Ocean Alexander 50 Pilothouse MK I — A West Coast Liveaboard Classic The Ocean Alexander 50 Pilothouse MK I is a quintessential West Coast liveaboard trawler that debuted in 1978. At 50 feet overall, this fiberglass pilothouse yacht combined comfort, seaworthiness and practical cruising features that appealed to full-time cruisers and weekend voyagers alike. Built … Read more

Pathfinder 2700 Open: A Versatile Hybrid of Bay Boat and Center Console If you trace the origin of the modern bay boat, Pathfinder Boats deserves a central place in that story. Around three decades ago, Scott Deal—founder of Maverick Boat Group—sketched the first Pathfinder design on the back of an envelope. That original 21-foot model … Read more

A 1960s advertisement described this trio of Higgins Seafarers as a “rendezvous with happy boating,” a fitting phrase for what many consider America’s first family of pleasure boats. The image captures the variety in the Higgins lineup—sporty, luxurious and spacious—illustrating why these classic wooden boats still draw attention from collectors and enthusiasts. On the left … Read more

Ligado 5G Approval and GPS Interference: What Boaters Should Know In late June, BoatU.S. issued an alert advising boaters who rely on GPS to prepare for possible signal disruption and, potentially, the need to replace GPS-based equipment. The warning followed a controversial Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision made in April that cleared the mobile satellite … Read more

Paul Landry: “At the Dock” and a Life Painted by the Sea With a watercolor palette of blues and greens, tempered by reds and browns, Paul Landry’s painting “At the Dock” draws the viewer into a quiet, familiar maritime moment. This 9-by-12 watercolor depicts a small scene from the waterfront of his native Halifax: gulls … Read more

A Foggy Tour of Vinalhaven Aboard a Pulsifer Hampton I stepped off the Rockland ferry into a fog so thick it felt like cotton batting. The bay stayed shrouded for the entire hourlong crossing of Penobscot Bay, only beginning to thin as we neared Vinalhaven. Even then the sun didn’t appear, though the island’s lobster … Read more

Understanding Water Depth: Charts, Tides, and Practical Navigation As kids we used to ask my father, “How deep is it here?” He would look us straight in the eye and give the same sardonic answer: “All the way to the bottom!” That joke still rings true—water depth sounds simple, but there’s more beneath the surface. … Read more

The Caribbean and the Bahamas turned into a region of mounting frustration as the Covid-19 pandemic spread and island governments closed their borders to protect limited health-care systems. One by one, islands imposed shutdowns: Trinidad closed its borders on March 16, the British Virgin Islands shut airports and seaports on March 23, and the Bahamas … Read more

Sea Trial on the Hunt 63: Returning to the Water in a Pandemic Every year, when the Northeast boating season arrives, our editorial team hits the water. From May through October we take advantage of opportunities to sea trial new models, run restored vessels and walk the docks at boat shows. In a normal year … Read more

Sailor Rescued After Falling Overboard During Storm on Lake Michigan Sarah Pederson, a 65-year-old lifelong sailor and veteran of the annual HOOK sailing race, survived a night-time fall overboard during a storm on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. Pederson, who had completed this race 23 times before, was on a 36-foot sailboat with an experienced eight-person … Read more