Okean 50X: A Versatile Explorer Yacht Finding Its Stride in the U.S. Market Now in its fourth year on an increasingly competitive U.S. stage, Okean’s family of shapeshifting yachts is maturing into a coherent design language. The latest addition, the 50X, continues the brand’s mission to deliver open, functional boats that broaden the typical brief … Read more

What we’re Watching Chisels, Plywood and Frames There is a particular satisfaction in watching raw materials—sheets of plywood, lengths of timber, and a scatter of frames and fastenings—slowly become a functioning boat. The transformation is deliberate and exacting: lofting the lines, scarfing seams, planing timbers, chiseling joints, sanding surfaces, and applying protective finishes. On his … Read more

Go Power! Solar Flex 100W Charging Kit — Flexible Solar for Boats and RVs There’s nothing more frustrating than turning on your boat or RV only to find a dead battery when you were planning a day of cruising, fishing, or relaxing with family. The Go Power! Solar Flex Charging Kit aims to eliminate that … Read more

AIS and VHF voice radios share the same VHF frequency band, so integrating both capabilities into a single unit is a logical development. Achieving that integration has proven challenging for manufacturers, but Simrad and B&G (Navico) succeeded in getting their combined units through approvals and into customer hands. This review looks at real-world performance of … Read more

Racor SNAPP Disposable Fuel Filter and Water Separator — Quick, Clean Fuel Filtration for Small Engines The Racor SNAPP disposable fuel filter and water separator is designed to make fuel filtration simple, fast, and reliable—especially when you’re offshore or working in rough conditions. Combining Racor’s long experience in removing water and debris from gasoline, diesel … Read more

Discovery in the Harlem River: Could This Wreck Be JFK’s PT-59? PT-109 is the best-known torpedo patrol boat associated with John F. Kennedy during World War II. The vessel sank after being struck by a Japanese destroyer while Kennedy was in command, an episode that has long been part of his wartime legacy. Less widely … Read more

Drone Surveys Reveal More Nesting Green Turtles on a Great Barrier Reef Island Green turtles are an endangered species that continue to face multiple threats, including hunting, the overharvesting of eggs, loss and degradation of beach nesting sites, and accidental capture in fishing gear. These pressures have taken a toll on turtle populations around the … Read more

Bombardier Ends Evinrude Outboard Production: An End of an Era On May 27, Bombardier Recreational Products, the Canadian parent company of Evinrude Outboard Motors, announced it would immediately halt production of all Evinrude outboard engines. The decision came suddenly and has been attributed by Bombardier to the severe challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For … Read more

Document Wiring and Components with Your Smartphone Before Reassembly Have you ever had to replace and rewire a brand-new bilge pump mounted down in a shower sump, linked to a float switch and controlled by a three-way panel switch labeled “Auto, Off, On”? What should be a simple plumbing- and electrical task can quickly become … Read more

This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of our sister publication, Power & Motoryacht magazine. The Fuel Tool “Jim,” I shouted into the fog. “We’re losing power. What’s going on?” Our engines were beginning to surge in a rhythmic, worrying way while we navigated a busy convergence of shipping lanes. A young first … Read more