On Watch With Peter Janssen

Science Explains the Waterspout that Sank the Bayesian

By George Day on August 22, 2024 On Watch With Peter Janssen, On Watch with Peter Janssen

One of the lead news stories of the week was the tragic and somewhat baffling capsize and sinking of the 183-foot yacht Bayesian near Porticello, Sicily, with the loss of seven souls. Fortunately, 15 of the 22 people on board survived. The consensus among Italian officials has solidified on the likelihood that the yacht was hit by a very local and very powerful waterspout that forced it over onto its side leading to massive flooding and ultimately, in minutes, to its sinking into 180 feet of water. Everyone has the same question: How could this have happened? I have cruised…

Beneteau to Build New Swift Trawler 54 Passagemaker

By George Day on August 15, 2024 Boat Reviews, On Watch With Peter Janssen

This year, Groupe Beneteau is celebrating its 140th year in the boat building business. Known as a builder of sailboats for most of that time, the expansion into the cruising powerboat world three decades ago certainly made waves across the boating market. The company’s Swift Trawler line helped define the market transition from 8-knot trawlers to roomy, ocean-going, trawler-like cruising boats that could run long distances at speeds in the mid-to-high teens. The new Swift Trawler 54 Passagemaker that the builder announced this summer will be the sixth model in the Swift Trawler line and fills a gap between the…

First Look at Hunt Yachts’ New Ocean 56

By George Day on August 8, 2024 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life, On Watch with Peter Janssen, On Watch With Peter Janssen

Here’s some good news. Hunt Yachts of Portsmouth, RI, has introduced the design for a new 56-footer in their Ocean series. The Hunt Associates design, with its patented Deep-V hull, includes all of the classic qualities that have made Hunt Yachts renown for their superb seakeeping abilities in all weather, high cruising speeds and elegant fit and finish. The 56 joins the Ocean 63, 68 and 76. The 56, which is in the final stages of the design process, will be offered with either a flybridge or as a coupe. The flybridge model will have a hard top for protection…

Arksen Nurtures the Spirit of Adventure

By George Day on August 1, 2024 On Watch With Peter Janssen

The British firm Arksen, based on the Isle of Wight, builds a range of aluminum Expedition motor yachts as well as smaller Adventure yachts. They also build custom overland expedition vehicles. In short, while Arksen builds boats and vans, it calls itself an adventure company. The Arksen 85 is their flagship and has been designed to be almost entirely self-sufficient and strong enough to withstand the rigors and the ice of high latitude cruising. Arksen’s philosophy of sustainability is built into each boat and vehicle. They build using 40 percent or more of recycled aluminum. They pitch the material as…

Hinckley Unveils New Picnic Boat 39, First Ever with Forward Seating

By George Day on July 24, 2024 Boat Reviews, On Watch With Peter Janssen, On Watch with Peter Janssen

This week, Hinckley Yachts, which is celebrating both its 100th year in business and the 30th anniversary of the first Picnic Boat, announced the launch of the new Picnic Boat 39, the first model in the line with forward seating. The new model offers owners and guests an unique boating and social environment in the three distinct but adjoined seating areas – the cockpit, helm area and now the forward lounge—which are perfect for entertaining family and friends. The access to the forward seating area has been ingeniously engineered with a sliding window mechanism that easily and conveniently opens the…

Outer Reef Introduces New 650 Classic Motoryacht

By George Day on July 17, 2024 On Watch with Peter Janssen, On Watch With Peter Janssen

This week, Jeff Druek, President and CEO of Outer Reef Yachts, announced the introduction of the new, re-engineered Outer Reef 650 Classic Motoryacht, which is the smallest model in the company’s M Class yachts. Druek noted that the 650’s sistership, the 700 Classic Motoryacht, has long been the most popular model in the series. Yet, he and his team had often heard from owners and customers the need for a smaller version. “For those who desire the attributes of the 700 in a smaller yacht,” he said, “whether due to slip size, itinerary restrictions, handling preferences, and more, Outer Reef…

Thank You, Peter, and Grand Banks Previews New GB 62

By George Day on July 11, 2024 Boat Reviews, On Watch With Peter Janssen, On Watch with Peter Janssen

Peter Janssen is absent from On Watch this week for the first time in almost eight years. He has retired at the venerable age of 88. As the co-founder and editor of the newsletter, he produced 400 editions and wrote more than four thousand articles. For a seasoned journalist, that is a lot. For a man already in his eighties when we founded Cruising Odyssey, the achievement is legendary. So, as I take the helm and steer Cruising Compass into its next chapter, I want to offer Peter my gratitude and appreciation for all he did and all he does.…

Time To Say Goodbye

By Peter Janssen on June 27, 2024 On Watch With Peter Janssen

As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. For me, that time is now. I’ll be 88 years old on July 1; Cruising Odyssey is well established (this is our 399th weekly edition) and in good hands. It’s time to say goodbye. I’ve been a journalist all my adult life. My first job was as a reporter at a wire service in Chicago. I was in grad school at Northwestern (after Stanford) and had a half-tuition scholarship. To make the other half, I worked two or three days a week as a reporter for the…

CO Tests the New MJM 42 Express Cruiser

By George Day on June 13, 2024 Boat Reviews, On Watch With Peter Janssen, On Watch with Peter Janssen

By George Day Part One: Running fast and efficiently on the Pamilco River In early June, I travelled from Newport, Rhode Island, to Washington, North Carolina, to visit with our friends at MJM Yachts and to test drive the new MJM 42. Washington is an old southern town and port that sits on the edge of the Pamilico River. And, it is a boat building mecca. It has lovely late 18th Century architecture –rebuilt after Northern troops burned the town during the Civil War—and a picturesque waterfront with several marinas and a waterfront park. It was in a marina at…

Valhalla Building V-55 Sport Luxury Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on June 4, 2024 On Watch with Peter Janssen, On Watch With Peter Janssen

Valhalla Boatworks just announced that it’s building a V-55 Sport that will emphasize comfort, style and accommodations in a high-performance luxury cruising yacht. The V-55 represents a major move by Valhalla, part of Viking Yachts, which has concentrated on center console fishing boats since it was started in 2019. Pat Healey, the Viking president, made the announcement this week at a Viking and Valhalla dealer meeting in Atlantic City. “The V-55 Sport represents our ability to diversify within a model to meet the needs of more owners,” he said. “It takes the proven performance of our 55 hull and merges…

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