Jimmy Buffett’s Sailing Life: Ticonderoga, Key West, and a Lifelong Love of Boats Jimmy Buffett’s public image often embodied “island escapism,” and that image was deeply rooted in a genuine love of the sea. A grandson of a captain, Buffett grew up with a close connection to boats and maritime life. Sailboats and the rhythms … Read more

Boat Capacity and Safety: Why Ignoring the Placard Can Be Deadly Have you ever glanced at the small placard near your boat’s helm that lists the vessel’s maximum capacities and moved on? It’s easy to overlook, but overloading a boat is a common and serious safety hazard. The consequences can be catastrophic, as a recent … Read more

“Haul hard! Cleat that halyard and watch the luff.” Those commands were the soundtrack of my youth, shouted across spray and sunburned forearms. By twenty-one I was not a child anymore, and my mandatory crewing on the family Lightning had been theoretically retired. But on Labor Day weekend, back at the family cottage on Wellesley … Read more

J Craft Torpedo-R: Handcrafted Cruising from Gotland On the back deck of a summer house in Shelter Island, New York, I meet Radenko Milakovic, owner of J Craft Boats. His company builds classically styled motor cruisers on Gotland, a rugged island in the Baltic Sea with a long maritime heritage. Milakovic speaks with evident pride … Read more

Brian Larkin acknowledges there is a lingering stigma around cold-molded boats. While he believes much of it is misplaced, he knows the perception persists among some buyers. Larkin, president of Brooklin Boat Yard in Maine, says many potential owners hear the word “wood” and immediately worry about maintenance, rot, and extra work. In his experience, … Read more

Helmsman 46 Pilothouse — Designed for Extended, Offshore Cruising When owners feel the call to move beyond coastal cruising into longer, more remote passages, they often look for a boat that is both more robust and more comfortable. The Helmsman 46 Pilothouse answers that call: Hull No. 1 is currently on order from owners who … Read more

Before Prestige invited me to sea-trial its new flagship and tour the Italian factory, I knew almost nothing about Trieste or the nearby shipbuilding town of Monfalcone. Trieste, however, proved unforgettable: a historic port city perched on forested limestone bluffs overlooking the clear Adriatic, and the cultural crossroads of the Gulf of Trieste. With over … Read more

Formula Introduces 457 Center Console Sport and Fish: Bigger Day Boats for Cruising and Fishing Indiana-based builder Formula Boats is expanding its popular open day-boat lineup with two new 457 Center Console models designed for both serious anglers and owners who favor multi-purpose day cruising. Building on the success of the 387 Center Console Sport … Read more

U-Boat Worx Super Sub: Three-Passenger Private Submersible Unveiled at Monaco Yacht Show Dutch submersible manufacturer U-Boat Worx introduced the Super Sub at the 2023 Monaco Yacht Show. The model joins a small but growing market of private submersibles designed for owners and operators who want to explore beneath the waves. Built to carry three people, … Read more

For 27 years, Massachusetts-based Boston Boatworks built hundreds of composite boats ranging from 29 to 62 feet. The yard’s background includes high-performance, high-tech custom sailboats, expedition tenders, Coast Guard–certified passenger vessels and numerous MJM builds. That long experience in composite construction and refined systems laid the groundwork for Boston Boatworks to pursue its own line … Read more