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I’ve used this column to ask Soundings readers to share their stories about their own boats and on-water experiences and I’ve received a lot of interesting responses. Recently, I got a note about an unusual classic design. Jan Moniz is a USCG-licensed captain in Warren, Rhode Island, who has a thing for Dyer Boats. She owned a 16-footer in the past, and then bought a 20-footer, which was fully restored by The Anchorage Inc., the builder of Dyer Boats, also located in Warren. In 2017, Tad Jones, president of The Anchorage, got wind of an old fiberglass 29 that was sitting in a field in upstate New York, in desperate need of repair. He contacted Moniz to find out if she had interest in buying another Dyer. He got her…
The biggest-ever owner-operated Doggersbank—a 77-foot Offshore—is being built at the Altena shipyard in the Netherlands for an American owner who plans to cruise in the Pacific Northwest. “It’s a very experienced owner. He’s comfortable with the size,” says Joost Mertens, sales manager at the Dutch design firm Vripack. “With today’s technology at the bridge, it makes life much easier. There are bow thrusters, stern thrusters, remote control units to steer and maneuver from literally everywhere. The bulwarks all have capstans, so if the wind is picking up, at every mooring point you have assistance, which is obviously pleasant. Everywhere you have to be, you have assistance from technology.” Inside Vripack, Mertens is known as “Mr. Doggersbank.” He’s been working for the past couple years on reviving the brand that came…
On the back deck of his summer house in Shelter Island, New York, I sit with Radenko Milakovic. He’s the owner of J Craft Boats, a manufacturer of classically styled motor cruisers based in Gotland, Sweden. Milakovic is animated as he recounts the rich nautical history of Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea where weather conditions can be grim due to harsh winds, cold temperatures and roaring seas. Gotland was once inhabited by Viking ship builders and remains a focal point of Swedish boatbuilding today. When my colleagues Dan Harding and John Turner arrive at the house, we all head outside and down to the private dock, where a 42-foot, baby-blue J Craft Torpedo-R bobs in the water. Natalia, the product of 9,000 hours of human labor and 19…
Following the release of the 387 Center Console Sport and the 387 Center Console Fish last year, Indiana-based builder Formula Boats announced plans to expand its line of open day boats. The 457 Center Console Sport and 457 Center Console Fish will make their debuts at the 2024 Miami International Boat Show. The new models will build off of the success of Formula’s two 387 models. Charlie Levine sea-trialed the 387 CCF in 2022. In a story published in Soundings, he called it a well-organized, solid and spacious vessel for fishing. Now, both of the 457 models are poised to offer similar benefits, with more length and features. With a LOA of 45 feet, 7 inches and a 13-foot, 9-inch beam, the 457 CCS and CCF models will be powered…
LOA: 50’1” Beam: 16’3” Draft: 5’0” Displ. (light): 45,000 lbs. Fuel: 800 gals. Water: 300 gals. Power: (1) 500-hp John Deere 6090SFM85 You might find a time when far-flung destinations beckon—when you’re compelled to make the shift from coastal cruising to longer-haul venues through more challenging waters. Such is the case with the owners of what will be the first 46 Pilothouse from Helmsman Trawlers. Hull No. 1 is on order from the owners of a 38E Pilothouse who wanted something a bit hardier and more spacious for extended cruising. Design work began prior to the pandemic and resumed in 2021. The owners have worked closely with Helmsman to tweak the design to their liking. Ivan Erdevicki did the naval architecture. “While clearly a sibling to our small 38- and…
Have you ever stopped to read the placard near the helm of your boat, the one that lists the vessel’s maximum capacities? It’s one of those things that’s easy to take for granted—just an afterthought—but overloading a boat comes with serious risks. One recent example comes to mind because it made national news. “Boy, 7, and Woman Dead After Boat Capsizes in Hudson River,” read the headline in one of the major newspapers near my home in New Jersey. The U.S. Coast Guard believed overloading was a contributing factor in the tragedy. The boat, rated for 11 passengers but carrying 13 plus gear, was out for a day of sightseeing in the congested waters of New York Harbor, where conditions can be treacherous due to strong currents and large wakes…
