There’s a whole lot more here than headroom and easily handled sailsThe hull form is sleek and sophisticated, the eyebrows above the ports denote competence and self-worth, and some of the accessories belowdeck are fine leather. The Beneteau First 50 starts with style, but it carries through with performance. An owner looking for a fast cruiser, an occasional racer, and/or a
A fixed windshield and teak deck create a familiar Scandinavian look, but the Najad 355 appears sleeker than many offshore cruisers. “It attracts the younger crowd with a little higher performance, contemporary style and interior, and a racy look,” said broker Rob Robinson. CONSTRUCTIONThe hull carries a flat underbody and a fine entry that flares gracefully into a moderately
Many of today’s boats are designed to be both quick and comfortable, and X Yachts continues to stake its claim in the performance-cruiser market. The X-34 is light, nimble, and sturdy, as I learned firsthand during several hours of thrashing into a stiff 17-to-20-knot headwind and steep chop on a recent 50-mile test sail/delivery.CONSTRUCTIONThe hull and deck are built
The Jeanneau 42i is not of the same family as the iPod, iPhone, or iMac, but it’s just as much a piece of 21st-century technology. At Jeanneau, the “i” stands for “resin infusion.” CONSTRUCTIONResin infusion is an engineering process that makes a strong laminate with optimum glass:resin ratios and few voids while reducing factory emissions. Jeanneau uses the method to
This 80-foot aluminum ketch is the third yacht to be built by Van Dam Nordia for the same owner. His first yacht was a 57-footer; his second was a 62-footer. With the earlier yachts he had the final word on all design details, but this one includes his family’s contributions to the design effort. General features include a V-shaped hull forward that minimizes pounding in rough seas and a sailing
This new 54-foot long-distance cruiser from the board of German Frers has received considerable interest since its introduction in Sweden last fall. An all-inclusive hydraulics package makes sail control easy, and the large engine room makes it easy to walk around and inspect the yacht’s systems. The engine space is made quieter by perforated aluminum linings that cover the soundproofing for
Ted Hood combines the best of power and sailThree years ago Ted Hood and I had a long discussion about what would make a yacht move comfortably and confidently under both sail and power. It was the middle of February, and we were returning from a morning sail in the lumpy Gulf Stream off Miami aboard a new Hooddesigned 48-footer with many of the qualities we were
The Salona 45 is a modern racer/cruiser. Its a new design from a new companythe first of this Croatian builders line to enter the U.S. market. On deckIts obvious that this plumb-bowed craft is firmly situated at the performance end of the design spectrum, especially when the deck-box stern seat is removed to expose an open transom and make space for a racing crew. My
The Hunter 45DS is a handsome vessel with an “I can take you there” look. The DS stands for deck saloon, a concept that’s become popular in Europe and is gaining ground in the U.S. Deck saloons are popular because they work well. As well as providing panoramic views through the large portlights, they encourage good use of interior space and allow heavy masses like engine and tankage to be
Catana is back, and with a vengeance. This builder of performance-oriented cruising catamarans foundered when the fin-de-sicle dot.com crash decimated its customer list. But the company reorganized and is again building these swift, dramatically styled yachts in its Catalonian factory. This new 50-footer is very different from the 52-footer Catana was building under the old regime. Hull and
NOAA predicts up to 19 named storms in the Atlantic basin this season, with three to five becoming major hurricanes.
From Passagemaker: Tips on how to navigate safely in fog.
For National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) we’re revisiting some of the best safety stories, recommendations, and gear from our sister publications. Today, Passagemaker offers cold-water survival tips for boaters.
I was delivering a boat back from the Annapolis Sailboat Show last year and decided to pick up a pair of these boots for the
Sailing Alone Around the World Joshua Slocum completed the first recorded solo circumnavigation in 1895-98. Instead of using a chronometer to determine the time for
For National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) we’re revisiting some of the best safety stories, recommendations, and gear from our sister publications. Today, from Soundings,
For National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) we’re revisiting some of the best safety stories, recommendations, and gear from our sister publications.
Our thoughts are with the crew of Cuauhtémoc, a Mexican training ship on a cultural diplomacy tour that apparently suffered a mechanical failure and struck the Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend. Two people have died and 22 others are injured.
There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline at the start of a race.
A cruise through the Pacific islands of Panama reveals another side of the country known mostly for its canal.
