Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Soundings

As boats get bigger and are built with an increasing number of power-hungry systems, some of the nation’s older marinas are struggling to keep up. Not only do they lack the slips to fit the larger boats that so many Americans want to take out cruising, but they also lack the shorepower systems and staffs to service them. The Town of Palm Beach Marina was a classic example of the problem. It’s the only public marina on the island of Palm Beach, Florida, and has long been popular with boaters because of its proximity to the Worth Avenue shopping and dining district. Boaters who tie up receive free access to the oceanfront par-3 golf course, the health and wellness facilities at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center and the…

LOA: 48’5” Beam: 13’8” Draft: 3’9” Displ.: 24,782 lbs. Fuel: 238 gals. Water: 106 gals. Power: (2) 440-hp Volvo Penta IPS 600 Price (as tested): $941,000 If you’re thinking of moving up to a larger family cruiser, you’re sure to have a lot of questions regarding everything from anxiety about maneuvering around the docks to overall comfort and enjoyment for your friends and family. A recent sea trial aboard the new Beneteau Gran Turismo 45 illustrated how the world’s largest boatbuilder is anticipating boat owners’ questions and responding with family-friendly features that answer most every need. The GT 45 is at the top of Beneteau’s express cruiser lineup. With primary styling from Andreani Design, and with naval architecture by Beneteau Power Boats, in collaboration with Micad, the renowned Italian naval…

Just past daybreak at Wells Cove Landing, an offshoot of Kent Narrows on the Chesapeake Bay, the morning sounds are a peculiar mix—water slapping the bulkhead, the Route 50 highway drone, the whir of a fishing reel, an osprey keening overhead, laughter, a conversation in Spanish, another in Vietnamese. Through it all comes the intermittent rumble of wheeled coolers under tow from the parking lot to the boats: Island Queen II, Shirley B III, Miss Violet, Off Da’ Hook. Dozens of anglers have traveled from as far away as Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C., to spend the day among a small group of Black captains with the collective experience of generations of watermen. Much of their knowledge is gleaned from decades working the bay in the traditional fisheries…

When the Newport Bermuda Race kicks off on June 17, 2022, Beau Van Metre expects to be where he spent much of his youth: aboard the 60-foot Sparkman & Stephens design Running Tide. Now in his 70s, Beau’s plan is to show the racing world that the 52-year-old yacht’s recent restoration at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, has made her every bit the powerhouse she used to be. But on occasion, Beau also wants to use Running Tide for day cruises. His dual-purpose vision is why Running Tide’s restoration was not only substantial, but also unusual. It added just enough creature comforts to make her more than her original design, while still keeping her suited to her original purpose. “I wanted to be able to use…

In spring 1936, Cornelius “Corny” Shields, an investment banker and hardcore sailor at New York’s Larchmont Yacht Club, was racing in Bermuda when he spotted a new Six Metre yacht, Saga, built by Norwegian boat designer Bjarne Aas. Shields was instantly smitten. “The minute I saw Saga, I fell in love with her,” he later wrote. “I thought she was the most beautiful boat I had ever seen. She literally haunted me.” At the time, Shields raced on Sound Interclubs, a 1926 Charles Mower design and a class that never outgrew the confines of Long Island Sound. He was concerned that the Interclubs were becoming dated and that the hardcore racers at the local clubs would abandon the class. He felt they needed a newer boat class to keep the…

The sea rolls without remorse, riled up by the storm that just passed through, coloring the sky a menacing indigo with its departure. The crew aboard the Albert J. Lutz navigates her carefully through the swells, yielding to the ocean’s force with storm trysail set and a reefed foresail. Artist Thomas Hoyne had an affinity for capturing the dangers of working the water in everything from fishing boats to sailing vessels, and he was renowned for his ability to depict ships with such realism that his paintings feel “wet” to the touch. Remarkably, he did so without ever stepping aboard most of them, as they had long since gone missing. Such was the case for the Albert J. Lutz depicted in this 24-by-36-inch oil painting, Passing Squall. The Canadian halibuter…

WHAT WE’RE READING REMOTE AND REMARKABLE Photographer Jay Fleming has spent much of his life with a camera in his hand, and while he is accomplished in many areas of photography, he is best-known for his work around Chesapeake Bay. Whether he’s documenting the difficult work done by the bay’s hard-working watermen or capturing underwater photos of fish, crabs and other bay creatures, Fleming is always willing to go the extra mile to get the perfect shot. His latest work, a book titled Island Life, focuses on Smith and Tangier islands, two remote Chesapeake islands accessible only by boat, where work and life largely revolve around harvesting crabs, fish and oysters. Each island has its own unique culture and vast expanses of natural beauty, as well as histories that stretch…

Lee S. Wilbur of Southwest Harbor, Maine, launched his first boat—a 36-foot fiberglass sportfish—in 1973 based on a hull designed by Raymond Bunker. For the next 30 years, his yard’s reputation grew exponentially thanks to loyal clients and a group of skilled shipwrights who painstakingly hand-built each boat with the sea going knowledge of Maine craftsmen. Although Wilbur retired in 2001, he sold the business to his daughter Ingrid and son-in-law John E. Kachmar. Today, the couple operates the facility, which has built more than 200 boats to date from 29 to 61 feet. The Wilbur 61 is the flagship of the fleet and combines traditional Maine workmanship and modern technology with a Hunt-designed hull. Three 61s have been built to date, launching in 1986, 1988 and 1994. (Tumblehome, shown…

1 HINCKLEY 35 The Hinckley 35 may look like one of the builder’s Picnic Boat models, but it’s not. Running on an infused carbon-epoxy hull designed by Michael Peters Yacht Design, the new boat joins two other outboard-powered boats in the Hinckley lineup: the Sport Boat 40C and 40X. With a pair of optional 350-hp Mercury or Yamaha outboards the 35 has a top-end of around 42 knots, according to Hinckley. Standard power is a pair of 300-hp Mercury or Yamaha outboards. The 35 has Hinckley’s curves, tumblehome, bow flare and varnish that turn heads in just about any harbor. Below is a V-berth stateroom, wet head and a petite galley. The rest of the boat is open end-to-end from the helm and companion seating all the way back to…

You don’t need to be a classic boat aficionado to recognize Aphrodite, the 74-foot 1937 commuter yacht built for Manhattan financier John “Jock” Hay Whitney that later served in World War II, ferried President Franklin Roosevelt up and down the Hudson, and hosted a slew of famous passengers, including Fred Astaire, Shirley Temple and Katharine Hepburn. What you may not know, however, is that the famous Aphrodite is actually Aphrodite III. She was preceded by the original 330-foot, steam-powered Aphrodite built in 1898 and inherited by Whitney from his uncle in 1914, and the boat pictured above, Aphrodite II, a 72-foot commuter yacht built in 1928 by Albany Boat Co. in Watervliet, New York. In this photograph by Rosenfeld and Sons, Aphrodite II is only a year old as she…