North Pacific 49 Euro Named Favorite at Trawlerfest Baltimore The crisp fall weather set the stage for a lively crowd at Trawlerfest Baltimore, hosted by PassageMaker, the sister publication of Soundings. The event took place in October at Harbor East Marina in Baltimore’s iconic Inner Harbor, drawing hundreds of trawler and long-range cruising enthusiasts. The … Read more

Gar Wood: The Man Behind Miss America and the Golden Age of Water Speed Records Garfield Arthur Wood—better known to the boating world as Gar Wood—rose from modest beginnings to become one of the most influential figures in early 20th-century powerboat racing and manufacturing. The son of a Minnesota ferryboat operator, Wood learned the rhythms … Read more

What We’re Watching Ocean GuardianFew names are as closely associated with ocean exploration as Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The French explorer spent decades documenting the seas, bringing underwater worlds to the public through film and television. A new National Geographic documentary, Becoming Cousteau, traces his life, work and the ideas that made him a global voice for … Read more

Classic Yacht Restorations Underway at Maine Shipyards Each spring brings the unmistakable sight of freshly refitted boats: polished topsides, renewed rigging and decks sanded to perfection. When an older hull returns to its original beauty, the transformation is especially striking. Several leading Maine shipyards are currently restoring classic yachts, applying modern technology alongside traditional craft. … Read more

Some people go to the opera. In South Bristol, Maine, people gather at the John’s Bay Boat launch. For nearly 40 years, Peter Kass has built traditional plank‑on‑frame lobster boats from a wooded waterfront property at the end of Poorhouse Cove Road. The owner of John’s Bay Boat Company began his boatbuilding career at Gamage … Read more

After more than thirty years of boating and fishing from an inlet with almost no commercial traffic, I relocated about 35 miles north to Gateway Marina at the mouth of the Shrewsbury River in Highlands, New Jersey. I’ve always been a recreational fisherman who prefers center-console boats, and for many years Point Pleasant was my … Read more

Gamefisherman 40: A Classic Offshore Day Boat Built for Billfish The Gamefisherman 40 was born in Stuart, Florida, in 1985, when founder Mike Matlack—an experienced fisherman with years at Rybovich Boat Works in Palm Beach—set out to build a rugged day boat designed for offshore tournament fishing. While many builders at the time were stretching … Read more

The True Story Behind the Yacht Scene in The Wolf of Wall Street The dramatic sequence in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street—where Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort and his companions find themselves battling a savage storm at sea—might look like heightened Hollywood spectacle, but the essential facts are true. The real-life incident involved the … Read more

Florida and Federal Officials Begin Supplemental Feeding for Endangered Manatees State and federal wildlife agencies in Florida have announced a controversial plan to provide food to endangered West Indian manatees (commonly called sea cows) after a spike in deaths linked to the loss of their natural forage. The decision to commence supplemental feeding follows record … Read more

Raymarine Unveils YachtSense Ecosystem for Complete Onboard and Remote Integration Raymarine has introduced the YachtSense Ecosystem, a comprehensive connectivity platform designed to integrate all devices on a vessel’s network and provide secure access both aboard and remotely. The system is intended to give owners and captains the ability to monitor, control, and receive important alerts … Read more