Lagoon 400 Catamaran Review: Specs, Performance and Layout

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Lagoon 400 Catamaran: A Practical, Two-Person Sailing Cruiser The Lagoon 400 is a thoughtfully designed cruising catamaran intended for comfortable two-person sailing while also accommodating family or guest cruising with three- or four-cabin layouts. Its design emphasizes easy handling, good ventilation throughout the living spaces, and intuitive access to the key working areas on board. … Read more

How Local Notices to Mariners Affect Your Nautical Charts

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Understanding the Local Notice to Mariners and Missing Navigation Buoys Right now, as you read this, dozens of navigation aids shown on charts are either missing or not where they should be. Between Eastport, Maine, and Shrewsbury, New Jersey, at least 40 buoys are completely missing and about 109 are reported “off station” — present … Read more

Hong Kong Pink Dolphins Win Temporary Reprieve

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Chinese White Dolphins in Hong Kong: A Pandemic Respite Amid Long-Term Threats Chinese white dolphins, commonly called pink dolphins for the pale pink hue they can take on in warm waters, are native to Southeast Asia and are deeply associated with the waters around Hong Kong. These charismatic marine mammals attract public interest and conservation … Read more

Power Players: Leaders Shaping Today’s Industries

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Marine propulsion has changed dramatically over the past 60 years. In the early 1960s the sterndrive was a fresh innovation, a 100-hp Kiekhaefer Mercury was the top outboard, and diesel inboards commonly belched soot. Today’s marine engines are cleaner, quieter, more fuel-efficient and far more powerful than anything a boater of that era could have … Read more

Why Real-World Testing Produces Reliable Results

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About 10 percent of FLIR Maritime’s annual revenue is allocated to research and development, and a significant portion of that budget goes to on-water testing. Most marine engine and electronics manufacturers operate their own test boats. In a two-week span I boarded two such vessels: a 54-foot test platform owned by Cummins and a 42-foot … Read more

Insurance Costs Rise After Hurricane Sandy: A Buyer’s Guide

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Superstorm Sandy left a trail of destruction that extended far beyond the New Jersey and New York coastlines. The storm’s force reached inland as far as Ohio, and the boating community suffered heavily: boats were torn from moorings and found strewn across highways, yards and parking lots. Thousands of damaged vessels entered auction catalogs, and … Read more

Bold Direction: How to Set a Clear Strategic Vision

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Wellcraft 355 — Wellcraft Reinvented as a Pilothouse Commuter-Adventure Boat Founded in the 1960s in Sarasota, Florida, Wellcraft built a reputation for high-performance deep-V boats with its Scarab line. The brand became widely recognized in the 1980s when actor Don Johnson drove a Wellcraft Scarab 38 KV on the TV series Miami Vice. For decades, … Read more

Good Ol’ Summertime: Nostalgic Summer Memories

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High Summer Yachting at Bar Harbor, Maine — A 1901 Harbor Scene It is the height of summer on the Maine coast in 1901, and the waters off Mount Desert Island are alive with activity. What began as the small village of Eden has by this time become known as Bar Harbor, the seasonal playground … Read more

Concordia Yawl Sailboat: History, Specs and Performance

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With measured praise, the editors of Nautical Quarterly described the Concordia yawl in their Summer 1983 issue as “as much a classic as any sailing yacht in the world for its beauty, its superb construction” and its racing success. Owners and sailors have echoed that sentiment. One owner captured the boat’s appeal in a single … Read more