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.
“It is a kind of pleasure to know that you will never love less, that you will never be consoled, that you will constantly remember more and more.”—Marcel Proust I’m not a covetous person by nature — maybe because I feel I have been lucky, or blessed, in all the ways that matter. Every now and then, when the jackpot is enormous, I buy a couple of lottery tickets. But I’ve found that, mostly, the old cliché is true: The best things in life are free — or at least, not for sale. Years ago, while writing a feature on McAllister tug’s New York harbor pilots, I realized there was one thing I couldn’t buy that filled me with a keen and cutting envy: watching those handsome and stout ships…
Saving and maintaining historic vessels is challenging enough; keeping them Coast Guard-certified as small passenger vessels is beyond impressive [“Walking the Plank,” March]. As someone who cares deeply about these boats, I’m glad there are people like Elizabeth duPont. Kurt Voss via Facebook FORMER AND LADDER Mario Vittone’s March “Lifelines” article about planning to fail [“Be Prepared By Planning To Fail] and his online video about falling into cold water came together for me. I once fell into very cold water from a Ranger 26 sailboat. It was winter on Chesapeake Bay, and I was alone on the boat doing some maintenance, not sailing, when I fell overboard. There was no one around. Fastened to the stern rail was a stainless steel flip-down ladder that got me out of the…
NEWS, EVENTS, PEOPLE Mercury Marine added three V-6 outboards to its FourStroke series at this year’s Miami International Boat Show. The 175-, 200- and 225-hp engines are based on a 3.4-liter powerhead. Mercury also introduced a 200-hp SeaPro outboard aimed at the commercial market. The large-bore, naturally aspirated engines are lighter and more fuel efficient than other 4-strokes in their class, according to the manufacturer. Mercury says the 200-hp model is the lightest in its class at 475 pounds — 35 pounds less than its closest competitor. The company also says fuel efficiency in the 200-hp model is unmatched, yielding an advantage of up to 15 percent compared to other engines. The outboards sport an angular look and can be customized using prepainted and ready-for-paint panels. A service door integrated…
1. INTERNATIONAL RULES: For determining safe speed, all the following factors are mentioned by the Rules except: A. the presence of background light at night B. the draft in relation to available water depth C. competency of the crew D. constraints imposed by the radar range scale in use 2. INTERNATIONAL RULES: When, from any cause, the stand-on vessel finds herself so close that collision cannot be avoided by action of the give-way vessel alone, she shall: A. take action necessary to avoid collision B. sound the danger signal C. sound the danger signal and take any necessary action D. back down quickly 3. INTERNATIONAL RULES: You hear the firing of a gun. It is: A. all over B. a Cuban patrol boat C. a vessel in distress D. a…
In the online postings, the dust jackets on the books are torn and faded, not from lack of care but from love of use. Many of the pictures show the cover of The Troller Yacht Book, which evolved from the 1999 first-edition subtitle “A Powerboater’s Guide to Crossing Oceans” into 2011’s second edition, with the arguably more everyman subtitle “How to Cross Oceans Without Getting Wet or Going Broke.” It’s that authenticity that people loved about author and yacht designer George Buehler, who died Feb. 28, following an aortic aneurysm near his Pacific Northwest home. He was 69. “He did trap and skeet shooting,” his wife of 32 years, Gail Buehler, told Soundings. “He had the truck down the hill and was going to go shooting. That’s when he keeled…
“Pride of Baltimore II remains one of the world’s most revered tall ships, delighting crowds wherever she sails. We will use 2018 to reassess the ship’s future, working closely with our partners in the public and private sectors to make sure we don’t witness the end to Pride’s wonderful history.”Pride of Baltimore Inc. board chair Capt. Eric Nielsen, addressing financial concerns that could mothball Pride of Baltimore II indefinitely. A PRETTY DITTY The Windjammer Elite sea bag from Morris & Barth Ship Canvas has an oil-tanned leather bottom, a matching leather center band and heavy-duty canvas construction. The double-spliced carry strap is made of three-strand rigging rope with a solid copper slider and a monkey’s fist at its center. The strap also has a traditional snap shackle and hand-sewn leather…
