Marine propulsion has changed dramatically over the past 60 years. In the early 1960s the sterndrive was a fresh innovation, a 100-hp Kiekhaefer Mercury was the top outboard, and diesel inboards commonly belched soot. Today’s marine engines are cleaner, quieter, more fuel-efficient and far more powerful than anything a boater of that era could have … Read more
About 10 percent of FLIR Maritime’s annual revenue is allocated to research and development, and a significant portion of that budget goes to on-water testing. Most marine engine and electronics manufacturers operate their own test boats. In a two-week span I boarded two such vessels: a 54-foot test platform owned by Cummins and a 42-foot … Read more
Modern life can be complicated. To reach my square-rigger that day I needed a car, a bus, a train and a taxi. When no cab appeared, a young police officer kindly offered me a lift. Reflecting on that last ride I thought, how a touch of gray can change your circumstances. It was May 6 … Read more
Superstorm Sandy left a trail of destruction that extended far beyond the New Jersey and New York coastlines. The storm’s force reached inland as far as Ohio, and the boating community suffered heavily: boats were torn from moorings and found strewn across highways, yards and parking lots. Thousands of damaged vessels entered auction catalogs, and … Read more
Wellcraft 355 — Wellcraft Reinvented as a Pilothouse Commuter-Adventure Boat Founded in the 1960s in Sarasota, Florida, Wellcraft built a reputation for high-performance deep-V boats with its Scarab line. The brand became widely recognized in the 1980s when actor Don Johnson drove a Wellcraft Scarab 38 KV on the TV series Miami Vice. For decades, … Read more
High Summer Yachting at Bar Harbor, Maine — A 1901 Harbor Scene It is the height of summer on the Maine coast in 1901, and the waters off Mount Desert Island are alive with activity. What began as the small village of Eden has by this time become known as Bar Harbor, the seasonal playground … Read more
With measured praise, the editors of Nautical Quarterly described the Concordia yawl in their Summer 1983 issue as “as much a classic as any sailing yacht in the world for its beauty, its superb construction” and its racing success. Owners and sailors have echoed that sentiment. One owner captured the boat’s appeal in a single … Read more
Prodeco Mariner Folding Electric Bike The Prodeco Mariner folding electric bike combines a lightweight frame and corrosion-resistant hardware with a compact, commuter-friendly design. Built from aircraft-grade aluminum and fitted with stainless-steel fasteners, the Mariner is engineered for durability and everyday use. Its folding frame makes it easy to stow on a train, tuck into an … Read more
Albemarle 27: A Dual-Console Designed for Family Life and Serious Offshore Use Keith Privott, vice president of sales at Albemarle Boats, says the company has evolved with changing lifestyles over the past 40 years. “Back then, we built fishing boats for hard-core guys who went out every weekend with friends,” he explains. “But they’re a … Read more
Suspended above a narrow sidewalk in an historic row-house neighborhood of East Baltimore hangs an iconic art-deco neon sign that lights up the night. It shows a hooked striped bass, outlined in bright white, leaping from a green-crested wave. The word “TACKLE” stretches in yellow across the fish’s arcing body, and below, in bold red … Read more