Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i Yachting

THE TASMANIAN tourist board has a pithy, catchy slogan to attract visitors to Australia’s rugged island state, some 150 miles south of the continent’s southeastern coastline: “Come down for air.” Last winter, I paid my fourth visit to the wild isle widely referred to as “Tassie,” which is saying something, as most mainland Aussies consider it too remote and give it a wide berth. That pure, fresh air is certainly a selling point, but for me, the allure has always been a different element: I come down for the water. ¶ From the open Tasman Sea (named for Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, the first European to lay eyes on it, in the 1600s) to the picturesque River Derwent to the fetching D’Entrecasteaux Channel (one of the world’s most underrated cruising…

THE FOUNTAINEBLEU HOTEL IN SOUTH BEACH, MIAMI, IS an iconic design—a near-perfect match for the Pardo GT75’s sleek, modern lines. I had first seen the shipyard’s new flagship when it was introduced to Americans at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, where two things about the build stood out: the flexibility in the interior layouts, and the performance promised with the triple Volvo Penta engines. Now I’d have a chance to give this model a more thorough look, at the dock and at wide-open throttle. ¶ I entered the GT75’s salon from twin curved-glass sliding doors aft, and it was clear that I was in the primary entertaining space. With 80 inches of headroom, the salon can be fully shaded and air-conditioned for tropical climates, or opened with power sliding-glass…

SEANXT’S Elite is the world’s first carbon-fiber underwater scooter. Elite scooters ($13,000) come in black, blue, green, gold or red, and are driven by twin 4.4-kilowatt electric motors with enclosed propellers. The motors offer four operating modes—Shark, Sport, Cruise and Eco—that deliver top speeds of Li.3 knots. Depending on the mode, the 24-amp-hour lithium-ion battery yields run times of 27 minutes to two-plus hours. The scooters have a 5.5-inch LCD screen for offline navigation and LED bow lights; they also have 6.6 pounds of positive buoyancy, and the modular design allows them to be serviced out in the field, n The biggest challenges faced when creating the Elite scooters were finding the balance among weight, speed and autonomy, as well as blending in technology. The solution required repeated sea trials…

NOAA FISHERIES has withdrawn its proposed North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule, which would have imposed 10-knot speed limits on recreational vessels larger than 35 feet along the US East Coast from northern Florida to the Northeast for up to seven months of the year. According to the withdrawal notice, approximately 90,000 public comments were submitted on the proposal, which was introduced August 1, 2022, as an amendment to the current right whale vessel speed reduction rule, which remains in effect. ¶ According to the NOAA announcement: “The comments received addressed many different aspects of the rule and reflected views on all sides of the issues addressed. Despite its best efforts, National Marine Fisheries Service does not have sufficient time to finalize this regulation in this administration due…

THE GALEON YACHTS 480 FLY’S increased main-deck space and sun-filled interior are two key traits at the heart of its design. The 47-foot flybridge cruiser was introduced at the 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show as the latest model in the builder’s flybridge series of eight models from 38 feet to 83 feet length overall. Naval architect Tony Castro helped pen the 480 Fly’s design. ¶ The main-deck interior combines light upholstery and an array of windows to make the space feel large and bright. The galley is positioned aft, letting the host entertain guests in multiple parts of the yacht at once. Some options regarding the interior color palette include dark walnut or beechwood with a matte finish. Salon lounge seating is amidships with a bench seat to starboard,…

AUSTRALIA IS A TOUGH COUNTRY, facing four seas with a coastline that offers few protections. Yachts arriving Stateside from Down Under tend to be just as tough as the conditions. The Riviera 6800 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition is certainly tough, but it also has a luxurious side that surprised me, if only because it’s hard to say tough and luxurious in the same sentence. ¶ Luxury is not just about posh seating; it’s also about subtle touches of class. All the high-gloss walnut woodwork is book-matched, so the grain flows seamlessly across locker doors and drawers. All the towel racks are heated, like in five-star hotels. The bolstered helm seats are from Italy, clearly nicked from a Lamborghini. A niche is inset into the bulkhead of the owner’s suite for…

Bodrum, located on the “Turkish Riviera,” has long been a magnet for well-heeled European cruisers. This sun-soaked escape on the western Aegean draws in visitors with its turquoise waters, plentiful picturesque beaches, lively fine dining scene and intriguing glimpses of the region’s history. ATTRACTIONS Much of the action in Bodrum happens along the water. This is Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, after all, and its cruising grounds offer lots of little islands and lagoons to explore. ¶ Bodrum’s bountiful beaches are a major draw, with a stretch of sand for every clientele. Camel Beach (aka Kargi Bay), a favorite among locals and visitors for its pure sand and calm waters, is the launching point for kitesurfing and wind-surfing expeditions. Families prefer Bitez Beach for its sheltered bay and Blue Flag status, marking…

IN 2013, I PURCHASED A 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt display, which I’ve used as a docking station for multiple generations of Mac mini black-box computers. The monitor still looks great, but more important is its longevity and the relatively affordable price of Mac minis. I’ve enjoyed better, faster computing without purchasing new glass. And should my trusty display fail, I only need to replace the monitor, not the entire setup. ¶ I’m sure Apple’s marketing department would love to claim credit for inspiring my setup; however, it’s more likely that I got the idea from the marinized black-box computers and stand-alone displays that I’ve seen aboard high-end yachts. ¶ Marinized computers come in two forms: all-in-one multifunction displays, and black-box chart plotters that use a separate networked display. While MFDs work…

IN 2017, WHEN CUSTOM LINE launched its third iteration of the Navetta 33, the builder created a layout that keeps the interior and exterior spaces connected. ¶ The Navetta 33 can sleep up to 10 people with its on deck master suite and four staterooms belowdecks. ¶ Standard powerplants for the 108-foot yacht are twin 1,400 hp MAN V-12s, which can deliver a top speed of 15 knots with a range of 1,500 to 1,900 nautical miles at cruise speed. ¶ At press time, there were 13 Custom Line Navetta 33s available, from $4.4 million to $15.99 million. FROM THE ARCHIVE “She’s timeless, but not dainty. She’s solid and architectural, even. Credit for the exterior and general arrangement goes to Zuccon International Project in Rome, which has been responsible for…

Author and photographer Carleton Mitchell’s first time at sea came in 1932 when he dropped out of Ohio’s Miami University- to sail aboard Temptress. After a stint in the retail business, Mitchell relocated to the Bahamas and became a self-taught photographer, also working as a publicity photographer for the Bahamas D Development Board. His work continued when he enlisted in the US Navy, where he organized and directed the Combat Photography Unit from 1942 to 1945. After the war, he wrote about and photographed his seafaring travels. Mitchell’s work regularly appeared in magazines such as Sports Illustrated and Yachting. In 1947, he captured this image in the Caribbean for a periodical that’s close to our hearts. He also wrote several books, including Yachts-man’s Camera, Beyond Horizons: Voyages of Adventure and…