Cruising Life

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…

Azimut Magellano 30M: Luxurious Light-Filled Cruiser

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

The flagship of Azimut’s Magellano fleet, the sophisticated new 30M is designed as a comfortable and luxurious long-range cruiser. The Magellano line was started back in 2007 by Azimut founder Paolo Vitelli, who wanted a boat that had the range of a traditional displacement trawler but with more speed and, of course, some Italian design flair. The line now includes the 60-foot-long Magellano 60 and the 82-foot long Magellano 25M. The new 30M has what the company calls a second generation Dual Mode hull that provides an easy ride at both displacement and planing speeds. It tops out at 20…

Delphia Launches New 32-Foot Electric Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on January 10, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Delphia, the Polish builder that’s now part of the Beneteau Group, just launched its new electric-powered, 40-knot, Delphia 10 cruiser. At 32 feet, the Delphia 10 is the smallest boat in Delphia’s fleet that includes a 35-foot Delphia 11 and a 42-foot Delphia 12. They are designed by Vripack, the leading Dutch firm that has worked on everything from Nordhavns to megayachts. The Delphia 10 can be powered by an electric shaft drive with Torqeedo motors from 40- to 80-hp. You also can order it with up to a 110-hp Yanmar diesel. The new 10 comes in three versions: The…

How To Use Your Boat’s Pivot Point

By Peter Janssen on January 10, 2023 Cruising Life

Here’s some great advice from Skipper Tips about how to maneuver your boat around its pivot point when you’re in tight situations. It wouldn’t hurt to practice this so you’ll have some muscle memory in an emergency. Read on: Imagine that you are being swept down onto a buoy by a stiff wind or current. You have just seconds until you collide with this steel tower. And, it’s too late to back down with your engine. What now, skipper? Compare a pivot point to a docking spring line or an anchor rode (line or chain). Your boat pivots around that…

Photo by Joanna Link/Crossboundaries

New Design for Solar-Powered Houseboat

By Peter Janssen on January 9, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

With the help of Crossboundaries, an innovative design firm with offices in Beijing and Frankfurt, a German woman named Marianne Fries has developed her 49-foot houseboat into a home on the water that shows what can be done within a limited space. Fries worked in China for many years before returning to Berlin a few years ago. She also was friends with Binke Lenhardt, a co-founder of Crossboundaries. For exercise, she joined a rowing club in Berlin, and then decided she wanted to spend more time on the water. In 2020, she bought a five-year-old, solar-powered houseboat there, and decided…

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