT One Off is fast, very fast. Powered by twin 2,000-hp MAN diesels and Arneson drives, it cruises at 50 knots. But it also has a head-turning design, with the hull by Umberto Tagliavini of Marine Design in Rapallo and the interior by Francesco Guida Design studio in Naples, that’s inspired by private jets with a blend of carbon fiber, black leather and a black-and-white color scheme. Otam, in Genoa, specializes in customizing its yachts to fit each owner’s desires. The 65 HT was so customized that Otam…

Grandfather, 70, Rows Across Atlantic, Solo

By Peter Janssen on February 8, 2021 Cruising Life

A 70-year-old grandfather from Oldham, in the UK, just became the oldest man to row across the Atlantic, from the Canary Islands to Antiqua, by himself and without any help in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Frank Rothwell, an adventurer, father of two and grandfather of three, rowed 3,000 miles in his 24-foot, carbon-fiber, ocean rowing boat, raising more than $950,000 for Alzheimer’s research. His brother-in-law died of Alzheimer’s while Rothwell was underway. Rothwell’s wife, Judith, met him on the dock in Antigua. Rothwell left the Canaries on Dec. 12, and arrived in Nelson’s Harbor in Antigua on Feb. 6.…

How To Navigate with New AIS Chart Symbols

By Peter Janssen on February 7, 2021 Cruising Life

If you saw these symbols on your chartplotter, would you know what they mean? Here’s a very informative story from Skipper Tips that will give you the answer, and that will help you navigate with AIS. Read on: You enter between the breakwaters just after sunset, and, according to your electronic chart, you should see the channel buoys to port and starboard. Instead you see nothing at all. The buoys and beacons are gone! What now, skipper? How do AIS equipped buoys and beacons appear on your nautical or electronic chart? What is the difference between VISUAL and VIRTUAL aids?…

Hunt To Launch New 76 with Enclosed Bridge

By Peter Janssen on February 7, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Hinckley Company just announced that it will launch the first Hunt Ocean 76 Command Bridge, a luxurious offshore cruiser, this spring. It will be the first Hunt 76 with a fully enclosed, walk-around command bridge; previous models had open flybridges. The new Hunt 76 is designed as a user-friendly yacht. “From the command bridge, you have spectacular views and enhanced situation awareness,” said Mike Arieta, president of the Hinckley Company. “And with the walk-around deck, you can just step out to dock the boat from the perfect point of view.” The climate-controlled command bridge has two Stidd chairs, an…

The Favors Downsize: Next Boat, a Ranger Tugs 25

By Peter Janssen on February 6, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

A lot of us (including myself) were certainly surprised when we learned that Jim and Lisa Favors put their beloved, and well-traveled, Ranger Tugs 29 Kismet up for sale last summer, without any explanation of what they would do next. After all, the Favors have been cruising most of their adult lives, most recently on Ranger Tugs, and have written about them extensively on their website, trailertrawlerlife. Now we know what comes next: A new Ranger Tugs, but the Favors are downsizing. Their next Ranger will be a 25, with a single 250-hp Yamaha outboard to give them more performance…

Italian Startup Creates Water Jet To Revolutionize Electric Boats

By Peter Janssen on February 3, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

A groundbreaking Italian startup has developed a new water jet propulsion system that could revolutionize electric boats, giving them more speed and range than they have today. The outboard-mounted DeepSpeed hydro jet has already won several prizes for technology and innovation, and has patents from the European Union and Australia. It was developed by William Gobbo, an Italian banker and tech developer; Ernesto Benini, a professor of fluid dynamics at the University of Padua, and a team of 21 scientists, boat racers and hydrodynamic specialists under the umbrella company Sealence. DeepSpeed uses a holistic approach to powering an electric boat,…

Rare, Restored, 1930 Chris-Craft 48 Commuter for Sale

By Peter Janssen on February 2, 2021 Cruising Life

If you’re a fan of antique Chris-Crafts (and who isn’t?), you might want to take a good look at Allez, a 48-foot Chris-Craft Commuter built in 1930. It’s now fully restored and it’s for sale in Montreal. Allez was hull number one of the Chris-Craft 48 lineup, built on the popularity of the Chris-Craft 38s. Only four other 48s were built, and only one other survives today. Christopher Columbus Smith, the founder of Chris-Craft, spared no expense in building Allez, even as the Great Depression was taking hold. After it was built, his family used it for six months and…

Bravada Launches Head-Turning Houseboat on Lake Powell

By Peter Janssen on February 2, 2021 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you don’t want to cruise outside the United States because of the pandemic, you might want to think about Lake Powell, on the border of Arizona and Utah, where you could enjoy all the amenities of home, plus some, offered by the new 75-foot Bravada Yachts luxury houseboat. Whether you’re on the Bravada or some other boat, at Lake Powell you won’t feel lonely. About two million people a year (in non-pandemic years) visit the lake. Basically a man-made reservoir on the Colorado River, and part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the lake is about 200 miles…

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