Cruising Life

New Sessa Key Largo 40: Versatile and Fast

By Peter Janssen on November 3, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Lots of boats have terraces or doors that open from the side bulwarks to increase the amount of space in the cockpit and to provide access to water sports. But the new Sessa Key Largo 40 takes that concept to an entirely new level. Take a look: Both sides of the cockpit drop down, creating an exceptionally large open space for a 40-foot boat. The seating is modular and can be reconfigured to fit your mood on the water: Running, sunning, or just enjoying an al fresco lunch or cocktails. Below, the Key Largo 40 sleeps four in a super-modern…

Lauderdale Show: Fewer People, but Lots of Buyers

By Peter Janssen on November 3, 2020 Cruising Life, Ft Lauderdale Boat Show

If you’re into boats, you’ve got to love John Staluppi, the Long Island entrepreneur who owns the third largest group of car dealerships in the U.S. Here’s what he has to say about going to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show last week. “I always go to a boat show with intent to buy boats, and I bought two boats at the show. I bought a 32-meter Ocean Alexander and a small outboard Ocean Alexander, 45 feet.” He knew that the show had safety restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with requirements for face masks, social distancing, and one-way passageways.…

MIT Creates Self-Driving Roboat To Carry Two People

By Peter Janssen on November 2, 2020 Cruising Life

A team of researchers from MIT and Amsterdam have developed a new autonomous boat that’s big enough to carry two passengers and smart enough to take them on a three-hour trip with a margin of error of just 6.7 inches. The new self-driving boat is 6’ 6” long and it’s called the Roboat 2; the original Roboat was a smaller and not-as-smart version, and it was developed as part of a five-year project by MIT and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions. The goal is to create the world’s first fleet of autonomous vessels for Amsterdam’s canals, working to…

Riviera Launches New Belize 54 Daybridge with IPS

By Peter Janssen on November 1, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Riviera, the legendary Australian builder, just introduced its new Belize 54 Daybridge to the United States at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Riviera says the new Belize, with its distinctive flowing lines and relatively low profile, is a “striking keen-eyed balance between European panache and Australian practicality.” The new Belize has three cabins and two heads below, and a lot going on in the main deck, which is filled with light from sweeping tinted glass windows all around. A curved bulkhead aft includes a glass door and large awning window that open up to unite the salon and cockpit…

Simrad Introduces New VHF Systems with AIS

By Peter Janssen on October 30, 2020 Cruising Life, Electronics

Simrad is introducing a new VHF radio and an upgrade with a Class-B AIS system, representing a pair of multi-station marine radio systems. Both radios, the RS100 and the RS100-B, which is integrated with a Class-B AIS transceiver and a GPS, are expandable and be customized for any boat. The two new radios are part of modular VHF systems that expand to include up to eight handsets (four wired and four wireless) and four external speakers. This possibility makes them appropriate for both medium-sized and larger yachts. “Our new VHF systems offer our customers ever more flexibility and better communication…

BVI Set Covid-19 Protocols for Dec. 1 Reopening

By Peter Janssen on October 28, 2020 Cruising Life, Destinations

The British Virgin Islands, one of the best and most inviting cruising and charter destinations in the world, just announced new Covid-19 protocols for its reopening to visitors on Dec. 1. Andrew A. Fahie, the premier and minister of finance, spelled out the protocols. He said they were “tailored to allow visitors to experience a safe, luxurious vacation by deploying technology, implementing strict testing and comprehensive protocols for tourism industry operators and accommodations units.” Starting Dec. 1, you can fly into Terrance B. Lettsome Airport on Beef Island. A new welcome center can handle 90 passengers at a time. The…

Miami Swimmer Sues Developer for Running Her Down

By Peter Janssen on October 28, 2020 Cruising Life

A Miami chef has filed a suit charging that a major real estate developer there ran her over with his 41-foot center console while she was swimming in Biscayne Bay, causing permanent damage to her left leg and foot. In a civil suit, Theresa May, the chef, says that Irwin Tauber, the CEO of Taubco, one of Florida’s leading developers of commercial property, ran her down in his 2020 Valhalla, powered by four 450-hp outboards (pictured above), while she was swimming near Bay Harbor Islands last April 28. The suit says a prop “cut all the way to the bone.”…

Jeanneau Launches New Leader 10.5 Series 2

By Peter Janssen on October 28, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Jeanneau is now displaying its all-new Leader 10.5 Series 2 family-friendly, very versatile cruiser at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The 36-foot boat is a new version of the Leader 10.5 that Jeanneau introduced five years ago. But the Series 2 has a hull designed by Michael Peters, the Sarasota designer who specializes in drawing slippery and efficient craft, and the entire hull is now vacuum-bagged and resin-infused to give it more strength and rigidity. Jeanneau launched its Leader series in North America in 2016, and the French boats became popular for their looks, their simplicity and their efficiency.…

Vicem Ready for Sea Trials on New 50 Classic

By Peter Janssen on October 27, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Vicem is getting ready for sea trials on its new 50 Classic, and it will launch two more by the end of the year and a fourth early next year. The 50 Classic, a larger version of the Turkish builder’s 46, has a fiberglass hull and superstructure and a high-quality wood interior. Over the years, Vicem has earned a reputation for building high-quality, Downeast-style, cold-molded wooden cruising yachts. But it turned to fiberglass for the 50 because of its faster construction time and easier maintenance. With its low profile, long sheer and hint of tumblehome aft, the 50 fits in…

Navigation 101: How To Establish Your LOP

By Peter Janssen on October 27, 2020 Cruising Life

Here’s some great basic navigation advice from Practical Sailor about keeping track of your Line of Position. Hint: It’s a good idea to look over your shoulder. Read on: When the two charted objects line up as viewed from your boat – say a church spire behind a tank – you have a range (also known as a transit). A range provides a flawless line of position (LOP). When planning a cruise, look ahead, behind, and to the sides of your track for pairs of charted objects that will line up as you proceed. Natural ranges help you stay on…

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