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.
To me the sea is a continual miracle; The fishes that swim — the rocks — the motion of the waves — the ships, with men in them, What stranger miracles are there?” — Walt Whitman Yesterday — between writing a feature and closing pages of the August issue of Soundings, which you now hold in your hands — I dashed to the town hall to get paperwork notarized and sent it off to the documentation agent by FedEx. This morning I wired the closing money into an escrow account. As soon as the owner countersigns, I’ll be the happy owner of a 1988 Cape Dory 28 Flybridge. I’m not going to lie to you: There have been some bumpy moments getting here. In the spirit of summer, I will…
Many salts in Soundings’ home port of Essex, Connecticut, remember the old Klang II, which resided at Essex Island Marina for years. The boat was last in town on a mooring until two seasons ago, when the birds nesting aboard and a ramming from a stray boat chased her to easier waters in Greenport, New York. Klang wintered at Schooner Wharf in Mystic, Connecticut, but she has such extensive corrosion and structural needs that ye little ship is now disabled for sea. The Schooner Wharf had kindly accommodated Klang until prescheduled boats came to stay for the season. Klang is now anchored in Mystic River Pond above the bascule bridge and just north of Mystic Seaport. The seaport declined our request to take a working dock to fix Klang’s problems,…
The Grady-White 191 CE Coastal Explorer touts a shallow draft (14 inches), fore and aft casting platforms and low gunwales for easy fish handling. But this 19-foot, 4-inch boat can also handle a stacked-up inshore chop and lightduty offshore runs, according to the builder. The 191 rides Grady’s SeaV2 variable deadrise hull. “It’s 19 feet but feels and performs like a larger boat,” says vice president of marketing Shelley Tubaugh. “You can spin it hard, and it still tracks perfectly. And you can run it through large wakes.” This is the second inshore boat from Grady-White, following the 251 CE Coastal Explorer. The builder scatters innovative seating and storage throughout. The bow casting platform holds a divided insulated locker with a fishbox/storage area and a separate anchor locker, which hangs…
Test your knowledge with these Coast Guard license exam prep questions from the National Captain’s Institute captains.com 1. INTERNATIONAL RULES: What is the minimum length of a vessel that is required to show two all-around anchor lights? A. 20 meters B. 50 meters C. 150 meters D. 200 meters 2. INTERNATIONAL RULES: Two vessels are crossing in fog. Which is the stand-on or right-of-way vessel? A. vessel with the other on port side B. vessel with the other on starboard side C. vessel whose fog signal is heard first D. neither vessel 3. INTERNATIONAL RULES: You wish to pass a vessel in a narrow channel in international waters. You give 2 prolonged, 2 short blasts. He replies with 5 blasts. You: A. pass him slowly to starboard B. pass him…
When Australia stunned the sail-racing world in 1983 by wresting the America’s Cup from the United States after a 132-year winning streak, syndicate backer Alan Bond became a national hero Down Under, and a holiday was declared to honor the victory. Fourteen years later, the high-flying businessman entered Karnet Prison Farm for what would be a four-year incarceration after pleading guilty to financial fraud to the tune of $1.2 billion (Australian). Bond died June 5 at the age of 77 following complications during open-heart surgery, and a national debate over the legacy of this intensely polarizing personality was renewed. “He was a huge influence on the sport of sailing, and while he is best remembered for the success of the America’s Cup campaign, he loved international racing, particularly the Admiral’s…
Floridian David Lohmann got hooked on fishing in kindergarten and has stayed hooked for nearly three decades. “I’ve been fishing in the Florida Keys with my grandfather and father since I was 5 — backcountry and offshore,” says Lohmann, who is 32. “I enjoy kite fishing, trolling, reef, all of it. My favorite international spots are Bimini and Costa Rica.” It was Lohmann’s passion for the sport that led him and his father, Richard, to start a company that aims to make it easier for recreational anglers to fish in waters they might not otherwise get to. Lohmann says Share A Fishing Charter (Share aFishingCharter.com) is the first online booking service that sells individual spots on charter boats worldwide, creating a more affordable way for sport anglers to experience private…
