“Sir, I hasten to inform you that War was this day declared against Great Britain.” — Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin to U.S. Customs Collectors, 1812 When the United States entered the War of 1812, its naval forces were small and stretched thin. The nation had roughly 16 naval vessels and about a dozen revenue cutters … Read more

The sun had driven the fog out to sea. Under the Golden Gate’s red towers, a schooner heeled into the breeze, her plumb stem cutting through the boiling ebb as she spread her canvas. On that bright day in San Francisco Bay, the pilot schooner Wander Bird combined effortless grace with raw power, delighting the … Read more

Cape Dory 28 — A Classic Down East Semidisplacement Cruiser The Cape Dory 28 made its debut in 1984 as a straightforward, seaworthy powerboat that married traditional styling with practical cruising accommodations. Built with a trunk cabin, a single engine and an interior designed for comfort underway, the design quickly became a standard-bearer for the … Read more

Soundings: Sixty Years of a Boating Institution In the early 1960s, Jack Turner and two friends sat around a kitchen table with a bottle of gin and an idea: start a newspaper for boaters. That timing proved decisive. Soundings was born just as the marine industry shifted from wooden boats to fiberglass, setting the stage … Read more

7.5-Inch Waterproof Marine Speakers with Ultra-Shallow Mounting Depth Aquatic AV’s 7.5-inch marine speakers are designed to deliver clear, full-range sound while fitting into very tight installation spaces. With a mounting depth of just 65 millimeters (approximately 2.6 inches), these speakers are specifically engineered for boats, personal watercraft, and other outdoor environments where shallow depth and … Read more

Elvis Francois: Surviving 24 Days Adrift and the Heinz Ketchup Rescue Response In December 2022, sailor Elvis Francois went missing at sea and survived an astonishing 24 days adrift before being rescued. The 47-year-old’s ordeal captured international attention after reports emerged that he had sustained himself with only a few simple provisions — Maggi cubes, … Read more

NOAA’s 2017 Charting Plan: The Future of Paper, Raster, and Electronic Nautical Charts June 1, 2017, marked the original deadline for public comment on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s draft strategy for navigational products and services for U.S. ocean and coastal waters, including the Great Lakes. What began as a routine consultation became a … Read more

Kids quickly learn that putting weight high up makes an object less stable—think of a pogo stick, stilts or a unicycle. Likewise, weight kept low makes an object more stable: Weebles wobble but don’t fall down. Less obvious to both children and adults is how the free surface effect (FSE)—the tendency of liquids to slosh … Read more

MJM 42: A New 46’8″ Performance Cruiser Designed for Couples MJM Yachts has introduced the MJM 42, a new 46-foot, 8-inch performance cruiser aimed at couples who want a fast, efficient boat with comfortable live-aboard accommodations. Built in North Carolina, the MJM 42 continues the brand’s focus on high-performance hulls combined with refined, user-friendly layouts. … Read more

Gyro Stabilization Is Becoming a Standard Feature on Many Boats Several designers and boatbuilders predict that gyroscopic stabilization will become a common, if not standard, feature on many pleasure boats over the next decade. As the technology matures and costs fall, more builders and buyers are planning for gyros during the design phase rather than … Read more