Digital Switching for Used Boats: Retrofit Options and Practical Benefits Until recently, digital switching systems were primarily found on new, high-end boats. Today, however, several manufacturers offer retrofit-friendly digital switching products that make it realistic to install modern power distribution on older vessels. These systems reduce wiring and weight, add automation, and provide weatherproof, solid-state … Read more

Marlow Yachts has been building boats for more than twenty years from its Florida base, but the company’s approach differs from many builders who release new models every season. Founder David Marlow prefers steady evolution—refining successful ideas at the pace those ideas require—rather than chasing quantity. That philosophy spans the range from custom tenders to … Read more

Last October, Randall Reeves completed what he calls the “Figure 8 Voyage” — a solo circumnavigation that linked Antarctica and the Americas in a continuous route shaped like a figure eight. Over the course of the journey he crossed five oceans, skirted three continents, rounded Cape Horn twice and logged nearly 40,000 miles — a … Read more

Did you know that dozens of navigation buoys shown on charts between Eastport, Maine, and Shrewsbury, New Jersey, simply aren’t where the charts say they should be — and in some cases they’re missing entirely? In the same region, about 100 buoys are present but displaced enough that relying on their charted positions could mislead … Read more

Paul Larson and Larson Boat Works — From Handmade Skiff to Small-Boat Legacy In 1895, an 11-year-old named Paul Larson wanted to hunt and fish in the waters around his parents’ farm near Little Falls, Minnesota. Lacking the money to buy a boat, he built one himself. That homemade craft was the beginning of a … Read more

At first glance, Richie Moretti doesn’t look like a celebrity of sea turtle conservation. Short in stature and wearing blue jeans, his dark hair tied in a thin ponytail, he could blend into any crowd—except the one gathered on a bright, breezy Saturday at Higgs Beach in Key West, Florida. Locals and visitors have come … Read more

NOAA Announces Voluntary Vessel Speed Restriction East of Boston to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales Following sightings of an aggregation of North Atlantic right whales from a Boston-area beach on April 9, 2020, NOAA Fisheries established a voluntary Dynamic Management Area (DMA) east of Boston. The DMA is in effect through April 24. Boaters are … Read more

Boat Insurance Shortages in Florida Are Stalling Sales Curtis Stokes, a Fort Lauderdale broker, spends a lot of time politely delivering unwelcome news to prospective buyers. Many callers begin conversations eager to purchase a boat, but shift quickly to frustration when told the first step is securing insurance pre-approval. “People hang up on me. They … Read more

Yacht Seized in Ensenada: Owners Get ‘Avatar’ Back After Nearly Four Months Carol Brooks Parker and her husband Mike were relieved when their 64-foot bluewater power cruiser Avatar was finally returned to them, but they remain puzzled about why Mexican authorities impounded the boat last November. The Steve Dashew–designed aluminum cruiser was held at Marina … Read more

Clipper Race Founder Orders Full Investigation After Death of IchorCoal Crew Member Clipper Round the World Race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston has ordered a full investigation into the death of IchorCoal crewmember Sarah Young, who was swept overboard shortly before midnight on April 1. The incident occurred in heavy seas and 35–40 knot winds as … Read more