Wayne Gretzky, long hailed as “The Great One,” is widely regarded as one of the most talented athletes ever to lace up skates. Now retired after 20 seasons in the National Hockey League, he and his wife Janet spend summers at their Lake Coeur d’Alene vacation home in Idaho. Recently they added a striking, custom-built … Read more

Onne van der Wal remembers how sailors navigated in thick fog off the coast of South Africa in the 1970s. Back then, coastal navigation relied on paper charts and simple radio bearings. “We used a small navigation book by Mary Blewitt that focused on radio direction finders,” Onne recalls. “You’d leave Cape Town on a … Read more

Matthew Rhys and the Restored Wheeler Playmate: A Classic Wooden Boat in New York Harbor Actor Matthew Rhys did not set out to become the owner of a vintage wooden runabout, but an unexpected combination of a late-night eBay bid and a touch of whiskey changed his plans. The boat he acquired is a Wheeler … Read more

Feeding Fish at the NEFSC Woods Hole Science Aquarium The Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole Science Aquarium in Massachusetts, established in 1885 and recognized as the country’s oldest public aquarium, cares for roughly 140 species of marine animals found in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. waters. Feeding time at this historic public aquarium is more … Read more

In late September 2015 the 790-foot TOTE Maritime containership El Faro steamed into the path of Hurricane Joaquin near the Bahamas and did not return. The ship foundered, and all 33 crew members aboard were lost. The tragedy left families devastated; three of the widows sought legal representation, and their lawyers have since produced an … Read more

Runaway Boat Near St. Pete Beach Ends Safely After Dramatic Rescue A runaway boat near St. Pete Beach, Florida, created a dangerous situation last Thursday after its operator fell overboard. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) responded quickly after receiving a report that the boater had been thrown from his vessel. Deputies launched a coordinated … Read more

Yamaha Marine has announced that its HARMO electric outboard system, which first appeared as a prototype in Europe in 2016 and later saw an updated release there, is now available in the United States. The company says American boat builders are already evaluating how to integrate the system into new models, and Yamaha estimates that … Read more

Great White Shark Research Moves from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia Researchers studying great white sharks have shifted their focus from the waters off Massachusetts to the coastal areas of Nova Scotia, continuing an established seasonal effort to tag and monitor these apex predators in the Northwest Atlantic. The team, operating under the OCEARCH research program, … Read more

Make the Most of Tides and Currents: Safer, Faster Coastal Voyaging Few things affect small-boat passagemaking more than currents. Powerboats with plenty of horsepower can brute-force a strong opposing flow, but for modestly powered vessels and sailboats, careful planning makes the difference between a comfortable crossing and a dangerous situation. Choosing the right time to … Read more

What we’re reading Remote and Remarkable Photographer Jay Fleming has spent much of his life behind the lens, developing a body of work that is particularly associated with the Chesapeake Bay. Fleming’s images range from candid portraits of the watermen who make their living on the bay to intimate underwater shots of fish, crabs and … Read more