New cruising permit fees for all boaters visiting the Bahamas took effect on April 1, marking the second major fee revision in 10 months. Unlike the previous increases, which many boaters said were excessive, this new schedule has been welcomed as a return to more reasonable costs. The July 1, 2025 fee changes had dramatically … Read more

Adobe Stock Around sunset on April 4, Brian and Lynette Hooker climbed into their eight-foot dinghy to return to their boat after an afternoon ashore on Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. The next morning Brian came back to Marsh Harbour alone and reported that Lynette had fallen overboard, taking the outboard key with her. He … Read more

Courtesy Marex Boats Chris Gray has always felt drawn to the water and to the boats that make exploration possible. “Boating wasn’t something my family did when I was growing up in New Jersey—my mom got seasick—yet my dad’s business partner ran a tuna boat out 100 miles on weekends,” Gray remembers. “That always fascinated … Read more

Duchy 35 Debuts at Connecticut Spring Boat Show A stiff breeze swept across the Connecticut River, sending burgees snapping and halyards rattling at Safe Harbor Essex Island Marina during the Connecticut Spring Boat Show. Despite the brisk conditions, visitors strolled the docks with coffee in hand, enjoying a small, friendly event where local boaters swap … Read more

Dan Schiappa is a seasoned cybersecurity professional who works remotely from his home on the Gulf Coast of Florida. He regularly spends a week or more aboard his Aquila 54, RanSomeWhere Else, and simply brings his work with him without missing a beat. “I never feel like I’m away from the home office,” Schiappa says. … Read more

However this ends, I thought, I will be worthy of our nation’s highest award for class trip chaperone. Even if it is posthumous. Night falls fast in the tropics. A rain squall passed, the stars reappeared, and the sea grew restless — about three feet of swell that makes a pontoon feel like a trampoline … Read more

Charlie and Diane Ford came to boating by different paths but share a deep passion for being on the water. Diane’s interest began in childhood—her father was always afloat, and she grew up sailing Star-class sloops. Charlie discovered sailing later, after service in the Marine Corps and studies at the University of Maryland. A ride … Read more

Time is running out for the recreational boating community to weigh in on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s proposed North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule. This proposed rule would impose seasonal speed limits in certain coastal areas to reduce the risk of vessel strikes on endangered North Atlantic right whales. NOAA has … Read more

Some boats are designed to travel long distances, and some people are determined to take them as far as possible. Tom and Jan Newman, aboard their Nordhavn 41 Meraki, are a perfect example. Lifelong sailors, they decided about ten years ago that they wanted to retire aboard and see as much of the world as … Read more

Rob Judge is a lifelong high-performance boat enthusiast who spent his summers running a Cigarette 38 on Lake Erie. Wanting a craft he could use through the colder months near his Ohio home, he chose an unusually rugged option: a Safe Boats Defender 25. The Defender 25’s military pedigree and all-weather capabilities made it an … Read more