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

America’s Cup: Oracle’s Unforgettable Comeback and the Future of Foiling Yachts Oracle Team USA achieved one of sport’s most spectacular comebacks. Recovering the America’s Cup from an 8-1 deficit felt like throwing a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds or hitting a grand slam to erase a four-run gap. The American sports public loves an … Read more

Rhode Island boatbuilding and restoration school prides itself on helping graduates find jobs quickly The International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) in Newport, Rhode Island, celebrated its most recent commencement with a distinctive send-off: a fleet of restored vessels launched for a public sea trial. Rather than a conventional graduation ceremony, the event showcased the practical … Read more

HMS Bounty Sinking: Coast Guard Probes Decision to Sail During Hurricane Sandy The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating why the tall ship HMS Bounty left New London, Connecticut, bound for St. Petersburg, Florida, as Hurricane Sandy — one of the largest storms on record in the Atlantic basin — approached the East Coast. The square-rigged … Read more

Soundings has relaunched its Boats for Sale Online search tool to make finding new and used boats faster, simpler and more comprehensive than before. Boaters now have two clear options: narrow the search to listings exclusively on SoundingsOnline.com and the Soundings Boats for Sale database, or broaden the search to include nearly 400,000 new and … Read more

Torqeedo Ultralight 403 A: Lightweight Electric Outboard Designed for Fishing Kayaks The Torqeedo Ultralight 403 A is an ultralight electric outboard developed specifically for fishing kayaks and other small, lightweight craft. Producing the equivalent of 1 horsepower and weighing just 16 pounds including its lithium-ion battery, the 403 A delivers a quiet, efficient propulsion option … Read more

If you own a boat with enclosed spaces or an open vessel that’s covered when not in use, you’ll want reliable ventilation. For more than 30 years Nicro has produced both powered (active) and passive vents designed specifically for marine use. One recent addition to my boat is the Nicro Day/Night Plus, a solar-assisted, self-contained … Read more

For a lifelong Star sailor, building the boats used by Olympic medalists felt nearly as rewarding as winning a medal himself. Jon VanderMolen of Richland, Michigan, a boatbuilder and devoted Star class sailor, constructed the Star boats for all three medalists in the class at the London Games. “We built 13 of the 16 Star … Read more