On Monday June 22, George Pino, a prominent real estate developer accused in the death of one teen and the serious injury to another when he crashed his 29-foot speedboat into a buoy on Maiami’s Biscayne Bay, was found not guilty. Prosecutors accused Pino, 55, of vessel homicide and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Lucy Fernandez due to the crash. A second victim, Katy Puig, was left with permanent disabilities from the accident. Prosecutors had claimed that Pino had been operating the speedboat recklessly and was therefore responsible for the death and serious injuries. The jury came to the…
Browsing: Cruising Life
At only 37 feet, the new Parker Monaco 110 Fly from the huge Polish builder Parker Yachts, is only one of a handful of cruisers under 40 feet to sport a flybridge and it does so with grace and good looks. A twin outboard, two-cabin, one-head family cruiser, the Monaco Fly was designed in collaboration with the famed Tony Castro Design firm. The hull is Euro-modern in styling and has a sharp entry and a modified-V form underwater. The flybridge sits atop the salon fairly discreetly so the boat doesn’t look like a wedding cake. Instead of a hard top,…
When it came time for Groupe Beneteau to update and reinvent their Gran Tourismo line, they started afresh and went back to the essence of what a GT sport express cruiser has always been about, sleek simple lines, a low curvaceous cabin top and plenty of open space on deck. For naval architecture they turned to the Bill Dixon Design group which delivered a thoroughly modern planing, deep-V hull with plenty of volume but a simple and streamlined look. For styling they went with the Andreani Design team who created living spaces that are warm, spacious and modern. For guidance…
What at first looked like a David versus Goliath conflict in the Persian Gulf between the U.S. and Iran, has turned into a stalemate largely because Iran has managed to keep the Strait of Homuz closed. That is in no small part because of their massive fleet of mosquito boats. The strait is under a double blockade with hundreds of commercial ships unable to pass through for fear of being stopped by either the U.S. or Iran. But, Iran’s navy has largely been put out of commission, so how are they able to maintain their blockade? Apparently, it is easier…
Earlier this year, we published a video from Marex Yachts of Norway showing off their unique Marex 440 Gourmet Cruiser. A flagship in their line of express cruisers, the Gourmet Cruiser has an expanded galley designed to facilitate entertaining and cooking with and for friends. The video got so many views, we thought it was time to introduce the boat’s sister ship, the Marex 440 Scandinavia. The hull and deck are the same but the salon has been reconfigured with a smaller galley and a large sit-down dinette. All PostsThe dinette has several features that will appeal to cruising families.…
Steve and Linda Dashew have left an indelible mark on the cruising world, both power and sail They developed the Deerfoot line of blue water sailboats that changed the way many voyagers thought about offshore yacht design. They did the same to the power cruising world when they launched the FPB series. The concept behind the FBP designs from 64 to 97 feet focuses on long-haul, efficient and low-maintenance cruising. New Zealand boat builder Circa Marine, based in Whangerei, North Island, built all 17 of the FPB designs until the Dashews decided to end the project at it peak of…
NW Explorations’ annual cruise in company in the wild Pacific Northwest this year will undertake a 21-day adventure around British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. The so-called Mother Goose Flotilla will depart from Bellingham, Washington on July 17 and return on August 5. This year the flotilla is limited to six boats and as of this week, according to the NW Explorations website, there is still one boat left for booking a slot in the fleet. NW Explorations specializes in chartering trawler-style cruising boats and has been running their Mother Goose Flotillas for many years. About this year’s event, they spell out…
This is not breaking news but it is good news. At this spring’s Palm Beach International Boat show it was announced to the public that DiMillo’s Yacht Sales and dealership in Maine had acquired Hunt Yachts from the Hinckley Company. DiMillo’s has also secured an exclusive license with Ray Hunt Designs, the iconic firm that developed the Deep-V hull, to use the Hunt name in production boat building. This will keep the famous Hunt Yachts brand alive and well. The Hunt’s Ocean Series has models from 56 to 76 feet in both flybridge and Express cruiser models. These blue water-capable…
Increasingly over the past few years, boat builders and the boat owners they serve have shown a burgeoning interest and preference for outboards over diesel inboards. The reasons are several. Outboards are quieter, can be as fuel efficient as an inboard and free up space inside the hull for storage. Modern outboards are sophisticated machines that have evolved significantly in the last two decades to the point that they are impressively reliable and, if well maintained, destined for a long life. The catch Is in that last point. Regular care and routine maintenance are the keys to an outboard’s long…
When it comes to interesting and innovative boat design and performance, Larry Graff, founder and CEO of Aspen Power Catamarans may well be in a league of his own. He builds proa-style cruising cats in which one hull is narrower than the other, like Polynesian sailing proas. This unusual feature reduces drag and weight which in turn minimizes the power needed from the outboard motors for maximum efficiency and speed. He builds five models from 32 to 44 feet in Bellingham, Washington, of which the 38-foot C110 is the newest addition. The boat has a three-cabin, one-head (with shower) configuration…