Recent U.S. Coast Guard Responses Vessel Fire Near Great Chebeague Island A 65-foot vessel was fully engulfed in flames on Jan. 26 while moored near Great Chebeague Island in Casco Bay, Maine. Coast Guard units and local emergency responders extinguished the blaze and implemented pollution mitigation measures to limit environmental impact. Diesel Fuel Sheen Dissipates … Read more

Hybrid center consoles blend the best features of inshore bay boats and offshore center consoles, creating versatile vessels that serve both anglers and families. These hybrids—typically about 24 to 26 feet long and powered by a single outboard up to 350 hp—offer the low freeboard and shallow draft needed for skinny-water fishing, while providing enough … Read more

Bowsprits are not for ramming, and rub rails and swim platforms are not bumpers. Close, unplanned contact between vessels must be avoided: boats—and even ships—are delicate and can be seriously damaged by seemingly minor impacts. Even a contact that would be shrugged off by a car’s low-speed bumper can cause costly structural and cosmetic damage … Read more

Yacht Transport from Newport to the Caribbean — Dockwise Yacht Transport Photos by Onne van der Wal Every fall, many boat owners who prefer to spend the winter cruising in the Caribbean opt to ship their yachts south rather than make the long ocean passage under their own power. Fort Lauderdale–based Dockwise Yacht Transport offers … Read more

Seapilot: Social Boating, Weather Forecasts and Offline Charts Seapilot combines social features, weather data and navigation tools into a single mobile app designed for recreational boaters and racers. Its Facebook integration allows users to see friends who have connected their Facebook accounts to an AIS target and to search for those friends’ vessels, making it … Read more

Why Two High-Profile Yacht Searches Had Different Outcomes The attempts to find survivors from the sailboats Niña and Cheeki Rafiki both ended tragically, with no lives saved. Yet the two cases followed very different paths: the Cheeki Rafiki search was resumed after a high-profile public and political campaign, while calls to renew the search for … Read more

Fort Lauderdale Dock-and-Dine: Waterfront Dining by Boat Meals are part of everyday life — most of us eat three times a day, and some indulge in a fourth. That adds up quickly, but only a handful of those meals become memorable. If you want to increase the number of meals you remember fondly, consider a … Read more

The Spanish boatbuilder formerly known as Menorquin, now operating as Minorca Yachts, has returned to the Americas with a fresh model and a new dealer relationship. The Islander 34 made its regional debut at the Palm Beach International Boat Show in March, represented in the United States by SYS Yacht Sales of Jupiter, Florida. Built … Read more

The smaller the boat, the bigger the adventure. It’s a simple truth that never gets old. Recently I felt the urge to satisfy that grain-of-sand itch—to get back in something compact and grin like a child again. My latest small-boat fantasy started with the PT Eleven, a “nesting” dinghy kit from Port Townsend Watercraft. I … Read more

Sailing into danger in Cuban waters Dave Schaefer, a longtime cruising sailor and writer with a deep affinity for Cuba, has turned his knowledge and experience of the island into a gripping fictional action thriller that places Cuba at the heart of the story. For readers who love maritime adventure, tense plots, and vivid settings, … Read more