Why Bluefish Remain One of the Most Thrilling Inshore Game Fish Over decades on the water I’ve hooked, fought, boated, beached, gaffed, unhooked, revived, released, bled, filleted, skinned, gutted, scaled, weighed, photographed, iced, toted, sorted, netted, stacked and otherwise handled an astonishing number of bluefish. I’ve landed them one at a time and in triple-digit … Read more

Steamboat Excursions on the Thames: Leisure and Travel in the 1890s A century ago the steamboat was everywhere — a hardworking presence in harbors, a freight carrier on the high seas, an essential passenger vessel and an instrument of exploration and progress. But the steamboat was also a vehicle for pleasure. This photograph, taken in … Read more

A striper is defined by what it does—how it hunts, moves and thrives across an astonishing range of habitats. I’ve chased striped bass for a lifetime, and every season they still surprise me. What’s not to love about the striped bass? Some anglers quibble—New York fly guide Captain Brendan McCarthy once wished stripers would tail … Read more

Flooded (Wet Cell) vs AGM Batteries: What Boaters Need to Know When choosing batteries for a boat, understanding the differences between flooded (wet cell) batteries and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries is vital. Both are lead-acid chemistries and use sulfuric acid as the electrolyte, but their construction, performance characteristics, installation requirements, and maintenance needs differ … Read more

Thermacell MR450 Mosquito Repeller: Portable, Quiet Protection for Outdoor Activities The Thermacell MR450 repeller creates a protective zone approximately 15 by 15 feet, helping keep mosquitoes and other flying insects at bay. Lightweight and designed for use outdoors, this compact device is intended for backyard gatherings, camping trips, gardening, boating, or any situation where you … Read more

Dirk Boehmer is the president of Vicem Yachts’ U.S. operations. The Turkish builder produces yachts up to 151 feet, and its Vintage fleet consists of classic, graceful Down East–style boats with impeccable interior woodwork. The 52-foot model is the smallest in the Vintage line, and the company has also planned smaller models for its new … Read more

Gold Coast Yachting At the turn of the 20th century, the north shore of New York’s Long Island emerged as one of the region’s most desirable residential areas. Wealthy industrialists, financiers and prominent families moved their summer homes and grand estates there, building a coastal landscape known today as the Gold Coast. This concentration of … Read more

Island Time: The Comfort and Pull of Living by the Water I’ve been fortunate to spend much of my life on islands that vary wildly in scale — from tiny, remote outcrops to the vertical island that is Manhattan. Some people dismiss Manhattan as an island in the same way you’d dismiss a city neighborhood, … Read more

Joan Maxwell on Building Smooth-Riding Regulator Center Consoles For 21 years, Joan Maxwell has focused on one central goal: producing the smoothest riding center consoles available. “It’s all about the ride,” says Maxwell, 49, president of Regulator Marine. Joan and her husband Owen founded Regulator Marine in Edenton, North Carolina, in 1988. They built their … Read more

What We’re Watching YouTube: Western Flyer Foundation The 77-foot Western Flyer, built in Tacoma, Washington in 1937 as a purse-seiner for sardine fishing, is a vessel with a storied past and a future carefully being restored. Most famously, the boat served as the floating base for author John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts during … Read more