Restoring Vela: A Graves Constellation Reborn Many sailors have imagined finding an old fiberglass hull, investing time and money, and turning it into a handsome, capable boat. For some, the plan works; for others, the project reveals far more work than expected. Mike Zani of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, discovered that careful planning, expert help and … Read more

History of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Evolution of Station Menemsha The origins of the U.S. Coast Guard date back to Aug. 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of ten vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws and to deter smuggling along American shores. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, … Read more

North Rip 21: US Watercraft Launches Second-Generation Deep-V Center Console Rhode Island boatbuilder US Watercraft will introduce the second-generation North Rip 21 this spring, refining an already seakindly deep-vee center console to better meet the needs of anglers and family boaters alike. The latest version closes the transom and relocates the outboard to an Armstrong … Read more

Coast Guard 36-footer rebuilt over 14 years now serves as a charter boat Marlin Spike “Spike” Peabody, a 14-year-old English Labrador retriever, has spent most of his life aboard boats and at shore stations alongside his owner, Capt. Ron Peabody. After two decades of service in the Coast Guard, including time as a coxswain and … Read more

How to Drill Stainless Steel Cleanly Using Simple Tools Many people believe drilling clean, accurate holes in harder grades of stainless steel requires exotic equipment: ultra-hard, ultra-sharp, and very expensive drill bits. They worry that even with top-tier tools the bit will overheat, lose its temper, or break, turning a weekend project into an expensive … Read more

With Shepard McKenney, founder and CEO of Seakeeper. Shepard McKenney is the founder and chief executive officer of Seakeeper Inc., headquartered in Solomons, Maryland. Seakeeper manufactures gyroscopic anti-roll stabilizers for recreational and commercial boats. A former chairman and owner of The Hinckley Company, McKenney, 68, played a central role in the creation of Hinckley’s celebrated … Read more

Four members of the Kill Devil Hills Life Saving Station pause for a portrait in their white caps and jackets, surfboats poised and ready. Life at this isolated outpost on the storm‑swept North Carolina coast was harsh: long stretches of solitude, unpredictable weather and the constant awareness that danger could appear with little warning. Station … Read more

Illustration by Jim Ewing Schooner Adventure — A Grand Banks Fishing Schooner and a Living Piece of Maritime History No sailing vessel captures the imagination quite like a Grand Banks fishing schooner, and the schooner Adventure is one of the finest surviving examples. With a history rooted in the demanding North Atlantic fisheries, Adventure evokes … Read more

The United States Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol (IIP) will hold a public memorial ceremony at 6 p.m. on April 15 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to honor the lives lost when the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank. The ceremony will mark the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking on April 15, 1912, and provide … Read more

Jamie and Joe Lowell continue a family tradition of building Down East boats designed for work and pleasure. At the Maine Boatbuilders Show in Portland this spring, I watched a video at an exhibitor’s booth of a classic 34-foot wooden lobster boat named Osprey running at about 30 knots, cutting through a 1-foot chop with … Read more