The new Leader 33 has some of the most creative uses of space, both in the cockpit (which simply flows into the helm deck) and the master stateroom (which converts into a below-deck social area) that I’ve encountered in recent memory. To give owners even more choices, the Leader 33 has various gas and diesel power options that range from MerCruiser sterndrives to Volvos with a joystick. You step on board the new Leader, made by Jeanneau, the prestigious French builder, through a small stainless-steel swinging gate leading from the starboard side of the large swim platform into the cockpit.…
Browsing: Cruising Life
Six friends fishing offshore for the first time caught a 926-pound Mako shark in the Hudson Canyon, 100 miles off the New Jersey coast, last weekend, probably setting a new state record as the largest shark of any kind ever caught there. “It was a beast,” said Kevin Gerrity, the boat’s captain. The six were fishing on the Jenny Lee, a 44-foot Henriques charter boat out of Brielle, when they hooked something that took off like “a freight train.” They all took turns for 90 minutes trying to land the shark. The first time they got it to the boat…
The Coast Guard has rescued five people from a capsized 19-foot power boat eight miles off Topsail Island, North Carolina. Three of them had life jackets; the other two, without jackets, stayed afloat by perching on the capsized boat’s hull. The rescue started at 9:53 in the morning when the Coast Guard got a Mayday call that a small boat eight miles out in the Atlantic was taking on water. About the same time, the local county 911 office got a call saying the boat had capsized and five people were in the water, with only three life jackets among…
Like many cruising people, I’ve been to the British Virgin Islands many times, and I think I know my way around. Well, turns out I was just getting started. I found plenty of new places on this insider’s guide to the best of the BVI from someone who grew up and still lives there, and I can’t wait to go back to try some of them out. Here, for example, you’ll find the best anchorage, the best beach, the best watersports, the best snorkeling (at The Indians, pictured above), the best hidden gem, the best hiking trails, and the best-kept…
We all learn from our experiences. How to do things better, faster, safer next time. But here’s one experience we’d rather not have – a fire on a boat in a slip nearby in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened two weeks ago to Chris Sullivan, who lives aboard his powerboat in a marina in Falmouth, Mass. He works there too, so he’s very familiar with the marina, the boats and the security arrangements. The story starts with someone pounding on the side of Sullivan’s hull at 1:30 in the morning to wake him up. A…
How’s this for a shakedown cruise? The new owners of an Outer Reef 610 Motoryacht just took it from Fort Lauderdale to their home port of Newport, Rhode Island., covering 1,200 nm in five days and six hours with just two pit stops along the way. The good news: Sandana, the new boat, didn’t miss a beat along the way. As part of the shakedown, Outer Reef Captain John Dennison helped drive the boat, while the owners, Dan and Sandy, got used to their new 61-footer and all its systems. They’re shown above enjoying the view from Sandana’s Portuguese bridge…
This is a tragedy almost beyond belief. Zoe Anderson, 12, was learning how to waterski on Newfound Lake in Bridgewater, New Hampshire, where she was vacationing with her family. Her father, Sherwood Anderson; her mother, Tonya Anderson, and her 14-year-old sister were all on the boat on a family outing. The Andersons live in Highland Ranch, Colorado. At some point, Zoe fell in the water. Her father drove back to pick her up, when police say “his attention was momentarily distracted as his hat was blown from his head.” He put the boat in neutral, but it backed over Zoe,…
Tenders and RIBs are getting bigger, better and safer than ever before. They’re also getting faster and more versatile, equipped with jet drives or even wheels to carry you ashore. Some even have a head, making them much more family-friendly. But which one to choose? Sooner or later all owners of cruising boats will need a new dink or a RIB, either to carry on the main boat or perhaps just to use as a second boat for carefree fun on the water. Here’s a look at 15 new tenders and RIBs, from 9′ 2″ to 33′ long, from the…
Here’s another example of why booze and boating don’t mix. Last Saturday night, local authorities say that Dominique Effinger, 20, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was driving a 21-foot Correct Craft Ski Nautique about 30 miles an hour on nearby Lake Gage when she made a sudden “violent turn,” throwing herself and nine passengers overboard. Four of the ten suffered serious injuries, including a partial arm amputation and a fractured skull. Meanwhile, the Ski Nautique kept going, making circles in the lake, hitting a dock, even hitting the local patrol boat where Jake Carlile, a conservation officer, threw a line around…
Sam, a 12-year-old black Lab from St. Pete Beach, Florida, is one lucky dog. And his owner, Mary Doherty, is one happy lady. That’s all because Susi Herrington, a tour boat captain, rescued Sam from drowning; in fact, Herrington personally jumped overboard, grabbed Sam by the collar and swam with him to a nearby dock. Herrington works for Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Company in St. Pete, taking groups out to look for dolphins. But last week she saw something odd in the water on the Intracoastal Waterway. It was a dog in distress. She told another captain to take over…