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

Wellcraft 262 Fisherman: New Flagship Center Console Blends Fishing Heritage with Day-Boat Comfort Wellcraft’s latest flagship center console, the 262 Fisherman, expands on the company’s popular 252 model with two extra feet of overall length. Measuring 26 feet 4 inches LOA with a 9-foot beam, the 262 is a noticeably larger, more versatile platform while … Read more

Fort Pierce, Florida, is a dream destination for anglers. Located on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) with a deep-water channel that provides quick access to Fort Pierce Inlet and the Atlantic, the area is famous for winter sailfish action in “Sailfish Alley.” Offshore waters also hold species such as wahoo, grouper and snapper, and the town … Read more

Preserving a Lighthouse Treasure: Moving and Restoring a Fresnel Lens In 1822, French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel introduced a new type of optical lens that transformed maritime navigation. Composed of precisely arranged glass panels, Fresnel lenses focused and projected light much farther than earlier lenses, prompting the installation of these brilliant assemblies in lighthouses around the … Read more

Autotether Wireless Kill Switch — Portable Boat Safety Device The Autotether is a portable, wireless alternative to traditional hard-wired lanyard kill switches. Instead of a physical cord, it uses a small transmitter and remotely paired immersion sensors to send a radio signal to a receiver that is connected to the boat’s ignition. If a sensor … Read more