Ellen MacArthur joins youths for final leg The 48-foot yacht Scarlet Oyster completed the final leg of the Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain voyage on September 12, sailing from Torquay back to its starting point in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. This concluding passage marked the end of a carefully planned 132-day circumnavigation … Read more

Lucie is an International 6 Meter racing yacht designed by Clinton Crane and built by Henry B. Nevins in 1931. Bearing sail number US55, she is a striking example of the classic 6 Meter aesthetic: narrow proportions for her 37-foot overall length, a low profile, an elegant sheer line and long overhangs. Those graceful lines … Read more

Paul Todd / Outside Images — Photograph and Technical Notes Photo by Paul Todd/Outside Images Camera and Exposure Details Camera used: Nikon D800 Shutter speed: 1/800 second Lens focal length: 70mm Aperture: f/2.8 ISO: 500 Publication August 2013 issue About the Technical Choices The combination of a Nikon D800, a 70mm focal length and an … Read more

Investigating Boat Fires: Insights from a Marine Fire Investigator Daniel K. Rutherford has spent three decades as a certified marine investigator, examining boat fires, explosions, sinkings and disappearances at sea. His role is to determine the causes of marine casualties, and he typically investigates roughly 150 claims each year. Rutherford is president of Ocean Marine … Read more

Cotton Candy Lobster Found in Casco Bay: Rare Opalescent Specimen Named “Haddie” Finds New Home Last Friday, veteran lobsterman Bill Coppersmith made an extraordinary discovery while hauling traps in Casco Bay, Maine. Inside his hull he found an iridescent, opal-like lobster with a delicate, pastel sheen—an especially rare coloration commonly referred to as a “cotton … Read more

Montauk Point Lighthouse: New York’s Oldest Beacon and a Magnet for Anglers Montauk Point Lighthouse holds the distinction of being the oldest lighthouse in New York and ranks among the earliest continuously operating beacons in the United States. Authorized by the second U.S. Congress during the presidency of George Washington in 1792, the lighthouse’s construction … Read more

Newport International Boat Show Sees Increase in Exhibitors, Attendance and Buyer Optimism The Newport International Boat Show in Newport, Rhode Island, returned this year with a noticeably brighter atmosphere as dealers and visitors alike expressed renewed optimism about the marine market. Held Sept. 17-20 along the scenic Newport waterfront, the four-day exhibition drew more than … Read more

Think you can take a great photo, too? Grab your camera and start shooting for our “Real Boats, Real Boaters Photo Contest.” Chasing Storms: A Photographer’s View of the Velux 5 Oceans Fleet Just hours into the grueling Velux 5 Oceans solo around-the-world yacht race, the fleet was slammed by a fierce Bay of Biscay … Read more

FDR’s Houseboat Years: The Larooco Log During the Roaring Twenties, a politically ambitious young man disabled by polio bought a houseboat so he could cruise the warm coastal waters and pursue treatments for his damaged legs. After Franklin Delano Roosevelt was struck by polio in August 1921 at age 39, he retreated from public life. … Read more

How to Avoid Using a Firearm While Cruising: Practical Advice from John Price John Price, a retired Army National Guard colonel and longtime Episcopal priest who now serves as an FBI chaplain, has thought deeply about self-defense while cruising. A Houston resident who has spent much of his adult life sailing, Price shared practical guidance … Read more