Upgrading Your Boat Alternator: How to Size and Choose the Right Unit When you increase the size of a boat’s battery bank or switch to a different battery chemistry, the engine alternator often needs an upgrade to match the batteries’ charging requirements. Selecting the correct alternator is not simply a matter of choosing the highest-amp … Read more

Northern Bay 36: A Practical, Comfortable Lobster Boat Designed for Performance When John Hutchins launched Downeast Boats and Composites in Penobscot, Maine in the early 1990s, one of his first projects was the creation of hull and deck molds for a 36-foot lobster boat drawn by noted designer Spencer Lincoln. The resulting Northern Bay 36 … Read more

Marine electronics evolve at a breakneck pace. New products debut every season, and it’s easy to fall behind if you’re not watching the market. If you’re considering an upgrade or a full system replacement, focus on three areas where recent advances deliver clear benefits for boat owners: integration with power systems, remote monitoring and control, … Read more

Peter and Norma Stanford: Saving New York’s South Street Seaport In 1967, New York City nearly lost the last vestiges of its historic maritime district in lower Manhattan. Peter and Norma Stanford left their uptown jobs and devoted themselves to founding the South Street Seaport Museum, rescuing dozens of historic vessels, buildings, and maritime artifacts … Read more

Gill North America Launches Coast Foul-Weather Gear for Men and Women Gill North America has introduced the Coast line of foul-weather gear, created to protect boaters and outdoor enthusiasts from wind, spray and rain while remaining comfortable and visible in challenging conditions. The collection includes a highly breathable jacket and matching trousers that combine practical … Read more

Coming of Age With her first Social Security deposit cleared, Kathleen Casey-Kirschling is ready to spend more time cruising aboard First Boomer, the restored Grand Banks 42 Classic she and her husband Patrick bought a decade ago as their retirement boat. Casey-Kirschling, born one second after midnight on Jan. 1, 1946, has been celebrated as … Read more

Four men on a capsized hull Point Pleasant, N.J. Four men were rescued after their 17-foot pleasure craft capsized about one nautical mile from Point Pleasant, N.J. Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet received a distress call on a hand-held marine-band radio at 11:30 a.m., reporting the overturned vessel and the men in the water. A … Read more

Seriugam: A Shingle-Style Waterfront Cottage on Prudence Island Joel and Jane Maguire spent two years cruising the New England coast aboard their 36-foot trawler, searching for the perfect waterfront home site. A classified ad in Soundings Magazine in 1998 led them to Prudence Island, Rhode Island — an island reachable only by private boat or … Read more

SS Hope and Project HOPE: A Legacy of Medical Outreach Boaters who grew up in the late 1950s and early 1960s may recall the image of this distinctive ship from school newsletters or classroom publications. This is the hospital ship Hope, the seafaring symbol of Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere). For 14 years … Read more

Federal Stimulus Brings Major Dredging Investment for Boaters and Waterways The federal stimulus package included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is providing a valuable boost to recreational boaters and coastal communities by directing significant funds toward dredging and waterway repair. About $1.9 billion of the $787 billion stimulus package has been … Read more