Cruising Life

New Cheoy Lee 72 Heading for U.S.

By Peter Janssen on January 18, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Cheoy Lee just finished sea trials on its latest CLB 72 family cruiser in Hong Kong. It’s now on a ship heading for the U.S. The 72 is one of CL’s most successful yachts. A spinoff of the historic Cheoy Lee Shipyards, CL Yachts introduced its first boats at the Miami show in 2019. The new CLB 72 is hull #49. It’s a four-stateroom, four-head cruiser with a two-berth crew cabin and head aft. Hull #49 heading this way has new sliding windows in the galley, up/down windows in the salon, and opening portlights in the four staterooms on the…

Wooden Boats

New Tender Adds to La Dolce Vita

By Peter Janssen on January 18, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Now here’s a way to arrive in style. No more pulling up to the dock in your aging RIB or your well-used dink, the one with the scuff marks on the hull. Instead, consider the still-being-built limousine tender by Wooden Boats in its yard in Viareggio, Italy. In this case, style is king. Indeed, Marco Arnaboldi, the Wooden Boats founder and designer, says he was inspired by Fellini’s iconic 1960-era film, La Dolce Vita, as well as by “the timeless design of the runabouts of the time.” The film, he said, celebrates Italian style and beauty. The boat, named Limo…

Avikus’ AI Nav System Wins Award

By Peter Janssen on January 18, 2023 Cruising Life, Electronics

Hyundai’s Avikus autonomous navigation system just won an Innovation Award at the big Consumer Electronics Show, a recognition that will surely give a boost to the use of artificial intelligence in recreational boating, The award was in the Vehicle Tech and Advanced Mobility category, and it was for Avikus’ NeuBoat, already in its second phase of autonomous navigation. NeuBoat uses a Navigation Assistant System and a Docking Assistant System to navigate and dock in real time without human intervention. It also works with an Augmented Reality screen that indicates risk levels with different color boxes. Humans can control the systems…

Oceans Warmer Than Ever Before: Report

By Peter Janssen on January 17, 2023 Cruising Life

Last year was the warmest ever for the world’s oceans, according to a new study by scientists from 16 institutes around the world. It actually was the fourth year in a row to set records for high ocean temperatures. To make matters worse, the speed at which oceans are getting warmer is faster and faster, raising concerns about more powerful storms in the near future, as well as melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica and rising sea levels around the world. The new study was published last week in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. It examined the temperature…

Ferretti Holds Debut for Sporty New 580

By Peter Janssen on January 16, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Ferretti Group is holding the world premiere of its new Ferretti 580 at the big Düsseldorf show that runs from January 21 through 29. The new 580 has more sporty and sculpted lines than many previous Ferrettis, with a nod to its Italian roots, particularly in the interior décor. The exterior is by Filippo Salvetti, who now has designed six yachts for Ferretti, and the interior is by Ideaeitalia, the Italian design firm that’s also worked on other Ferrettis. The yacht manages to achieve a clean, forward-looking profile, with the flybridge set well aft and its hard top so…

Coast Guard Rescues 7 from Disabled Tug

By Peter Janssen on January 16, 2023 Cruising Life

Coast Guard helicopters rescued all seven crew from a disabled tug boat about 30 miles off Ocean City, Maryland, early Saturday morning, after its lines snapped and got tangled in both props. About 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, a crew from the 103-foot-long tug Legacy called the Coast Guard, saying the tug was disabled and the crew was preparing to abandon ship. The Legacy had been towing a 290-foot foot barge from New Jersey to Guyana, when a 1,000-foot-long line snapped and got tangled in its starboard prop. The tug continued underway, running on one engine, until another tow line snapped…

How To Navigate Under Bridges

By Peter Janssen on January 16, 2023 Cruising Life

You probably already know all this, but a fast refresher never hurts. Here’s some great advice from America’s Boating Compass, formerly the U.S. Power Squadrons, about how to make your way safely under bridges, a particular issue if you’re cruising in Florida or along the Great Loop. I just want to add that you definitely need to know how to maneuver your boat in close quarters; you’ll often find yourself waiting, with several other boats, for a bridge to open, perhaps while dealing with a current, and you have to stay out of each other’s way. Approach bridges slowly and…

Harbor Pilot Dies After Fall from Ladder

By Peter Janssen on January 15, 2023 Cruising Life

A marine pilot was killed while boarding a merchant ship earlier this month in the Humber Estuary on the east coast of northern England. Francisco Galia had been working for Associated British Ports for more than 20 years and was on the edge of retirement when he fell off the boarding ladder of a large ship entering the estuary. A second pilot from the pilot boat jumped into the water and was able to maneuver Galia back on board. A medevac took Galia to the hospital, but he did not survive. The UK Pilots Association said “This tragedy highlights the…

Prototype All-Electric Axopar at Dusseldorf Show

By Peter Janssen on January 11, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Axopar will display its prototype 25-footer, powered by an EVOY 300-hp electric outboard, at the Düsseldorf show, starting Jan. 21. The all-electric Axopar runs for 25 minutes at 25 knots, and the batteries can be recharged in an hour. Jan-Erik Vitalia, the founding partner of Axopar, says the partnership of the two companies was designed “to expand the boating community and offer new ways of mobility for the future.” The prototype boat was designed to cruise with zero emissions, zero fumes, and almost no noise. The prototype used EVOY’s 300-hp electric motor, the largest available, with low consumption, high torque…

New Xquisite 40 Cat To Debut in Miami

By Peter Janssen on January 11, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Xquisite Yachts will launch its new low-profile, well-proportioned 40 Power catamaran at the Miami show, starting Feb. 15. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Xquisite was started in 2014 with the goal of building sail and power cats “for adventurers who wish to explore our oceans without giving up their lifestyle.” Xquisite sailing cats have won a number of prizes in the past few years. The company previously announced a 60 Solar Power Cat, and now is introducing the 40, which will be built in Portugal. The new Xquisite was designed in collaboration with Dixon Yacht Design to create a…

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