Soundings is the news and feature publication for recreational boaters. Award-winning coverage of the people, issues, events -- and the fun -- of recreational boating. Check out our generous boats-for-sale section and our gunkholing destinations.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” — Albert Camus Working at a magazine does strange things to your sense of time. It’s mid-August as I write this, but today we will be sending the October issue of Soundings to the printer. So while it is still high summer, my head has been working in mid-fall. It is, I suppose, an amped-up version of that bizarre disconnect that happens this time of year. You make a quick detour from a glorious day at the beach and dash into the CVS — all sun-kissed, sandy and blissed out on a vitamin D high — to grab more sunblock or ice for the cooler. And suddenly, there it is — like a freezing bucket of water in the…
My family has subscribed to Soundings for many years. We enjoy all of the articles, but the story about the Norwalk Islands in the July issue hit home [“Always Inviting, Always Changing”]. My husband and I are very involved with the Shore & Country Club in Norwalk, Connecticut. My husband is the president, and I am secretary to the marina. The article about the islands is of great interest to our members. We do our best to keep members engaged, and we think Soundings is the perfect vehicle. Kathy Kwiatkowski via email ISLAND TIME Thanks for the wonderful article about Matinicus Island [“Underway,” August, “My Happy Place”]. I love that area, having been there for the first time nearly 10 years ago on my honeymoon, which we spent aboard the…
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHT MONTHS The Volvo Ocean Race kicks off Oct. 22 in Alicante, Spain. Seven Volvo Ocean 65s will sail a 45,000-nautical-mile course around the world — the longest in the history of the race. The teams will stop in Portugal, South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, mainland China, New Zealand, Brazil, Rhode Island, Wales and Sweden. The finish is at The Hague in the Netherlands, where the boats are expected to arrive next June. volvooceanrace.com Suzuki Marine has introduced its biggest outboard — the 350-hp DF350A 4-stroke. The engine has a V-6 powerhead, a high-performance 12-to-1 compression ratio and “contra-rotating” dual props, among other features. “We have watched with great interest as boats have gotten bigger, especially in the center console market,” Yasuharu Osawa, executive general manager…
1. INLAND RULES: If two power-driven vessels are meeting head-on so as to involve risk of collision, each shall: A. alter course to port so as to pass starboard of each other B. alter course to starboard so as to pass port to port C. alter course as determined by signals exchanged D. sound 5 blasts and stop or reverse engines 2. INLAND RULES: Vessels over 100 meters shall, and any vessel at anchor may: A. display two red lights B. display two black balls C. illuminate decks with working lights D. exhibit 1 light where it can best be seen 3. INTERNATIONAL RULES: You are underway and hear a continuous fog signal. It means: A. The signal is stuck open. B. A vessel is trying to attract fish. C.…
As Hurricane Matthew ripped through southwest Haiti in the predawn hours of Oct. 4, 2016, people did their best to find shelter and protect their families. When the storm passed, 500 people had died. The damage to roads, infrastructure and businesses exceeded $2.8 billion. Aid officials estimated up to 80 percent of some areas were destroyed; one government official described the carnage as “total destruction.” But even before the last of the storm winds had died, volunteers of the International Rescue Group were organizing a voyage to provide humanitarian relief via their fleet of sailboats: the 50-foot catamaran Rendezvous Cay, the 97-foot ketch Thunderbird V and the 56-foot ketch Tandemeer. Tapping into their network of charities, they coordinated the collection of tons of donated relief goods from around the Southeast…
FAST AND FURIOUS Narrow, swift and graceful, Ruweida V is a restored 38-foot RClass sloop designed by Burgess, Swasey & Paine in 1926. A topto- bottom, year-long restoration began in 2011 under the skilled hands at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, Rhode Island, where she was replanked, redecked and rerigged. Since her return, Ruweida’s owner has raced her in competitions hosted by the New York Yacht Club, the Museum of Yachting and at Panerai events around Narragansett Bay, where she always finished on the podium. Ruweida is double-planked with mahogany on cedar over white oak frames and is equipped with asymmetric and symmetric spinnakers, with the necessary rigging and hardware to fly them. She is listed at $137,500 with Sparkman & Stephens in Newport. sparkmanstephens.com THE MOORINGS NAMED…
