Silent Yachts is the first boat builder to have a boat cross the Atlantic Ocean using only solar powered electric motors. This is no small feat and proves that the original concepts behind the Silent catamaran designs and technology are sound. But, the business in 2022 and 2023 became a victim of its own success and adverse market forces. It simply outgrew its ability to deliver boats and ended up in receivership. As has happened numerous times in the past, one of the owners of a boat yet to be completed stepped in and bought the company. The new owner,…
Browsing: On Watch With Peter Janssen
While the Great Loop of the eastern half of the US is famous and often referred to, its little cousin, the Great Eastern Loop, is well worth any adventurous cruiser’s attention The 2,400 mile loop makes a circumnavigation of the US Northeast and the Canadian Maritimes. Nominally, the route starts in New York City and leads up the Hudson River to Lake Champlain. From there it follows the Richelieu River the length of the Chaplain Valley into Canada where it joins the St. Lawrence River at the city of Sorel-Tracy. There’s a 17-foot height limit on this section of the…
The True North brand was initially developed by Pearson Yachts in Rhode Island but was acquired by Catalina Yachts a few years ago and the two boats they build, the 34 and 39, have gone through a complete re-engineering. The new 39 that was launched last summer is an evolution of the successful 38. The 38 was an inboard-powered Down East-style express cruiser with a single owner’s cabin. The new 39 is similar in many ways but Catalina has changed the inboard for three Mercury Verado outboards. The 39 has a lot to like. This is a sensible American-built cruiser…
In May of 1940, at the start of World War Two, the British Expeditionary force that had been transported to France to fight the invading Nazi army, was quickly overwhelmed and driven back to the shores of the English Channel. What followed was one of the most heroic civilian efforts ever undertaken in a time of war. The call went out to boat owners across England to register with the British Admiralty and to join what would become the mass evacuation of the British army from Dunkirk, France to England. This month, 75 of those Little Ships as they became…
Since 1999, the Swedish builder J Craft has been building classic ultra-luxury speedboats on an island near Gotland. Their 42-foot Torpedo is a hand-made collector’s item that evokes La Dolce Vita from the Riviera and the Gatsby Days on Long Island, New York. Torpedos have advanced, cored-fiberglass hulls and classic mahogany decks that are finished with 18 coats of hand-rubber lacquer and varnish. Her leather seats and bolsters are made from the finest leather and hand-stitched to perfection. At the end of a dock the boat shines like a precious jewel. But, with Swedish DNA –think sea-going Vikings—each Torpedo is…
The Norwegian boat builder Marex, which launched its new partnership MarexUSA at the Palm Beach show last month, announced last week that they are adding a new 39-footer to their line. The new design will be known as the Marex 390 and will complement the 330 and 430. While this two-cabin express cruiser bears the family resemblance of her sister ships, her lines are more futuristic and the salon windows and the hull glazing have been endowed with curves and angles in the modern European style. Founded in 1973 and still family owned, Marex has long been a respected player…
Following the announcement in January that Sirena Yachts was retiring the 58 and replacing it with the all-new 60, few details were available so our initial preview was brief. Since then, Sirena has released more information and a host of renderings of the new design that reveal its character and many interesting details. Designed by German Frers, the new 60 is a long-range cruiser with a three-cabin, three-head layout. Plus, a crew’s cabin can be tucked in under the cockpit. Sirena is striving for a boat that can operate in three different modes. At efficiency speeds, the 60 will have…
Here’s a story that piques my imagination since I am a fan of all things nautical and love innovation. In early March, Regent Craft, a Rhode Island based start-up, launched its first full-scale protype of the all-electric, 12-passenger Viceroy seaglider. They named the craft Paladin, i.e., a defender of a noble cause. At 55-feet in length and with a wingspan of 65 feet, the design is the largest all-electric flying machine ever built and represents a significant technological breakthrough. The prototype will initially spend several months of in-the-water and foiling trials as all systems and critical software are tested and refined.…
The Norwegian builder of fine family cruisers has a fleet of its unique and innovative designs at the Palm Beach International Boat Show this week as they launch Marex USA with American partner Chris Hughes. In the fleet at Palm Beach, the Marex 330 Scandinavian is a perfect example of what makes the Marex line so special. First of all, at 35-feet overall, the 330 packs a huge amount of living space and relaxing areas into a relatively compact envelope. This is accomplished in a number of subtle ways. The hull form has full sections forward and fairly high freeboard…
This week, Hinckley Yachts of Portsmouth, Rhode Island Introduced a Hinckley Picnic Boat on steroids. The new 41-footer, based on the successful launch of the 39 last summer, has all of Hinckley’s classic Down East looks with the gleam of an impeccable hull finish and the teak trim and tables shining with a dozen coats of varnish. But it also has three outboards that will give it a top end of 53 knots. “The Hinckley 41 is for those who desire the thrill of outboard power while embracing the artistry and pedigree that define our brand,” said Gavin McClintock, CEO…