In previous columns we examined how ground tackle works, different anchoring techniques and how to choose a safe anchorage. Equally important is knowing how to detect and react if your anchor begins to drag. Preparing for that possibility starts the moment you set the anchor. The first step after settling in is to establish a … Read more

Scout 420 LXF: A New 42-Foot Center Console Debuts at the Miami Boat Show Scout Boats will unveil its new 420 LXF center console at the Miami International Boat Show, joining other builders who recently introduced 40-plus-foot center consoles with four outboards. The 420 LXF represents Scout’s most ambitious build to date: the company’s largest … Read more

Known for simple, intuitive products Vesper doubles down on what they do best for an innovative new product. Vesper has built a strong reputation in marine electronics for delivering high-performance, thoughtfully designed products that are easy to use. Their new Cortex platform continues that tradition by combining VHF radio, AIS transponder, and advanced boat monitoring … Read more

Tollycraft 48 Motor Yacht: A Pacific Northwest Classic When R.M. “Tolly” Tollefson founded Tollycraft Boats in 1958 in Kelso, Washington, he started a company that would become synonymous with rugged, well-built cruising boats in the Pacific Northwest. Over the decades, Tollycraft earned a reputation for combining practical, sea-kindly hull forms with comfortable accommodations, and the … Read more

Devlin’s Solar Sal 27: A Pure Solar-Electric Dayboat Designed for Protected Waters Sam Devlin and his firm, Devlin Designing Boat Builders, have taken a clear stand on the future of small craft propulsion: electricity powered by the sun. Devlin unveiled his first pure solar-electric model, the Solar Sal 27, at the Seattle Boat Show in … Read more

WHAT WE’RE READING Sounds Fishy There are roughly 33,600 fish species inhabiting the world’s oceans, rivers, lakes and estuaries. Some look familiar, while others seem almost otherworldly. In Eye of the Shoal: A Fishwatcher’s Guide to Life, the Ocean and Everything, author Helen Scales introduces readers to a diverse cross-section of these finned animals and … Read more

Boaters who limit their visit to Christmas Cove miss a peaceful, scenic 14-mile cruise upriver to the twin villages of Damariscotta and Newcastle on Maine’s Damariscotta River. The river winds past summer homes set into rolling, wooded banks, a dozen quiet coves and a riverfront forest preserve with hiking trails. These sheltered anchorages and the … Read more

Aphrodite, a 1937 Purdy Launch — Photographed at Mystic Seaport This photograph, taken by Caryn B. Davis, captures the classic launch Aphrodite, launched in May 1937 by the Purdy Boat Company. The image was made at the Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous held at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut. Published in the June 2013 issue, … Read more

An 8-year-old boy dies when a Coast Guard vessel collides with a Sea Ray at a holiday parade Three separate investigations were launched after a 33-foot Coast Guard response boat struck a Sea Ray during the Festival of Lights parade in San Diego Bay on December 20, killing 8-year-old Anthony DeWeese. The collision occurred amid … Read more

Bulk Carrier Sunda Rescues Four People and a Dog After Sailboat Engine Failure in the Atlantic On January 10, the crew of the bulk carrier Sunda conducted a successful at-sea rescue of four people and their dog after the sailboat they were on suffered an engine failure in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The … Read more