Cruising Life

Grandfather Drowns Trying To Save 3-Year-Old

By Peter Janssen on July 20, 2022 Cruising Life

A grandfather drowned when he tried to save his 3-year-old grandson who fell off their boat after it was hit by the wake of a passing boat in Saginaw Bay, Michigan. The tragic accident occurred last Saturday afternoon during a family fishing outing on the bay, which is part of Lake Huron. The grandfather, James G. David, was fishing with his son, 32, and his two grandchildren, 3 and 9, on a 17-foot boat. About 4 in the afternoon, local police got a 911 call from the 9-year-old, saying his little brother had fallen into the water. Police were able…

OTAM Redesigns 58 GTS for Cannes Launch

By Peter Janssen on July 19, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new, fast and sporty OTAM 58 GTS will make its world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, starting Sept 6. The new OTAM, named Bad Boy, is powered by twin 1,825-hp MTU diesels with Arneson surface drives and massive Rolla props; it tops out at more than 55 knots. Bad Boy is actually the 26th hull of OTAM’s 58 series, but it’s been redesigned to take its Gran Turismo Sport legend up a notch. OTAM often builds larger yachts at its yard near Genoa, and it can customize the 58 for each owner’s desires. OTAM worked with Giuseppe Bagnardi…

Hinckley Launches New Hybrid SilentJet

By Peter Janssen on July 19, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hinckley just introduced its new SilentJet technology, a hybrid system it developed with Twin Disc that combines diesel and electric power. With the trademarked SilentJet system, you can cruise under electric power without any noise or diesel fumes at about 7 knots, or you can seamlessly transition to diesel power and cruise at 35 knots. Hinckley introduced the new system on its Picnic Boat 40 S, the only boat available with SilentJet so far. It’s not that Hinckley’s were exactly noisy to start with. Indeed, Hinckleys are among the most solid, well-built and exquisite boats made in the United States, and…

Beneteau To Use 180-hp Electric Outboard

By Peter Janssen on July 18, 2022 Cruising Life, Engine Room

The move toward electric-powered outboard boats got a major boost today. Indeed, Group Beneteau and Vision Marine Technologies just announced that they’ve formed a partnership to put VMT’s electric-powered outboards on several of Beneteau’s brands, starting with Four Winns. VMT makes the E-Motion 180, which it says is the world’s most powerful electric outboard. The 180-hp outboard has a battery capacity of 70kWh of continuous power, enough to drive a typical day boat for a full day on the water. The E-Motion system combines an advanced lithium-ion battery pack, an inverter and a high-efficiency motor with a proprietary assembly between…

Azimut Building New Magellano 66

By Peter Janssen on July 18, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Azimut is building a new Magellano 66 cruiser with an updated version of the line’s Dual Mode hull that’s designed to be more fuel-efficient than ever while also reducing carbon emissions. The 66 is the latest in Azimut’s long-range cruising Magellano fleet, that now includes a 43, a 25 Metri (82’) and the flagship 30 Metri (97’ 6”). Azimut started the Magellano series in 2009 at its plant in Viareggio, Italy. The new 66 comes with three or four staterooms, plus a two-person crew quarters. It has three heads plus one for the crew. Power comes from twin 850-hp MAN…

Williams Launches Tender with SOLAS Option

By Peter Janssen on July 18, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Williams Jet Tenders will launch its new 16-foot Dieseljet 505 with an optional SOLAS certification at the Monaco Yacht Show, starting Sept. 28. The new luxury RIB has been modified to meet all the stringent requirements of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea). SOLAS-certified tenders are considered the gold standard in rescue vessels, and they’re a legal requirement for yachts over 500GT. The new Williams Dieseljet with the SOLAS option is capable of towing life rafts, serving as a man-overboard recovery boat or functioning in many other emergency situations. Matthew Hornsby, the commercial director for Williams Jet Tenders, says, “Not…

Mercury Intros New, Light, 25- and 30-hp Outboards

By Peter Janssen on July 13, 2022 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Mercury Marine just introduced a new series of three-cylinder, four-stroke 25- and 30-hp outboards that are lighter, faster and more user-friendly than ever before. The new outboards all have a 500cc powerhead with electronic fuel injection. And for the first time, electric-start models in both the 25- and 30-hp size come standard with Mercury’s SmartCraft digital technologies, so owners can connect to sophisticated digital gauges and mobile devices. The outboards start at just 132 pounds, making them 16 percent lighter than previous models; they’re also more fuel efficient. They come in models designated as 25- and 30-hp Four Stroke; 25-hp…

2 Killed on Family Outing on the Hudson

By Peter Janssen on July 13, 2022 Cruising Life

A family cruise turned tragic Tuesday afternoon, when a chartered 27-foot boat with 13 people on board capsized on the Hudson River off mid-town Manhattan. A 7-year-old boy and a 47-year-old woman were trapped under the boat and died. Crew from two New York ferry boats that were nearby pulled many people out of the water, and divers from the NYPD and NYFD found the boy and woman from under the capsized boat. EMS personnel tried to resuscitate them but they were nonresponsive. The owner of the boat, who had been following it on a jet ski, broke down in…

Anatomy of a Man Overboard Fatality

By co_admin on July 12, 2022 Cruising Life

Here’s a MARS report case study about the death of a man who fell overboard while rigging the pilot ladder on a commercial ship. MARS is the Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme, a confidential reporting system run by The Nautical Institute to allow full reporting of accidents without fear of identification or litigation. As a result, there are no names or details. But the report, printed in Marine Insight, is eye-opening for anyone going offshore: A bulk carrier in ballast was making way at 7 knots in a traffic separation scheme (TSS). The pilot ladder was being prepared on the…

Boating Was Safer Last Year: Coast Guard

By Peter Janssen on July 12, 2022 Cruising Life

The Coast Guard has some good news for us. Boating got a little bit safer last year. The Coast Guard has issued its annual report on boating safety. The major findings: In 2021, there were 658 fatalities, down 14 percent from the previous year (when there were many new boaters because of the pandemic). There were 5,265 total accidents, down 16 percent. The only bad news was that property damage hit $67.5 million, an all-time high, perhaps due to inflation or the higher price of both new and used boats. The top five contributing factors to accidents were operator inattention,…

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