Cruising Life

World’s Biggest Iceberg Breaks Loose

By Peter Janssen on November 26, 2023 Cruising Life

The world’s largest iceberg, about four times the size of New York City, has broken free of its grounding in Antarctica and is moving at about 3 miles a day toward the South Atlantic Ocean. The iceberg, known as A23a, covers about 1,500 square miles and measures 1,312 feet high. In the past few months, it lost its grip on the seafloor, as part of an iceberg’s natural growth cycle, and has taken on something of a speed spurt. Driven by wind and current, it has moved from the Weddell Sea and is now passing the northern tip of the…

Big, Fast, New Tiara EX 60 Flagship

By Peter Janssen on November 16, 2023 Cruising Life

Tiara’s new EX 60 flagship dominates the scene, wherever it is. The 60 is not just the largest yacht that Tiara has ever made; it’s a full 11 feet larger than the next largest model. Named the Crown Jewel (like previous Tiara flagships), the 60 ruled over the Tiara fleet at the recent Fort Lauderdale show, where Tom Slikkers, Tiara’s president, said the company sold 36 boats, a 33 percent increase from 2022, which was a good year in itself. The 60 is large, luxurious, and fast. With twin 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives, it tops out at just over…

New Sialia 59: All-Electric Weekender

By Peter Janssen on November 15, 2023 Cruising Life

The new Sialia 59 Weekender, with its clean, modern, European look, would certainly turn a lot of heads on any dock or harbor that it enters. It’s also a high-tech vessel, using state-of-the-art technology to qualify as one of the most advanced eco-friendly electric boats on the market today. The Sialia 59 actually comes in three versions, all made of carbon fiber and all using the same electric power: Weekender, Runabout and Sport. The difference is that the Weekender is a luxury cruiser with refined accommodations for four below, and a supersized head that includes a rainforest shower. Sialias are…

Best Marine Design Winners Named

By Peter Janssen on November 15, 2023 Cruising Life, Gear

The annual DAME Awards recognizing superior design were just announced at the opening of the big METSTRADE marine equipment show in Amsterdam. The awards were started in 1991 to promote design in all boating fields and to recognize the best-designed products at the show. This year a record 53 products from 100 entries were shortlisted for the awards. An international jury of eight industry veterans then chose the winners in eight categories, plus 14 special mentions. The overall winner was the HighPower ServoProp 25 from Oceanvolt, the Finnish electric inboard pioneer. It’s a 25-kW electric saildrive with a controllable pitch…

Coast Guard Helicopter Crashes in Alaska

By Peter Janssen on November 15, 2023 Cruising Life

A Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter crashed Monday night while on a rescue mission in Southeast Alaska. The four crew on board were rescued by a second Coast Guard helicopter. Two had serious injuries, and all four were flown to a hospital in Seattle for treatment. The incident started when the crew of the Lydia Maria, a commercial crabbing boat, reported flooding; it was in Farragut Bay, near Petersburg. A Coast Guard helicopter from Sitka responded. At 11:05 p.m. the Lydia Maria reported that the Coast Guard helicopter had crashed on Read Island in the bay. Rescue crews from Alaska Wildlife…

Azimut Grande 36M: High-Style Winner

By Peter Janssen on November 14, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Azimut Grande 36M was introduced to the United States market at the recent Fort Lauderdale show, and it wasted no time in making itself known. Indeed, the sleek 116-foot super yacht was named Best of the Show by a panel of independent judges. For the award, Azimut faced some heavy competition, including the Benetti 4M Oasis, Princess Y95, wallywhy150, and Sunreef 80 Eco, among others. But the Azimut stood out for both its innovative design and its creative hull shape, a coupling that was hard to beat. The new Azimut was launched in Viareggio last August, and it caused…

Princeton Team Sets Electric Speed Record

By Peter Janssen on November 14, 2023 Cruising Life

A team of Princeton students designed an electric boat that just shattered the world speed record. The boat, a 14-foot hydroplane named Big Bird, flew over a measured kilo course on Lake Townsend in North Carolina on a two-way average speed of 114.4 mph. The previous world record of 88.6 mph was set by Jaguar Vector Racing, a professional racing organization, in 2018. The Princeton team, organized as Princeton Electric Speedboating, started work in February, 2022. It’s made up of more than 40 undergrad and grad students with a wide range of majors, but a heavy concentration on engineering and…

New EZRaft Tender for Smaller Spaces

By Peter Janssen on November 14, 2023 Cruising Life, Gear

Here’s a new possibility as a tender for smaller cruising boats that don’t have enough room on the swim platform or lazarette for a traditional inflatable or RIB. The company says the EZRaft 250 is the “ultimate in portability and convenience.” Built in The Netherlands, the EZRaft is just 8’ 2” long and 4’ 7” wide, and it folds down to just 2’ 6” by 10” to fit into its own carrying bag. It also weighs just 24 pounds, so it’s easy to carry. You can inflate/deflate it in about five minutes, using the supplied electric pump. It doesn’t have…

Vicem 55 Classic: A Down-East Favorite

By Peter Janssen on November 13, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Over the years, the elegant Vicem 55 Classic with its eye-pleasing Down-East lines has been one of the Turkish builder’s most popular boats. Indeed, the company has built more than 150 of them in the past 20 years. Until recently, the 55, like most other Vicems, was built with a cold-molded process, involving layers of mahogany at different angles that are saturated with epoxy over a computer-designed mold. The idea was that the combination of wood and resins produced a hull that was lighter, stronger and quieter than most fiberglass hulls. The problem was that cold-molding takes time, and many…

Fire at La Paz Marina Sinks 5 Yachts

By Peter Janssen on November 8, 2023 Cruising Life

A sudden, late-night fire destroyed or heavily damaged at least 10 yachts last week at the Marina Palmira in La Paz, Mexico. Local accounts said at least five boats sank and five others were damaged in a fire that started about 3 a.m. One boat, a 107-foot Hatteras named Optimus, caught on fire and drifted away from its dock before burning to the waterline against a seawall (see picture below). Optimus was launched in 2019 and took its maiden voyage from the Hatteras factory in New Bern, North Carolina, to New York. Marina Palmira is a full-service marina with 180…

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