On Watch with Peter Janssen

Big Lauderdale Show Starts Oct. 25

By Peter Janssen on October 11, 2023 Ft Lauderdale Boat Show, On Watch with Peter Janssen

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the largest in-the-water show in the world, starts Wednesday, Oct. 25, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 29. Now in its 64th year, the show is larger than ever, covering 90 acres and three million square feet of exhibit space. Last year, more than 100,000 people came to the show; more are expected this year, with more than 1,300 boats on display and 1,000 exhibitors. The show’s economic impact throughout the state is said to be some $1.79 billion. The show now stretches across seven locations, but it’s still centered around the Bahia Mar Yachting…

New, Improved, Shelter Island 38FS

By Peter Janssen on October 4, 2023 On Watch with Peter Janssen

When Coecles Harbor launched their first Shelter Island 38 in 1996, it was an instant hit, drawing praise from across the boating world, everyone from Bob Johnstone to Billy Joel. Johnstone later told me that it was one of the half a dozen boats that inspired the lines for his MJM boats, named after his wife Mary (Mary Johnstone’s Motorboat). He also hired Doug Zurn, the designer of the Shelter Island 38, to design the MJMs. Joel, who wrote Uptown Girl after his then wife Christie Brinkley, told me that the Shelter Island 38 was one of the most beautiful…

Popular Annapolis Power Show Starts Oct. 5

By Peter Janssen on September 27, 2023 Annapolis Boat Show, On Watch with Peter Janssen

The increasingly popular United States Powerboat Show will start Thursday, Oct. 5, and run through Sunday, Oct. 8, in Annapolis, the heart of cruising in the Chesapeake and one of the premiere cruising destinations in the world. The Annapolis show always draws a crowd, for a whole lot of reasons. It’s easy to get to (less than an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C. or Baltimore); it’s easy to see a lot of new boats and gear displayed there, and it’s in Annapolis, with boatyards, marinas, waterfront restaurants and watering holes all around. And then there’s the U.S. Naval Academy, with…

Rogue Wave Sinks Maine Lobster Boat

By Peter Janssen on September 21, 2023 On Watch with Peter Janssen

It was just after noon, but Billy Bob Faulkingham was calling it a day. The weather was turning in the Gulf of Maine, the remnants of Hurricane Lee were just a day away, so Faulkingham and Alex Polk, his sternman, started hauling traps on Faulkingham’s 40-foot lobster boat named 51. They were off the south end of Turtle Island, on the far side of Mount Desert Island, and they were going to head home to Winter Harbor, just a few miles away. Faulkingham knew those waters well. He’s 44, and he’s been a working lobsterman there all his life (although…

Big Power Cats Rule in Cannes

By Peter Janssen on September 12, 2023 On Watch with Peter Janssen

Two big new power catamarans are getting a lot of attention at the Cannes Yachting Festival, for quite different reasons. One, the Sunreef Power Eco 80, is taking eco-conscious cruising to an entirely new level; its hull sides virtually bristle with built-in solar panels. The other, the VisionF 80, is taking attention-getting to a new level; it’s painted pink. The Sunreef Eco 80 is the Polish yard’s newest power cat, and you can order it in both all-electric and hybrid versions. The all-electric one is at Cannes, and its solar panels produce a massive 36kWp in sunshine, although that’s a…

Ten Top Boats at the Newport Show

By Peter Janssen on September 6, 2023 On Watch with Peter Janssen

There certainly is no shortage of new boats to see at the Newport show that starts on Sept. 14. In fact, hundreds of them are on display on the docks at, and next to, the Newport Yachting Center. There are so many new boats that it’s easy to get lost in the crowd, to get sidetracked, or simply overwhelmed and confused. To help you make the most of your time at the show, we’ve picked ten of our favorites. Take a look: AXOPAR 45 The new Axopar flagship, a 45 XC Cross Cabin (pictured above), is an adventure cruiser that…

New Nimbus W11: Low, Lean and Fast

By Peter Janssen on August 28, 2023 On Watch with Peter Janssen

Nimbus has launched its new 40-foot, 50-knot Nimbus W11, the latest from the long-time Swedish builder. With large and multifunctional social areas from stem to stern, and berths for four below, the new Nimbus is designed as a weekend-or-longer cruiser with a low, lean, Scandinavian profile and outboard-powered performance. Indeed, with twin 300-hp Mercury V8 outboards, top speed is 40 knots. Move up to twin 400-hp Mercury V10 outboards, and the new Nimbus tops out at 50 knots. The W in the boat’s name stands for weekends, and Nimbus wants you to enjoy them. “The W11 is designed to extend…

Historic Newport Show Opens on Sept. 14

By Peter Janssen on August 22, 2023 Newport Boat Show, On Watch with Peter Janssen

The Newport International Boat Show, marking the start of the fall boat show season on the East Coast, opens on Thursday, September 14, and runs through Sunday, September 17. The show celebrates its 52nd anniversary this year, and it’s still in the same place at the Newport Yachting center in the heart of historic Newport (the British fleet anchored off Newport during the Revolution). One of the largest in-water shows in the U.S., the Newport show has grown every year, and now will be spread over 13 waterfront acres. Hundreds of exhibitors, dealers and manufacturers will be there, on the…

New Fairline 65 Phantom: Style, Luxury, Performance

By Peter Janssen on August 16, 2023 On Watch with Peter Janssen

The new Fairline 65 Phantom, the first sport-bridge cruiser in the British builder’s fleet, is a combination of style, luxury and performance. Fairline calls the new Phantom a sport bridge because the top deck is situated way aft, making room for the opening sun roof over the lower helm. As a result, it’s a bit smaller than a traditional flybridge, but it still has comfortable seating for at least half a dozen guests aft of the upper helm, plus a wet bar for al fresco entertaining. The lines are an evolution from Fairline’s popular Targa 65 sports coupe that was…

Saxdor 400

Saxdor Launching New 400 GTO Flagship

By Peter Janssen on August 7, 2023 On Watch with Peter Janssen

Saxdor Yachts will launch its innovative new 400 GTO flagship at the Cannes Yachting Festival next month. The sleek, low, cruiser with its minimalist lines is the latest from Saxdor, a company with a creative DNA that opened its doors in Finland just four years ago. The Saxdor 400 GTO is marked by its folding out terrace that runs about half the length of the boat. In the past few years, many boats have built terraces that fold down from aft bulwarks, creating more usable space in the cockpit. Saxdor’s is different because of its length; it far exceeds the…

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