Paul and Cheryl Shard, the relatively new owners of the Southerly 42RST I took for a test sail on Chesapeake Bay off Annapolis, Maryland, have been live-aboard cruisers (and sailing filmmakers as well) for over 15 years. They logged thousands of offshore miles on their previous boat, and when it came time for a new boat, they chose the Southerly 42RST (stands for raised saloon, twin wheels). I
Some boat builders are responding to these unsettling economic times by launching smaller, more affordable boats, but the folks at Gunboat are charging full steam ahead. Maybe that’s because these guys are one of only a few companies that build all carbon cruising cats and the only ones with fully enclosed bridge deck saloons—and crazy speed potential.
Youve got to tip your cap to the folks at Island Packet. They know their market. If youre looking for a lightweight, fin-keel cruising boat with a sporty feel and a big cockpit, there are many to choose from. But if youre looking for a new solid, moderate-displacement, full-keel cruising boat that will look after you, chances are an Island Packet will be one of the few boats on your very short
All new designs from Catalina Yachts can trace their pedigrees back to the first boats Frank Butler built in California just as fiberglass-boat building was taking off. The newest, the Catalina 375, is one of them. In coming up with a successor to the legendary Catalina 36, Catalinas long-time in-house designer, Gerry Douglas, had his work cut out for him. How do you improve on a design that has
Im always impressed when a boat design shows you can teach an old dog new tricks. Thirty-one-foot coastal-cruising designs have been around since builders started using fiberglass to build hulls, so its easy to think that its all been done before. But the new Beneteau 31 has innovative solutions and incremental changes that have a positive effect on comfort, functionality, aesthetics, and
Get close to the Dean 441 and open a bundle of surprises. From a distance, it could be just a typical mid-size catamaran with more mast rake than most, but once youre aboard youll see a boat thats totally different in both design and execution.The accommodations can be customized to suit the owners needs, and the hull, rig, and systems are built to thrive at sea. Since every
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
Without challenges we wither, and sailing serves them up regularly, making it the supreme teacher.
Another fuel pump failure leads to an engine rebuild, this time on the hook.
The fleet couldn’t have wished for better conditions at the start of the 363-mile ocean race.
As the first competitors eye their approach Hawaii, Stan Honey talks strategy.
Living champagne dreams on a Top Ramen budget — and how you can do it too.
Simrad has upgraded their line of chartplotters with the NSS 4, a new model designed with going off soundings in mind.
Nearing the halfway mark of Falken’s passage between the Galápagos and Marquesas
Today we’re celebrating the birthday of one of history’s greatest yachtswomen.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Coneys Marine on Long Island has always counted on the power of family.
Bad puns aside, why do cats and sailing go so well together? It’s brain science.
