Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i Soundings

German sailor Jurgen Kantner, whom Somali pirates captured nine years ago and later released, was beheaded in February by a militant Islamic group in the Philippines that had kidnapped him in November and demanded a $600,000 ransom. The group, Abu Sayyaf, released a video of the 70-year-old sailor’s beheading. Jesus Dureza, an adviser to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, said in a statement that the government had exhausted all efforts to save him. “We grieve as we strongly condemn the barbaric beheading of yet another kidnap victim,” the statement read. Germany’s foreign ministry also released a statement. “We are deeply shaken at this inhuman and horrifying act. We condemn the murder of this German in the strongest possible terms. There is no justification for such an act.” The German government also…

Today’s center consoles are more versatile than ever, with chameleon-like deck layouts that can be clutter-free and fishing-friendly one minute and filled with comfy seating and dinette tables the next. You can outfit the center console with as much fishing equipment or as many creature comforts as you like. Need three live wells? You got it. Cockpit grill? No problem. Air-conditioned console? It’s standard equipment. The center console has also become a showcase of technology, outfitted with everything from joystick helm control (see sidebar) to gyroscopic stabilization. These boats are now powered with second-generation 4-strokes that are lighter and more fuel-efficient, and that pack a stronger punch than their predecessors. The boats themselves are stronger and lighter, too, as more builders adopt higher-tech building methods such as resin infusion. Center…

“Sir, I hasten to inform you that War was this day declared against Great Britain.” — Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin to U.S. Customs Collectors, 1812 The beginning of the War of 1812 found the United States with some 16 Naval vessels and a dozen revenue cutters to take on not only the powerful British navy but also a fleet of rapacious privateers preying on local commerce vital to the young country’s survival. U.S. victories were few in the beginning, but the sailors’ bravery and determination became a lasting inspiration. The 60-foot revenue cutter Vigilant’s capture of the notorious privateer Dart was such an event and helped establish the traditions of today’s Coast Guard. Dart was spotted off Newport, Rhode Island, on the afternoon of Oct. 4, 1813. Word spread along…

NavPod Waterproof Housing NavPod’s Carbon Series PowerPods are waterproof housings with a highgloss carbon fiber finish that protect fishfinders and chart plotters. The housing places the unit at a 20-degree viewing angle and provides the look of flush mounting but with a swivel base. PowerPods are available for units with LCDs of 7, 9 and 12 inches from the major marine electronics manufacturers. The swivel base has a 1.8-inch opening for wires and connectors (1.1 inches on smaller models). $300 to $530. Ocean Equipment, Bend, Oregon, (541) 318-1272. navpod.com Mini 4-Stroke Bike Bug’s 7.6-pound GX35 is an improved version of the Aqua Bug trolling motor, marketed as the “world’s first 360-degree inclinable 4-stroke outboard.” The 1.3-hp engine (a Honda clone) has a crankshaft supported by ball bearings for better stability,…

Capt. Sandy Yawn will soon be a familiar face to fans of Bravo’s reality TV show Below Deck Mediterranean, when she becomes the first female captain on the series this season. The Florida native has 25 years of experience in the megayacht industry and holds a USCG Master of Oceans 1600T/3000T All Oceans license. Her career at the helm has taken her through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and she has extensive knowledge of the U.S. East Coast, the Gulf Coast, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. In 2004, Yawn and her crew were recognized for their handling of a shipboard fire in the Red Sea with a “Distinguished Crew Award” from the International Superyacht Society. A member of the Captain’s Advisory Council for…

If you thought the 34th America’s Cup was a whirlwind of innovative yacht design and never-before-seen media coverage, then the total spectator immersion planned for AC35 in Bermuda is really going to get your attention. Oracle Team USA, owned by billionaire Oracle CEO and longtime yachtsman Larry Ellison, will defend the Cup as part of an event organized by the America’s Cup Event Authority. Five-time America’s Cup winner and gold-medal Olympian Russell Coutts is heading up the ACEA, while skipper Jimmy Spithill — who led Oracle Team USA to a stunning comeback victory in 2013 — will once again lead the Oracle race crew. They will race in the tradition started back in 1851, when the yacht America, sponsored by the New York Yacht Club, battled Royal Yacht Club contestants…

An engine’s coolant can be circulated through a domestic water heater or a cabin-heating unit to exchange heat. When the heater or fan coils are above the engine coolant cap, a device is needed to add coolant and purge air so circulation can occur. This remote expansion tank is often described as a surge tank because it provides a head of coolant at the highest point in the system. This remote tank becomes the only point where coolant can be added, so it’s important that expansion can occur here. You must manipulate the pressure in the system to avoid venting at the engine cap and introducing air. This means the remote tank pressure cap setting should be deliberately lower so that it vents first in case of coolant expansion. To…

Greenport has always catered to mariners. The village, between New York City and New England on the easterly tip of Long Island’s North Fork, is casual and history-filled. It has stores and services within walking distance of the water, plus a fresh local food scene along the working and recreational harbor. Oyster beds, farms, orchards and vineyards stretch in all directions by land and sea, and a summertime farm stand sells fruit and produce every day outside the supermarket just up from the waterfront. And if you need to provision for the boat, as well as for the galley, Preston’s Chandlery and W.J. Mills & Co. continue to serve visiting boaters, as they have for a century and a half. Greenport has more restaurants than you can shake a boathook…

Maverick Boat Group, known for Maverick, Hewes, Pathfinder and Cobia fishing boats, has launched a 28-foot dual console geared toward family boating. The Cobia 280 has all the elements for a comfortable day on the water, says group president Scott Deal. “You can fish the boat hard, flip a couple things around, and it becomes a family daycruising boat,” Deal says. Three padded benches with backrests — cleverly hidden in the gunwales and the transom console — can be deployed to fill the cockpit with seating. The companion seat at the helm, with an adjustable backrest, can be used as a forward- or aft-facing settee and converts to a sunpad. A sink, wine rack and cooler are abaft the starboard helm. Upgrades include a grill, refrigerator and shore power. An…

When fishermen who are fishing aren’t talking about fish, they often talk about fishing boats. At least, that’s what Martha’s Vineyard angler David Thompson and his friends would do back in the 1960s. They fished all around the island off Massachusetts, going after stripers, bluefish — whatever was in season — in various local craft. As they did, they exchanged ideas about the ideal fishing boat and how they’d go about building it. But Thompson was different from most; he followed up the talk with action. In 1969, Thompson launched his dream fishing boat, a 32-footer with a cuddy cabin, built of newfangled fiberglass. It was based on the lobster boat hulls of Maine designer Jarvis Newman, tweaked for the local waters. It was named after Wasque (pronounced WAYsquee) Point,…

The history of America’s lighthouses is wondrously wide ranging. It is about the farsighted colonies that built the first lighthouses on the East Coast to welcome commerce to their shores, embracing the founding of the nation and its dramatic expansion across the continent. When the inaugural federal Congress convened in 1789, one of the first issues it took up was whether the federal government or the states would be in charge of lighthouses, and in one of its earliest acts, Congress made lighthouses a federal concern. From that point forward, as the country grew, so too did the number of lighthouses, creating a necklace of beacons and literally lighting the way for the settlement of new territories and states. It is also a history of government ineptitude and international competition.…

SPECIFICATIONS A Massachusetts entrepreneur has launched a company that is remanufacturing Blackfins, using the deep-vee hulls to build a New England-style inboard express cruiser. The Manchester 29 debuted at the New England Boat Show in February. In the 1980s and ’90s Blackfin carved a niche in fishboat lore as one of the best-riding offshore vessels. The Blackfin 29 and 32 remain highly coveted boats. “[The Manchester 29] is redesigned to reflect a truly great heritage,” says Peter Alcock, managing member of Manchester Yachts. “We took a proven, older, hand-laid fiberglass hull, stripped it bare and replaced all wiring, plumbing, seacocks, engines and fuel systems. We remodeled the interior and redesigned the exterior.” Alcock used a 1991 Blackfin Combi for the Manchester 29. It’s a heavily built boat with a solid-glass…

A HEAD-TURNER WITH A TURN OF SPEED Flying Target is 35 feet of classic powerboat. Built by legendary naval architect John Hacker in 1944, the double-cockpit runabout is powered by a 1,300-hp Allison aircraft engine, marinized with closed cooling and coupled to a custom transfer case and two Chrysler transmissions. The twin-prop setup gives her a top end of 55 to 60 mph. Meticulously cared for and updated by her current owner, Flying Target has all of her original hardware, and her cedar hull and mahogany deck have never seen salt water. The forward cockpit accommodates seven people, and there’s space for three in the aft cockpit. Two engine hatches between the twin cockpits open and close with the push of a button at the helm. Abaft the second cockpit…