Idawalley Zoradia Lewis was roughly 12 years old when she performed her first rescue at sea, beginning a lifetime of bravery and service that would make her a celebrated figure in Newport, Rhode Island. Her father, Hosea Lewis, was a retired captain who had taken the post of keeper at Lime Rock Light, the small … Read more

Maine’s New Boater-Education Law: What It Does and Why It Matters for Boating Safety Which age group causes the most recreational boating crashes: teenagers and young adults, or people in their 30s to 50s? A new law in Maine appears to target younger boaters, but the reality is more nuanced. The state’s recent boater-education legislation … Read more

National Coast Guard Museum in New London — Exhibits, Funding, and Visitor Experience How many lives could a single line-throwing device save? In the late 19th century, rescuers on shore fired the Lyle gun, a line-throwing weapon developed by military officer David Lyle, to deliver a braided, waterproof line to ships in distress. The recoil … Read more

By the time you read this, Kim Russo and Michael Martin will be cruising aboard The Perch, a Silverton 410 Sport Bridge, somewhere in the Great Lakes as they loosely follow the route of the American Great Loop. The Great Loop is a roughly 6,000-mile network of connected waterways that circles the eastern half of … Read more

Keith Reynolds’ “Christmas Island”: A Foggy Maine Seascape of Reflection and Mood In this quietly powerful composition titled Christmas Island, artist Keith Reynolds captures a lone lobster boat as it approaches a small, isolated island shrouded in fog off the coast of Maine. The scene is calm and contemplative: flat, glassy water creates precise reflections … Read more

Captain Greg Thornton has spent more than a decade delivering yachts and working with nearly every kind of electronic navigation system. Because he routinely boards unfamiliar vessels, he keeps the Navionics app on a tablet in his gear bag. “You’re jumping on a boat blindly, and rather than having to get a specific map or … Read more

Watch Hill, Rhode Island: A Boater’s Summer Haven Some of my fondest memories come from Watch Hill, a charming village at the southwestern tip of Rhode Island in the town of Westerly. Summers here are defined by cruising Little Narragansett Bay, exploring Block Island Sound and relaxing on wide, sandy beaches. With classic New England … Read more

Buying a boat is a major life decision—much like purchasing a house or car—and when children and family cruising are part of the plan, priorities change. To understand how family needs shape boat choices, Soundings spoke with four families who recently purchased boats that fit their lifestyles. The Noyes Family Axopar 37 XC Brent Noyes, … Read more

The Growing Lionfish Threat to Caribbean and Gulf Reefs Lionfish, native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, have become an invasive and persistent problem in the tropical Atlantic, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Their presence on coral reefs and in nearshore habitats poses a significant ecological threat: lionfish are voracious predators, … Read more

Ethan Allen Tour Boat from Lake George Listed for Sale After 2005 Sinking In 2005 the 40-foot, glass-enclosed tour boat Ethan Allen capsized and sank on Lake George, New York, in a tragedy that claimed the lives of 20 of the 47 passengers on board. The incident remains one of the most widely remembered boating … Read more