Cruising Life

Breakthrough in EV Batteries

By Peter Janssen on February 20, 2024 Cruising Life

StoreDot, a high-tech Israeli company, is on the verge of a major breakthrough in making batteries for electric cars and boats that can be fully recharged in just ten minutes. The goal in the electric car market, and by extension the electric boat market, has been to make it just as easy to recharge an electric vehicle as it is to refuel a gas or diesel vehicle. That centers around a “100 miles in 5 minutes” theme, meaning you only have to charge the vehicle for 5 minutes (about the same time you now spend at your neighborhood gas station)…

New Fiat 500 Offshore: Big Hit in Miami

By Peter Janssen on February 20, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The real hit of the Miami show last week wasn’t the 278-foot, $129 million superyacht Victorious. It was the 15-foot, $122,000 Fiat 500 Offshore, making its U.S. debut. Made in Italy by Car Off-Shore and Fiat, the new car-like tender was launched there last summer (pictured above). The idea was to replicate the look and lines of the iconic Fiat 500, one of the most-recognized European vehicles ever. Fiat described the boat as the “500 of the seas.” The boats were shown in Miami by 1 Ocean Yachts Group. The Fiat 500 Offshore is not mass produced like its land-based…

Great Lakes: Where Did All the Ice Go?

By co_admin on February 20, 2024 Cruising Life

NOAA says there’s been a record low level of ice on the Great Lakes so far this winter. Here’s their report: NOAA researchers at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) report that they’ve seen a steady decrease in ice coverage across the Great Lakes, which has reached a historic low. Together, Great Lakes ice coverage was measured at 2.7 % on February 11, 2024. Coverage on each of the lakes was measured as follows: Lake Superior 1.7 % Lake Michigan 2.6 % Lake Huron 5.9 % Lake Erie 0.05 % Lake Ontario 1.7 % Lakes Erie and Ontario are…

Sunseeker’s New Manhattan 68 Pacific

By Peter Janssen on February 20, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sunseeker, the big British builder of luxury motoryachts, made a big splash in Miami last week. Indeed, Sunseeker had eight yachts there, including the Manhattan 68 Pacific specifically designed to appeal to a U.S. market. In the past few years, Sunseeker has been increasing its presence here, and the new Manhattan 68 Pacific should add to that growth. It’s basically a four-cabin, three head flybridge yacht with some appealing features. Extensive hull glazing provides light throughout the yacht, including the Grand Master stateroom below. It’s set full-beam amidships, and you get there via a private staircase from the port side…

NTSB: Why Fishing Boat Sank in Alaska

By Peter Janssen on February 19, 2024 Cruising Life

A new report from the National Transportation Safety Board about the sinking of a 52-foot commercial fishing boat off the coast of Alaska highlights the importance of having high-water bilge alarms on your cruising boat, no matter how big or how small. The NTSB investigation said the bilge alarms did not sound before the Hotspur, a 1988 purse seiner (pictured), capsized and sank while heading west in the Dixon Entrance, about 43 miles south-southwest of Ketchikan, on August 2, 2022. It said that if the alarms had been working, the crew might have been able to correct the problem before…

13 Innovation Award Winners in Miami

By Peter Janssen on February 18, 2024 Cruising Life

The National Marine Manufacturers Association announced the 13 winners of its annual innovation awards at the Miami show last week. The awards, judged by members of Boating Writers International, were made at the NMMA’s annual breakfast at the start of the show. The awards recognize boating manufacturers and suppliers who introduce new and innovative products to the market. The eight judges were all member of BWI who have experience in writing about boats and marine equipment. They were Ben Stein, Tim Murphy, Kelsey Bonham, Kevin Falvey, Alan Jones, Adam Quandt, Gary Reich, and Tony EspositoThis year’s winners are: The 2024…

Tiara Unveils New Updated 43 LE

By Peter Janssen on February 14, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Tiara just announced at the Miami show, where it’s celebrating its 50h anniversary, that it will launch an updated version of its 43 LE this year, with new interior and exterior designs and new outboard power. Tiara first launched the 43 LE (luxury express) in the summer of 2020, and it hit a popular spot as a well-designed, high-quality family cruiser with power from three 450-hp outboards. The LE fleet then expanded with a 48 flagship in the spring of 2023; it had a lot of new touches that the Holland, Michigan, builder now wants to incorporate in the updated…

Meet Victorious, the Largest Yacht in Miami

By Peter Janssen on February 14, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you’re in Miami, you may want to take a look at Victorious, at 278 feet and 11 inches long the largest boat in the boat show there. It’s over at the superyacht show on Watson Island, where tickets go for $135, but it takes up so much waterfront you can see it easily from Miami. If you have to ask, you can’t afford it, but Victorious is for sale for $129 million. (It’s been on the charter market for $950,000 a week.) Even as one of the world’s largest superyacht, Victorious is a bit over the top. It has…

New Prize-Winning Fairline Squadron 58

By Peter Janssen on February 14, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Fairline, the British luxury yacht builder, just introduced its Squadron 58 at the Düsseldorf show last month, and the innovative flybridge yacht with twin balconies and a creative beach club aft won the Best Motoryacht Up to 60 Feet Award given by Motorboat and Yachting. “The stern arrangement in the Squadron 58 is a true game-changer,” the award said. “It features a cockpit with a glazed transom, modular furniture, drop-down terraces and a foldout-bar with a pair of stools that can be relocated to the port side. Things are equally enticing on the inside. The playful integration of angles transforms…

Sirena Reveals Hybrid-Power 48 Coupe

By Peter Janssen on February 13, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sirena Yachts, the upscale Turkish builder, just unveiled its new Sirena 48 hybrid coupe with silent electric power. The Sirena 48 actually made its world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. The entry-level yacht in Sirena’s fleet, which goes up to 164 feet, the original 48 had a flybridge configuration and traditional diesel engines for power. In the new version, Sirena has remodeled the superstructure to make it into a coupe layout, complete with solar panels integrated into the coach roof. It also has a hybrid power train for quiet and eco-friendly cruising. The core DNA of the…

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