Discovery of the Submarine Defender in Long Island Sound In 1907, millionaire engineer and designer Simon Lake built a submarine initially intended to win a U.S. Navy contract. Although Lake did not secure the Navy contract, he redesigned the vessel and renamed her Defender. The submarine was never sold, remained in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and was … Read more

Annapolis Adaptive Boating Center to Open May 2, Expanding Accessible Boating in the Chesapeake Region Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB), a nonprofit organization providing therapeutic and adaptive sailing programs for people with disabilities, will officially open its new Annapolis Adaptive Boating Center on May 2. The new center marks a major expansion of CRAB’s work … Read more

Manufacturers of professional yacht coatings offer several reliable solutions for the final finish. The main contenders are polyurethane (PU) topcoats, acrylic topcoats, and polyurethane base coat/clear coat (BC/CC) systems. Each delivers distinct benefits for appearance, application, durability, and maintenance. Choosing the ideal system depends on the owner’s priorities, the painter’s experience, timeline, and budget. There … Read more

Sustainable Yachts: Innovations in Hull Materials and Low-Carbon Propulsion Interest in lower-carbon cruising has surged in recent years, and yacht builders are responding with inventive approaches to design, materials and propulsion. While electric power and hybrid drive systems have drawn a lot of attention, many designers are also rethinking the very fabric of their boats … Read more

Slyngstad Brothers Set to Compete Against One Another at Les Voiles de St. Barth Raised in San Jose, California, the Slyngstad brothers began sailing as children and later developed a deep passion for competitive racing. Now aged 67 and 58, Todd and Greg Slyngstad are preparing to face each other in the multihull class at … Read more

Boat Theft Recovery: How Florida Fish and Wildlife Helped Recover Stolen Gear After a 1,000-Mile Trail If Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers had not stepped in, this unlikely recovery would have been dismissed as fantasy. The incident began far from Florida—almost 1,000 miles away—in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, where a boat owner discovered … Read more

Scout Boats Unveils 670 LX: A 67-Foot Outboard-Powered Flagship At the 2023 Miami International Boat Show, Scout Boats introduced its most ambitious project to date: the 670 LX, a 67-foot outboard-powered flagship series scheduled for launch in early 2024. The new line expands Scout’s range into larger luxury performance craft and promises to combine high-speed … Read more

After years of patient searching for a shipwreck believed lost to history, American treasure hunter Mel Fisher famously located the Nuestra Señora de Atocha off the Florida Keys in 1985 and recovered cargo later valued at roughly $400 million. While Fisher’s name is most commonly associated with the Atocha, the success of that and other … Read more

Daniela Moroz and Ravi Parent: Foiling Champions Redefining High-Performance Sailing Each year the most accomplished sailors receive the same iconic timepieces once awarded to legends such as Ted Turner and Dennis Conner. This year the Rolex Yachtswoman and Yachtsman of the Year titles went to two sailors pushing a new era of small-boat high performance: … Read more

Thompson Brothers: Iconic 1950s Wooden Runabouts and the Move to Fiberglass If you grew up boating in the 1950s, you likely remember the era of affordable wooden runabouts that became a common sight on lakes and rivers. Among the best-known names of that period was the Thompson Brothers Boat Manufacturing Company of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Thompson … Read more