Coast Guard Commandant Highlights Urgent Personnel Challenges and Plans for Reform New U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan recently told lawmakers that the service is confronting a broad set of personnel challenges that require both immediate attention and long-term reform. Speaking to members of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Admiral … Read more

Boating Accidents Drop in 2021: U.S. Coast Guard Reports Fewer Injuries and Fatalities The surge in recreational boating during the pandemic led to more new boaters on the water and, with that, a rise in accidents and fatalities. Recent data from the U.S. Coast Guard’s 2021 Recreational Boating Statistics, however, offers encouraging news: overall boating … Read more

Sam Chamberlin has spent 14 years designing boats for Rockport Marine, a custom wooden boatbuilding and yacht restoration yard in Rockport, Maine. Before that he worked four years building and designing boats for Brion Rieff in Brooklin, Maine. Chamberlin’s work ranges from Downeast cruisers and center consoles to sailing yachts, and his role centers on … Read more

A True Downeast Classic: My Able Marine Wolf Class 44 I have long been a devoted reader of Soundings, and I always anticipate each new issue. One of my favorite sections is Classics, where well-loved and enduring boat designs are showcased. Over the years I’ve admired many of those boats, and now I have a … Read more

LYMAN-MORSE Lyman-Morse is a Maine boatbuilder that has embraced diversification while maintaining a strong boatbuilding core. Since Drew Lyman succeeded his father Cabot as president in 2013, he and his wife Mackenzie have expanded the company’s capabilities beyond traditional boatbuilding to make the business more resilient. Despite those additions, Lyman-Morse continues to produce high-quality custom … Read more

San Juan 38: Semi‑Custom Performance from San Juan Yachts When two experienced boatbuilders set out to produce a limited-run, semi‑custom yacht that combined advanced construction techniques with elegant styling, the result was the San Juan 38. Founded in Anacortes, Washington, by Don Campbell and Randy McCurdy—who had honed their skills together at Admiral Marine—San Juan … Read more

Shamrock V: A J‑Class Yacht, Art, and Newport’s Quiet Harbor The J‑Class racing yacht Shamrock V slips past Castle Hill Lighthouse on a calm day in Newport, Rhode Island—a scene captured with delicate attention by artist Yves Parent. On the surface it reads as a peaceful harbor view, but the image also holds the layered … Read more

Popham Colony’s Virginia: A Replica Rebuilds 17th‑Century Shipbuilding in Maine Most Americans learn that Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the first enduring English settlement in North America. That colony, established a few miles from modern‑day Williamsburg, Virginia, endured staggering early losses; about two‑thirds of the original settlers died before reinforcements arrived. Less widely taught is … Read more

In late 2019, residents along North Padre Island, Texas, began calling the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network to report a dolphin they feared might be trapped. For weeks the same animal was seen repeatedly in a small, isolated cove—an unusual location for a wild dolphin. Concerned locals and rescuers kept a close eye on the … Read more

The Sailing Museum Opens in Newport’s Historic Armory On a clear May day in downtown Newport, Rhode Island, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the public opening of The Sailing Museum inside the old Armory on Thames Street. The nonprofit museum, created as an educational showcase for the sport and culture of sailing, welcomed donors, community leaders … Read more