Cruising Life

Maine Man Rescued After Missed Calls

By Peter Janssen on February 5, 2024 Cruising Life

Last Sunday afternoon, a mid-coast Maine man took his skiff out to retrieve parts of his dock that had been washed away by a storm. Somehow, the skiff turned over, and he was thrown into the frigid water near Tenants Harbor. As it turns out, a Facebook posting that he had shared with friends, just to tell them what he was up to that afternoon, plus a missed check-in call with his wife, probably saved his life The rescue started when the man’s wife said he missed a check-in call at 4:15. She called him again and again, but her…

Floating Sauna Saves Sinking Tesla

By co_admin on February 5, 2024 Cruising Life

Here’s a truly bizarre story we just saw on Boatblurb.com: One of the most unlikely maritime rescue operations just took place on an Oslo fjord. After a Tesla commuter inexplicably drove into the frigid waterway and began sinking, the captain of the floating sauna immediately came to their rescue, albeit at a meager pace and with the unlikeliest of rescue vessels. “One of the guests came running and alerted me that a car had fallen into the water. Then I went full throttle at the people who came climbing out of the car,” captain Nicholay Nordahl told Norwegian website VG.…

New Azimut Fly 72 To Debut in Miami

By Peter Janssen on February 5, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Azimut Fly 72, another Italian beauty, will make its U.S. debut at the Herald Plaza location of the Miami show, starting on Feb. 14. The new Azimut has four staterooms (plus one for crew under the cockpit), all with their own heads, plus a larger than usual social foredeck, a large flybridge, and a light-filled salon with lots of entertaining space and an extra dinette. Power comes from twin 1,400-hp MAN V12 diesels, paired to straight shafts and delivering a cruising speed of 26 knots and a top speed of 31 knots. The foredeck is made for lounging…

Wicked New Brabus Shadow Black Ops 45

By Peter Janssen on February 1, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s a boat with an attitude. The Brabus Shadow 1200 XC Black Ops Signature Edition was just unveiled at the big Düsseldorf show. The new, 45-foot 1200 XC is the biggest Brabus Shadow ever built, and it’s unique inside and out, with a mix of performance, comfort and luxurious ambiance. The company says the new boat “has absolutely everything, bringing next-level usability and versatility to the luxury boat segment.” The Shadow is the made by Brabus Marine, a partnership of Axopar, the innovative builder in Finland, and Brabus, a German company that specializes in transforming luxury cars (think Mercedes-AMG) into…

New Pershing GTX 80: Big and Bold

By Peter Janssen on February 1, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Pershing yachts are not for the modest. Indeed, the Ferretti Group, which owns Pershing, says the new Pershing GTX 80, with its striking looks, is “synonymous with fun, total control, and unchallenged supremacy.” It’s hard to live up to all that, but the Pershing GTX 80 certainly comes close. Its new design features Pershing’s signature lines, starting with an almost-vertical bow and including a slightly convex sheerline. The eye-catching bulwarks in the bow have been opened by a longitudinal slot; those in the stern incorporate winches for dock lines and also can swing down to provide space for sun lounging…

American Tug 435: A Sturdy Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on January 31, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Some things last because they stay true to their roots, they’re authentic, you know what you’re going to get. One case in point is the new American Tug 435, a sturdy, no-frills cruiser that’s on display at the Seattle boat show, running from February 2 through 10 at the Bell Harbor Marina downtown, just north of the Pike Place Market. This is hull number 15 of the 435 that American Tugs has been making in its factory in La Conner, about an hour’s drive north of Seattle, for several years now. The 435 is a complete cruiser, ready to head…

New Galeon 435 GTO To Debut in Miami

By Peter Janssen on January 31, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Galeon 435 GTO will make its U.S. debut at the big Miami show that starts on February 14. With its open aft deck and large drop-down terraces, the Polish-built Galeon wants to set new standards for comfortable outdoor living and relaxing on board. The 435 GTO is no slouch underway, either. Powered by three 600-hp Mercury Verado outboards with contra-rotating props, it tops out at more than 55 mph. Standard trim tabs help to keep everything on the straight and level. For spending time on board, the new Galeon has two cabins (sleeping four adults) and one head…

Regent’s Foiling, Flying, Seaglider

By Peter Janssen on January 30, 2024 Cruising Life

Here’s something new to get you around on – and above – the water: The gull-winged Regent Seaglider, an all-electric vessel with a hydrofoil that can fly about 180 miles using the ground effect principle to stay just 30 to 60 feet above the water. Regent has about $100 million in venture capital funding, with much of it coming from Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and Shark Tank participant, and James Park, founder of Fitbit. That’s just pocket change compared to the $8 billion that Regent says it has on its pre-order books. The Seaglider is a unique…

Beneteau Gran Turismo 41: A Social Express Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on January 30, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Beneteau, the large French builder, will be displaying its new Gran Turismo 41 at the big Miami show, starting Feb. 14. The two-cabin, one-head express cruiser with sporty lines is made for entertaining and enjoying time on board, whether on a week-long cruise or an evening in the harbor. Standard power comes from two 380-hp Volvo diesels, producing a top speed of about 38 knots. The Gran Turismo 41 has Beneteau’s Air Step hull for faster acceleration, performance and efficiency. The hull has V-shaped steps and rear pads for an air-cushion effect. Beneteau’s Gran Turismo line has three other models,…

NOAA Maps Largest Coral Reef in the World

By Peter Janssen on January 30, 2024 Cruising Life

A new multiple-year mapping of the sea floor coordinated by NOAA has found the largest known deep-sea coral reef habitat in the world. The coral reef covers 6.4 million acres, larger than the state of Vermont, on the sea floor of the Blake Plateau, about 100 miles off the southeast coast of the U.S. With a depth of 2,600 to 3,200 feet, the Blake Plateau stretches from Miami up to Charleston. It is bordered on the east by the Blake Escarpment, which drops down to 16,000 feet. The new study, published in the journal Geomatics, says scientists identified 83,908 individual…

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