More builders are fitting pod drives as boat owners seek easier handling, better efficiency and modern joystick helm control. Pod propulsion has moved from niche to mainstream, adopted by production, semicustom and custom builders across a wide range of planing and semidisplacement boats. Manufacturers and owners point to several clear benefits: improved fuel economy, lower … Read more

For this young sailor, paying to crew around the world seemed the fastest way to learn I was trying to sell a book. That was the simple aim when I struck up a conversation with a trim young woman who seemed like the perfect reader for my new title, Sustainable Sailing. I asked what kind … Read more

Taco Marine Carbon Fiber Outrigger Poles — Innovation Award Winner Taco Marine’s carbon fiber outrigger poles earned an Innovation Award at the Miami International Boat Show in February, and the reasons are clear: improved performance, reduced weight, and a design focused on giving live baits and artificial lures a more natural presentation. These new poles … Read more

Recent Coast Guard Responses Across New England The U.S. Coast Guard and local partners responded to multiple incidents across New England this season, from search-and-rescue operations to medical evacuations and pollution containment. The following summaries describe key actions taken by Coast Guard vessels, aircraft, and local agencies while protecting lives, property, and the marine environment. … Read more

“You’ve got 10 days to take it off our hands and insure it.” Those words launched an improbable rescue of the 137-foot schooner Roseway, a 1925-built Grand Banks fishing schooner that had fallen into disrepair in Rockland, Maine. Abby Kidder and Dwight Deckelmann found themselves unexpectedly responsible for a historic wood-hulled vessel after the offer … Read more

My first offshore race was the North Sea Race: a triangular course that began off the east coast of England and, with any luck, ended somewhere just outside the port of Rotterdam. Everything went to plan until late the evening before the start, when our navigator announced he had left the charts back in London. … Read more

Without intending any disrespect to grammar, yachts are often referred to as “she” — and Saga makes that feel completely natural. Her slender lines and elegant overhangs mark her as a classic Six Meter, a boat that turns heads and rewards close inspection. Modern yachts no longer sport carved, bare-chested figureheads, but a well-turned hull … Read more

I could pretend I’m not old enough to remember Loran-A or the eerie beeps of radio direction finders, and I might deny the old navigator’s trick of shutting down the engine to listen for buoys in fog. But those memories remain useful reminders that reliable navigation doesn’t always depend on the latest gadget. Today’s market … Read more

Mark Bruckmann and Mark Ellis, Bruckmann Yachts, Mississauga, Ontario. www.bruckmannyachts.com Many cruisers hesitate to consider a motorsailer because they expect to trade sailing performance for power-driven convenience. In reality, the modern motorsailer is meant to offer the best of both worlds: efficient, comfortable passage-making under sail or engine, excellent seakeeping, and simple handling. For bluewater … Read more

Oliver on the move Rhode Island’s future tall ship, the Oliver Hazard Perry, was towed from Newport, R.I., by the tug Hope. The 132-foot hull will undergo extensive steel and mechanical work this winter at Promet Marine Services in Providence, R.I. When rebuilt and rigged as a Class A tall ship, it will measure 207 … Read more