Flares: Important Safety Clarifications and Best Practices After publishing a short piece titled “5 Things You Should Know About Flares,” a longtime friend and colleague, Andy Chase of the Maine Maritime Academy, pointed out several important caveats I omitted. Andy has more than four decades of professional sailing experience, so when he raised concerns I … Read more

Lyman-Morse Rebuilds Camden Waterfront: A Modern Working Boatyard and Harbor Hub When Drew and Mackenzie Lyman bought the Wayfarer Marine property on Camden’s inner harbor in 2015, they envisioned improvements rather than a full transformation. Everything changed in June 2020, when a fire destroyed most of the buildings where Lyman-Morse now stands. The loss gave … Read more

Hybrid technology has moved beyond cars and into the marine world. Hybrid boats promise lower fuel consumption, reduced carbon emissions, and a quieter, cleaner ride—appealing qualities for environmentally conscious boaters and regulators alike. With gasoline and diesel prices high in many regions and stricter local restrictions on combustion-powered vessels, a hybrid marine drive offers practical … Read more

SeaVee Boats: Miami Builder Innovates with Pod Propulsion and New Models When Ariel Pared bought a 31-foot SeaVee in 1993, he was so impressed with the build and performance that he ended up buying the company a year later. Pared, then 26, joined childhood friends Ralph Torres and Moises Rodriguez to acquire SeaVee in 1994. … Read more

Charles W. Morgan and the Rise of Historic Ship Preservation Worn and weathered, a sailing ship squeezes under a drawbridge on the Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut, in 1941. The image of that tired hull and rigging makes it difficult to imagine that the vessel would later become an American icon—one of the most recognizable … Read more

Coast Guard Decommissions Loran-C at Jupiter Inlet: Why Losing a Terrestrial Backup Matters On January 7 the U.S. Coast Guard announced it will decommission the Loran-C navigation program and terminate the Loran-C signal broadcast from Jupiter Inlet, Florida, effective February 8. Federal leaders cite technological progress—most notably the widespread use of the Global Positioning System … Read more

Sabbath at Sea — Charles Peterson’s Marine Painting of Faith and Work Sailors have always answered to the wind and the weather, navigating an environment that is beautiful, relentless, and sometimes unforgiving. The old maxim about having only a “two-inch plank between them and eternity” captures this sense of vulnerability, and it reflects the blend … Read more

Tom Slikkers grew up around new boats, starting at 13 working for his father, Leon, the founder of S2 Yachts. Today Slikkers is CEO of the company, whose portfolio includes the Tiara Yachts brand. He says the response to the new Tiara 48 LS is exceptional. After decades in the industry and numerous successful launches, … Read more

Jon Wilson and the Revival of Wooden Boat Traditions The story is part legend, part coastal craftsmanship: in September 1974 Jon Wilson launched WoodenBoat magazine from a remote cabin in North Brooksville, Maine—without electricity or running water. That first issue, printed and produced in rustic conditions, laid the foundation for what would become a central … Read more

All Knotted Up If you think knowing three or four ways to secure a line is enough, consider expanding your knot-tying repertoire with The Chapman Deck of Essential Knots by Pat Piper. Published in 2009 by Sterling Publishing Co. and priced at $9.95, this compact learning resource takes a practical, hands-on approach to the essential … Read more