Jacob Pike: Preserving a Maine Sardine Carrier and a Vanishing Commercial Fishery If a single surviving vessel could stand as a symbol of Maine’s once-thriving commercial fishery, that honor would belong to the Jacob Pike. Built in 1949 at the Newbert and Wallace Shipyard in Thomaston, Maine, the 83-foot Jacob Pike was constructed of oak … Read more
Center console boats have steadily grown in size and popularity since Boston Whaler introduced what is widely regarded as the first production model. The 16-foot Nauset, launched in 1960 and designed by company founder Dick Fisher and chief designer Bob Dougherty, was essentially an oversized dinghy fitted with a hand-built mahogany console and center bench. … Read more
Tragedy Spurs Push for Mandatory Boater Education Across New York The August 2005 collision off Bay Shore, New York, still haunts the families involved and has prompted renewed calls for stronger boater education. Frank and Gina Lieneck were aboard a 24-foot Bayliner with three children when a 25-foot Grady-White, reportedly traveling at full throttle, plowed … Read more
Effort Underway to Protect Tangier Island and Its Navigation Channel The National Park Service describes Tangier Island as “little more than a sandbar, barely rising above the raging waters of the Chesapeake Bay.” Despite that stark image, a multimillion-dollar effort is currently moving forward to stabilize part of the island and protect the navigation channel … Read more
It’s basic physics: a moving boat displaces water and creates waves behind it — that wake is the operator’s responsibility. Good wake etiquette is part of safe seamanship. Most boaters aren’t wakeboarders or surfers, so inconsiderate wakes are more than an annoyance: they can be dangerous to people, damaging to vessels and docks, and harmful … Read more
BG-One: Solid-State Bilge Pump Switch and Oil/Fuel Detector The BG-One from Blue Guard Innovations is a compact, solid-state bilge pump switch and oil and fuel detector designed to improve onboard safety and environmental protection. Built to work with common marine electrical systems, the BG-One senses when oil or fuel is present in the bilge and … Read more
When a Registered Boat Becomes a Legal Nightmare: A St. Johns River Story Tracy Lynn Tedesco learned, too late, how costly a single decision can be. As the family’s primary earner and bill payer, she registered a boat in her name that was effectively her husband’s. What could go wrong? For a time the family … Read more
Schooner Sultana Visits Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels On May 7, the replica schooner Sultana will arrive at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland. The vessel will spend the week both at the museum and sailing the Chesapeake Bay with student groups, serving as a hands-on classroom for maritime history … Read more
Welcome to the new Soundings. We’ve spent more than a winter’s worth of time chipping ice and shoveling snow — we’ve been reinventing the magazine. From our base in Essex, Conn., we’re excited to introduce a refreshed Soundings that feels right for today and ready for tomorrow. The new format measures 9 by 10-7/8 inches, … Read more
People frequently ask me about survival at sea. After a boating-safety talk, someone almost always wants to discuss life rafts, rationing, or whether I’ve read the famous survival books about being lost on the ocean—most commonly Steve Callahan’s Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea. After I explain the best practices for staying safe and for … Read more
