Frauscher and Porsche Unveil the 850 Fantom Air Electric Day Cruiser Electric boats are gaining momentum in the recreational boating market, and the latest entry is the 850 Fantom Air, a collaboration between Austrian boat builder Frauscher and German automaker Porsche. Built from the 28-foot Frauscher 858 Fantom Air day cruiser, the 850 Fantom Air … Read more
An onboard fire can start in many ways: a dish towel sliding onto a hot stove, a corroded shore-power inlet sparking while you sleep, or a battery connection that overheats. Alarms and suppression systems can warn you and help extinguish a blaze, but prevention is the most effective strategy. The less likely a fire is … Read more
Portland Yacht Services hummed with quiet efficiency on a brisk April morning as the boating season began to unfurl along Portland, Maine’s waterfront. The boatyard on West Commercial Street moved with purpose rather than panic. I walked the full-service yard with owner Phineas “Phin” Sprague Jr. and his wife Joanna, noting a steady, organized rhythm … Read more
For anglers who chase trophy fish and crave high performance, the Valhalla V-55 center console delivers both speed and tournament-ready features. Offered with quad or optional quint Mercury Verado 600 outboards, the V-55 combines offshore fishing capability with cruiser-style accommodations and long-range fuel capacity. The flagship of Valhalla Boatworks, the V-55 debuted at the Miami … Read more
NorthCoast 415 HT: A New Downeast Pilothouse from Joe DaPonte and Langan Design Rhode Island boatbuilder Joe DaPonte, who has long designed and produced tooling for the marine industry—from early work with Hunt Yachts and Dick Lema to the development of the NorthCoast line—has teamed with Thomas Degremont and Sam Howell of Langan Design Partners … Read more
Cape Cod ranks among the Eastern Seaboard’s most popular summer destinations, offering more than 500 miles of coastline and countless scenic bays, beaches, and harbors—many accessible only by boat. Cruising from Boston lets boaters avoid road congestion while enjoying a varied coastal voyage and stopping at several noteworthy harbors along the way. The peninsula is … Read more
John Stobart and “New York Maiden Lane”: Mastery of Maritime Memory In the oil painting New York Maiden Lane, John Stobart conjures a nineteenth-century waterfront scene that feels both photographic and entirely imaginative. Men push carts, horse-drawn carriages idly wait, and dockworkers exchange words in the shadow of a triple-masted schooner. A solitary lamp post … Read more
How a Chance Meeting in Daytona Sparked a New Line of Wolfeboro Boats When Nate Drouin stopped into a West Marine store in Daytona Beach last year, he was looking for a simple answer about repair materials for the fiberglass on his rental water-scooters. As the owner of a marina and Jet Ski rental business … Read more
Fino 30: The Iconic American Sport Boat That Blended Race Performance with Italian Style When offshore powerboat racer Bobby Rautbord launched the first Fino 30 in 1968 his goal was clear: build an American sport boat that delivered race-boat handling and high performance while wearing the refined fit and finish of a custom Italian runabout. … Read more
Pinellas County Deputy Rescues Struggling Manatee During Severe Red Tide Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jill Constant refused to watch a manatee die. During a recent period of elevated red tide in Pinellas County, Florida, Constant answered a call reporting a distressed manatee in the Intracoastal Waterway. Although well-meaning members of the public sometimes misinterpret … Read more
