The Solara S-310 Sport Coupe vaulted onto plane as I pushed the twin throttles to the right of the wheel. Twin 300-hp Yamaha F300 outboards delivered steadily rising torque, and the boat passed 26 knots within moments. For this sea trial I was aboard with Tim Wilbricht, director of sales for Pocket Yachts, the Chesapeake … Read more

Before I climbed into the helm of the new Highfield Sport 800 — a 26-foot, 7-inch RIB equipped with twin 150-hp Mercury outboards — I did what any prudent boater would do: I spun my cap around so the wind wouldn’t send it into the lake. Good decision. The moment I shoved the throttles forward … Read more

Surfhunter 25: The Deep-V Breakthrough That Shaped Small Powerboat Design When I moved to Annapolis in 1982 to take the editorship of Rudder Magazine, one of my first assignments was to test a new Surfhunter 25 on Buzzards Bay. The weather delivered a harsh lesson: the bay was a washboard of three-foot, wind-driven seas. I … Read more

Soundings Celebrates 60 Years — A Note from the Editor As this issue arrives in your mailbox with the New Year approaching, I want to wish you a happy and adventurous 2024. I hope you find time to put many nautical miles in your wake and visit the places you’ve been dreaming about. There’s no … Read more

After Hurricane Ian: Rebuilding a Cape Coral Yacht Business On the afternoon of September 28, 2022, Barb Hansen stood at her sliding door in Cape Coral, watching the 36-foot Grand Banks trawler tied to her dock as Hurricane Ian intensified. By about 4 p.m., the storm surge and wind had the trawler pitching in 12-foot … Read more

Caren-Marie Michelle: Finding Quiet Strength in “Cadillac from Schoodic Loop Road” The painting “Cadillac from Schoodic Loop Road” by Caren-Marie Michelle invites viewers into a moment of serene coastal beauty. In the composition, a distant shoreline is cloaked in dense, green trees that form a calm backdrop across the water. The immediate foreground is built … Read more

Sabre Yachts: Roger Hewson and the Maine Tradition of Craftsmanship Before founding Sabre Yachts in 1970, Roger Hewson balanced work in his family’s construction business with a persistent passion for boat design. That dedication led him to build his first boat, a 26-foot sailing scow, a few years before Sabre’s official start. That early experience … Read more

United Arab Emirates–based Enata Group has unveiled the Vatoz, a new 32-foot foiling yacht designed for efficient performance with a reduced environmental footprint. Built to lift cleanly above the water, the Vatoz will foil approximately five feet (about 1.5 meters) above the surface, reducing drag and improving fuel economy while delivering a modern, dynamic presence … Read more

Oceanvolt’s ServoProp 25 Wins DAME Design Award at METSTRADE 2023 METSTRADE 2023, the world’s largest trade exhibition for marine equipment, recognized Oceanvolt’s HighPower ServoProp 25 with a coveted DAME Design Award. The accolade highlights the rapid rise of electric propulsion solutions and underlines Oceanvolt’s growing influence in the marine electrification movement. This year’s DAME Awards … Read more

Jeff Bezos’ Sailing Yacht Koru Arrives in Fort Lauderdale When Jeff Bezos’ sailing yacht Koru arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 22 after departing Gibraltar, her crew immediately recognized that she was too large to fit alongside the region’s private yacht berths. Measuring 417 feet in length, Koru had to be moored in Port … Read more