Nearly every recreational powerboat today comes equipped with an engine cut-off switch—83.2 percent, according to the National Recreational Boating Safety Survey. How often those red lanyards are actually clipped to the captain’s belt, life jacket or wrist is anyone’s guess. Still, because many boaters find the cords inconvenient or uncomfortable, compliance is inconsistent. Beginning April … Read more

Replacing a Tired Foredeck Hatch on a Grand Banks 32 The forward hatch on Onne van der Wal’s 1986 Grand Banks 32, Snow Goose, had seen better days. The lens had become crazed and cloudy, and the hatch no longer held itself open. Rather than attempt repairs on the old unit, Onne decided the most … Read more

Hundreds of Nordhavn owners have logged ocean passages, and long-distance cruising is effectively the mission of every Nordhavn hull. That legacy began early for the company’s now-retired Nordhavn 40: in 2001 a stock 40 with a single engine completed a 172-day global voyage, proving a fiberglass production powerboat could safely cross oceans and earning the … Read more

Vito Dumas: A Timeless Cutter at Port Townsend A walk along the docks can be more than a pastime—it’s therapy, research and sometimes the spark of inspiration. For many boat lovers, that moment comes when a vessel stops you in your tracks. Anchored on A-Dock at Boat Haven in Port Townsend, Washington, the cutter Vito … Read more

Marine scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego have identified what appears to be a major underwater toxic waste site off southern California: roughly 25,000 barrels detected near Catalina Island that may contain the insecticide DDT. The discovery, based on surveys using underwater drones and sonar mapping, suggests … Read more

How Onne van der Wal Keeps His Propeller Free of Marine Growth with Propspeed Keeping a propeller free of barnacles and other marine growth can make a noticeable difference in a boat’s performance and fuel efficiency. For photographer and sailor Onne van der Wal, the solution has been Propspeed, a foul‑release coating that prevented buildup … Read more

Peter Warner: Sailor, Rescuer, and the Man Who Found Six Shipwrecked Boys Peter Warner, the Australian sailor best known for discovering six shipwrecked Tongan boys, died on April 13 after being swept overboard by a rogue wave while sailing near the mouth of the Richmond River in Ballina, New South Wales. A companion who was … Read more

The global shift toward electric propulsion for recreational boats is accelerating and impossible to ignore. In late 2020, Slovenia-based Greenline Yachts partnered to supply boats for the world’s first all-electric charter company on Norway’s Telemark Canal. In Sweden, Candela — a maker of foiling electric boats — teamed with solar-energy provider Nordsol to roll out … Read more

Modifying a Seaview Accessory Pod for Raymarine Instruments on a 1986 Grand Banks 32 While upgrading the flybridge electronics on his 1986 Grand Banks 32, photographer and boat owner Onne van der Wal installed a 12-inch Raymarine Axiom Pro chart plotter and a Raymarine p70s autopilot controller. The p70s fit neatly into the spot where … Read more

How a Cable Seal Solved a Grand Banks 32 Mast Wiring Problem When Onne van der Wal upgraded the electronics on the mast of his 1986 Grand Banks 32, Snow Goose, he faced a common but frustrating marine problem: deteriorated wiring and corroded deck sockets. The old radar and anchor-light wiring were twisted and broken, … Read more