Gelcoat is a pigmented, high-quality polyester resin applied as the visible finish on fiberglass boats. Like any material, it has strengths and weaknesses. One of the key shortcomings of gelcoat is its brittleness: it shrinks during cure and has limited elongation, which makes it susceptible to cracking under certain conditions. Understanding the common types of … Read more

Pilots Point Marina Dockmaster Katy Russell: Creating a Welcoming Marina Experience Within minutes of the 42-foot Silverton pulling up to the fuel dock at Brewer Pilots Point Marina, dockmaster Katy Russell and her team had the boat secured and were preparing to refuel. Skipper Scott Novak, visiting Pilots Point for the first time with his … Read more

Jeanneau NC 1095: A Family Cruiser Built for Chesapeake Bay Summers Few summer rituals on the Chesapeake Bay rival a crab feast: steaming blue crabs piled on butcher paper, generously dusted with Old Bay, and washed down with cold beer. After a long day on the water, cracking shells and savoring sweet crab meat is … Read more

SmartPlug: Safer, More Reliable Shore Power for Your Boat How many shore power cords have shown signs of overheating on your watch? For many boat owners, a charred or warm shore power cord is an all-too-common frustration. The root cause frequently lies in the connector design used by today’s twist-and-lock systems. Those L-shaped prongs and … Read more

On a recent trip to Europe I followed the development of autonomous sailing vessels — a technology that has matured from hobbyist tinkering into a commercial effort, driven by the same forces that propelled delivery drones and self-driving cars. The promise is familiar: remove expensive, fallible humans from repetitive or hazardous tasks. Autonomous sailboats, or … Read more

Recent Coast Guard Responses Spreading the Word Coast Guard Auxiliarist Thomas Nyman, a member of Flotilla 8-1 in Ocean City, N.J., spoke with attendees at the 32nd annual Atlantic City Boat Show in February. The Auxiliary’s presence at the show focused on informing the boating public about Coast Guard responsibilities and safety protocols along the … Read more

The Big Apple’s Big Harbor When Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger brought US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 carrying 155 passengers and crew, to a safe stop on the Hudson River on January 15, the world watched in awe. That dramatic water landing became one of the most widely remembered moments of recent aviation history. … Read more

Back Cove 34O: Back Cove’s First Outboard-Powered Model Back Cove Yachts has introduced its first outboard-powered model, the Back Cove 34O, marking the builder’s deliberate move into the growing outboard-powered yacht market. The 34O retains the graceful Down East styling for which Back Cove is known while adapting the platform to meet the advantages and … Read more

GOST Watch HD System: Remote Vessel Monitoring and Recording Global Ocean Security Technologies (GOST) has introduced the GOST Watch HD System, a purpose-built solution for continuous remote monitoring and video recording of onboard activity. Designed for boat owners, fleet managers and marine service providers, the system enables secure viewing and archival of onboard camera feeds … Read more

Spending time on the water is one of life’s great pleasures, but it comes with hazards many boaters overlook—chief among them, carbon monoxide (CO) from engine exhaust. You may have stood too close to the transom while backing down, or felt a gust of wind blow exhaust fumes into your face while idling to land … Read more