Cruising Life

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…

How To Dock in Wind

By co_admin on January 30, 2024 Cruising Life

Here’s some solid advice from Skipper Tips about how to dock when the wind its coming off the dock. Read on, it works: Imagine that you need to dock your boat in a gusty off-the-dock wind. But that’s not all. You’ll have to squeeze between two big power yachts. What three steps will you use to make this docking challenge easier? Preparations ahead of time top my list for building sound seamanship skills before taking your boat into a marina (including your own). Rig fenders and lines on both sides of the boat. If the engine stops working or a…

New, Fast, Eclipse 605 Shadow Express

By Peter Janssen on January 24, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Eclipse, the South African luxury express cruiser that’s sold in the US by HMY, is now making a 605 Shadow that’s powered by four 600-hp Mercury V12 outboards. The regular Eclipse 605, with just three of the same outboards, tops out at more than 60 mph, so the new Shadow should gain at least another 5 mph or so, making it a very fast cruiser indeed. The new Eclipse is designed by Michael Peters, the prolific Sarasota designer, who most recently has drawn hulls for Summit, Outback and Hinckley, among many others. The Eclipse 605 has Peters’ patented SVVT (Stepped…

No Anchoring Out in Miami?

By Peter Janssen on January 24, 2024 Cruising Life

The state of Florida may make it harder to anchor out in Miami, according to legislation pending there. The problem is to create a balance between the rights of responsible boat owners and the actions of owners of poorly maintained or derelict boats that can wash ashore or are abandoned after storms, making taxpayers pay the bill for a cleanup or removal. Now, two bills recently introduced in the Florida legislature lump those two groups of boat owners together by restricting them all. Indeed, Senate Bill 192 and its companion House Bill 437 would go into effect on July 1…

Quick Introduces New Series of Stabilizers

By Peter Janssen on January 23, 2024 Cruising Life, Gear

Quick, the Italian marine component company, just introduced its new Intercepta series of stabilizers at the Düsseldorf show. Designed for yachts from 50 to 130 feet, the new Intercepta X Series of stabilizers can be fully customized to fit any model and hull shape. They are part of Quick’s MC² brand that includes Viator fin stabilizers and Quick gyro stabilizers. Quick already offers a plug-and-play series of Intercepta stabilizers for boats as small as 20 feet. The new stabilizers come in four standard units, the X50, X65, X80 and X100, and the width can be customized to the centimeter. The…

NOAA Saved 350 Lives in U.S. Last Year

By co_admin on January 23, 2024 Cruising Life

Here’s some good news from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: NOAA’s satellites, known for their pivotal role in tracking weather and climate, were behind the rescue of 350 people from harrowing, life-threatening ordeals in the U.S. and its surrounding waters in 2023. NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are part of the global Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system, or COSPAS-SARSAT, which uses a network of U.S. and international spacecraft to detect and locate distress signals sent from 406MHz emergency beacons onboard aircraft, boats and handheld Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) anywhere in the world. Since its start in…

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