Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2019 i Soundings

Fishing may seem like an easy sport, but from my perspective—as a person who has never had much luck bringing keepers into the cockpit—success requires certain characteristics. Among them: determination and patience, traits that also have enabled some fishermen to build solid fishing boats. I’m thinking of Steve Potts, who founded Scout Boats in South Carolina in the 1980s. The company had a humble beginning: Steve, his wife, and a helper in a brick barn, and about $50,000 in seed money, which Potts had saved over the years while working side jobs and raising a family. He started out building a small saltwater fishing boat. It was simple, but it was well made. Soon, the craftsmanship attracted a handful of dealers. Potts would build the boats during the week and,…

Mention the word Cuttyhunk to even a lifelong New Englander and the predictable response is: “Huh?” Though easily accessible to the public, the island just offshore of New Bedford, Massachusetts, is far less known than its mainland neighbors—except to serious anglers. They understand what the quiet island hides along its rocky shoreline. Cuttyhunk is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands, the chain of 16 islands extending from Cape Cod along the edge of Buzzards Bay, and is one of the two Elizabeth Islands not privately owned by the Forbes family. The mile-long scraggle of land has only 150 houses, never occupied all at the same time, and roughly 150 residents during the summer. In wintertime, the population can dip below 10. The island boasts no urban sphere or any semblance…

Moisture dripped from the rigging and the sky was a thick, creepy gray. As the bottom methodically came up on the depthsounder, I said to my mate, “Let me know when you see the beach, okay?” Soon his reply came back from the bow. “The beach! Oh my God, I can see people walking on the beach!” We all get caught in fog at some point, yet even with chartplotters and radar, the situation can be unnerving. Good seamanship practices can help us to be proactive and react calmly in changing conditions, when it’s especially important to increase situational awareness and remember the rules of the road. Before you get underway, listen to the weather forecast. If you are already socked in, it may pay to stay where you are…

If you want to bag a lot of big striped bass this spring, then trolling is the most effective method to use. It’s May, people, and that means fat stripers are mass migrating up East Coast tributaries, getting hungrier and hungrier as they burn calories. This is the ideal time to put the following tips and tactics to good use. 1. Be precise with your line lengths and distances. If you let your lines back “a ways,” then you’ll never be able to match the distance—and thus the depth—a second time. Either count the number of times you allow the level-winder to run back and forth (if you use level-wind reels) or mark the distance on the line itself. Keep track of how far out each specific rig is. It’s…

LOA: 37’7” Beam: 11’9” Draft: 3’1” Displ.: 15,062 lbs. Fuel: 172 gals. Water: 79 gals. Power: (2) 220-hp Volvo Penta D3 diesels Price: $406,500 Just when we thought Jeanneau could not possibly fit another clever cruiser in its iconic New Concept lineup, along comes the NC 37, which made its North American debut at the Miami International Boat Show in February. Designed in collaboration among Michael Peters Yacht Design, Garroni Design and the Jeanneau Design Group, the 37-foot NC 37 joins Jeanneau’s family of inboard power cruisers, which includes the 30-foot NC 9, the 34-foot NC 33 and the 45-foot NC 14. “The NC 37 rounds out our inboard powerboat options and is the perfect size for couples or couples cruising with kids,” said Nick Harvey, president of Jeanneau America.…

There’s plenty of debate about which boatbuilder constructed the first commercially viable center console boat. Some people argue it was the 16-foot Boston Whaler Nauset, which launched in 1961. Others say Aquasport created the category in the early 1960s with its 22-2. More than a few people claim Chris-Craft was first with its iconic 1964 Dory. No matter which model came first, modern center consoles now range from practical, no-nonsense fishing machines to 50-plus-knot speedsters with plush, air-conditioned cabins. Some builders are pushing the limits even further. HCB, for instance, is building the 65-foot Estrella and it has more than 3,000 horsepower strapped to the transom. The 2019 center console models featured here are under 55 feet, among the newest on the market and built for fishing and family fun.…

Imagine sailing through the British Virgin Islands for a week and never picking up a bag of ice to chill the beer, never pulling up to a dock to fill the water tanks and burning so little diesel that the charter company doesn’t even charge a fuel fee. Now imagine powering the fridges, the freezer, the icemaker, the water maker, the water heater and the air conditioning without hearing a generator. Then, imagine gliding silently into harbors on electric motors, taking hot showers, lighting up the boat from the masthead to well below the waterline, and never worrying about energy consumption or the carbon footprint. All while other boaters across the water literally say, “How come our boat doesn’t do that?” It may sound impossible, but we experienced all of…

Josh and Robin Berman were on their way to Bimini in their 37-foot center console to attend a rendezvous and fishing tournament when they came across a floating railroad tie. They stopped to take a look. The ocean was teaming with life, according to the retired Tavernier, Florida, couple. Mahi-mahi were everywhere. They decided to stay and catch a few. Little did they know that the one 23-pounder they brought in would be the winner of the tournament. As exciting as that experience was, it turned out to be only half the adventure. There was rough weather on the ride home. The skies turned black and storms rolled in. “Seas were three or four feet, but with the use of our radar, power and offshore ride, we were able to…

Joyce “Jay” McCreight, a third-term Democrat in Maine’s House of Representatives, was perhaps the least likely lawmaker in America to lead on the issue of collecting expired flares from boats. The retired social worker isn’t even a boat owner. She had no idea that flares expire 42 months after they’re made, or that boaters are required to replace them after just a few seasons on the water. But, McCreight is from Harpswell, which is on Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. That means her constituents include a slew of lobstermen and recreational boaters, all of whom—just like boaters across the United States—have been flummoxed for decades while trying to figure out where to put the expired flares. “I had a lobsterman call me and say, ‘What am I supposed…

Boris Herrmann’s sailing resumé is a nautical-mile-long list of accomplishments. The 37-year-old, either single-handed or as crew, became the youngest German to participate in the Mini Transat across the Atlantic Ocean, finished second in the Europe and German championships in the 505 class, finished second in the Artemis Transat, and won the Portimão Global Ocean Race. In 2011’s Barcelona World Race, he crossed the finish line after 100 days, placing fifth with the youngest team. Most recently, he completed a circumnavigation in a record 47 days. Nonstop: Driven by the Sea is a detailed account of Herrmann’s sailing career, accompanied by 80 photos that show him in his natural element. The book looks at Herrmann’s most demanding races and discusses what could be his biggest-ever challenge: competing in the 2020…

I had often heard wireless headsets referred to as “marriage savers,” but before I started cruising full-time, I didn’t realize the accuracy of the nickname. Now, after several years of regular use, I wouldn’t want to cruise without them. Headsets became an important piece of gear aboard our Carver 570 Have Another Day when we started to cruise for extended periods to new places. After we left our homeport in Chicago—where docking was fairly easy—nearly every slip was unfamiliar. As a result, chaos sometimes ensued. Our boat has a stern docking camera with a microphone, which allows me to hear my wife, Laura, when she’s standing in the cockpit and handling lines. We thought it was a good setup until we had one too many conversations that ended with one…

LOA: 25’1” Beam: 8’10” Weight: 4,200 lbs. Fuel: 123 gals. Water: 9½ gals. Power: (1) 300-hp Yamaha F300 4-stroke Price: $114,142 Based on the hull of its 240 CC, the 240 DC is Cobia Boats’ latest dual console model. The multipurpose dayboat, which premiered at the Miami Boat Show with a sharp-looking, pale-blue hull, falls between the 22- and 28-foot dual consoles in the Fort Pierce, Florida, builder’s lineup. The 240 DC offers a mix of family and fishing features. The boat looks comfortable, and has a utilitarian, hose-down feel. Fish-minded folks will find a transom-mounted livewell, tackle stowage drawers, rod stowage, plumbed fish lockers, rocket launchers on the hardtop pipework and a cockpit area for prepping, cooking and rigging. The helm dash has room for a 12-inch multifunction display.…

ALEX MILLER Blackstone Labs We offer a standard oil analysis service that includes four tests, including one for viscosity and another that finds solids in the oil and determines how well the oil filter is working. Blackstone compares the figures from these tests to averages from engines of the same model and type, and compiles the data into a test report. Our analyst explains possible causes and remedies for variations from normal readings. Standard oil analysis costs $28. Many boat owners test their oil on a yearly basis. And not just engine oil: Transmission and gearbox samples are tested just as frequently. JB TURNER Front Street Shipyard About 80 percent of the boats we service get an oil analysis, whether they have big engines or small. We send a sample…

This three-bedroom home at 3932 Crooked Island Drive in Punta Gorda Isles—a waterfront and golf community in Florida—has 147 feet of seawall, a private dock and direct access to one of the most alluring cruising destinations in the country. The home is built on Charlotte Harbor on the north bank of the Peace River, just miles from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. From the yard, follow the brick paver walkway to the concrete dock with a 10,000-pound boat lift and hook-ups for water and electric. Cast off and start exploring the beautiful beaches and islands along Florida’s West Coast. Sailboat access is particularly easy, as there are no bridges en route to open water. The home, which was recently renovated, features a layout that includes multiple gathering…

YOU ROCK! The March 2019 issue was fabulous. I could not put it down until I read it completely. I’m not sure that’s ever happened to me before. I grew up boating on my father’s 40-foot Chris-Craft that he kept at the Detroit Yacht Club, where he was Commodore in 1973. I was Commodore in 1993, the club’s 125th anniversary. I’ve traveled all the Great Lakes on several boats, the most recent a 44-foot Tollycraft Cockpit Motor Yacht. I’ve also sailed and taught sailing: I even met my wife on the water—I had her in my sailing class and the rest is history. We’ve been sailing together since then, over 42 years ago. She is currently at our place in Hobe Sound, Florida, but I spent some time this past…

Construction is underway at Grand Banks Yachts’ Malaysian factory of its third new model in as many years, the Grand Banks 54. It will join the 60 and 60 Skylounge in the builder’s revitalized line. “The 54 will combine weight reduction, strength and a low vertical center of gravity, just as we did on the 60 and 60 Skylounge,” said Mark Richards, CEO of Grand Banks Yachts. “Efficiency doesn’t matter without comfort, so we made sure the 54 will offer surefootedness in a wide range of sea states, and an interior worthy of extended time aboard.” Two belowdecks configurations will be available. One is a two-stateroom layout with the galley down, while the other has three staterooms and a galley-up arrangement. The main salon will have plenty of seating with…

Since 1896, there have been four dozen Olympic sailing classes. Over time, the Olympics dropped classes for economic, political, logistical or technological reasons, but since the 1970s, the main reason for changing classes has been gender inequality—a short-coming that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been trying to correct for the past 40 years. Until 1980, Olympic sailing was a gender-neutral, open sport where male and female sailors competed together. Despite that fact, for the first 80 years of competition, the great majority of Olympic sailors were men. There were several female sailors in the 1900 Olympics (one of whom became the first female to win gold in any Olympic sport), and there were others in subsequent Olympics, but women were always grossly outnumbered. A lot of that had to…

To boaters cruising east through Long Island Sound, Plum Island is known primarily as a landmark that helps with navigation. It is the last big geographic feature that skippers see between Orient Point, New York, and Fishers Island, New York, some 10 miles away, near Connecticut. Plum Island Lighthouse is there, as it has been since 1869, now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. In fact, if you don’t notice the government-run research facility on the island’s western shore—and assuming you’re no more special than anyone else, meaning the U.S. Department of Homeland Security won’t let you dinghy over for a look around—you might even think that Plum Island is some kind of a park. And therein lies the years-long conflict that just led four U.S. senators to…

The 1950s and ‘60s were a golden age for sailboat design. The introduction of fiberglass allowed for conceptual changes, creating a new fleet of racing sailboats, racer/cruisers and family boats. Many designs from that era are still around, coveted by owners and enthusiasts around the globe. One example is the LeComte Northeast 38, a 50-plus-year-old design that has become a kind of cult boat with a large and devoted following. The builder was Adolf “Dolf” LeComte, who was turning out wooden boats in Holland for high-profile clients before he made the switch to fiberglass in 1961. The Northeast 38 was the second boat he produced in that material. It made its debut in 1962. The designer was William Tripp Jr., one of America’s top naval architects who worked with builders…

With a combination of keen detail and Impressionist abstraction, artist and illustrator Rolf Klep created this compelling image of sailors on a lively sea. The sailboat is detailed: Its shrouds and sheets, the traveler, are carefully rendered. The taut curve of the mainsail, mirrored in the boom, shows the tensions from a stiff wind on the port bow. The young woman is in action, ready to go forward. The helmsman has to steady the craft with two hands on the tiller as the boat tries to head up into the wind. The third crewman looks intently down the leeward side, struggling to put on a jacket against the spray. The water and weather are more abstract, giving the feeling rather than the exact look of wind and waves. The white-tipped…

Who We Are: Nestled in between a protected residential area and Hammon asset Nature Preserve, Cedar Island Marina is a perfect choice both seasonally and as a transient. Consistently rated one of the best marinas on the Connecticut Shoreline, we invite you to view our full-service facilities and to meet our expert staff whose experience in the marine industry is unmatched. At Cedar Island Marina, we offer more than just a slip to tie up at. We offer a community of diverse boaters and a complete summer experience. From those looking to go fishing early on a Saturday morning, those looking to relax with their families on a Sunday afternoon, or those looking to stay up way too late on a Friday night, we are confident you will find like-minded…

The sailing yacht Detroit slides down the ways of a Lake Michigan boatyard sometime in the 1920s. All the panoply of launch day—the flags, the crowd, the waiting spectator fleet—is designed to send the vessel on her way in style. Ship launching rituals go back through the mists of time. One early written reference dates to 3,000 B.C., with a Babylonian prayer preparing a boat for departure: “Openings to the water I stopped; I searched for cracks, and the wanting parts I fixed.” Sound familiar? The prayer even goes on to describe “painting” the bottom: “Bitumen I poured over the outside.” For the ancients, the ocean was full of danger, and not just from wind and waves. Monsters, angry gods and goddesses seemed just as real to early mariners. Who…