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 was cooler than usual on the morning we left the dock in North Palm Beach, Florida, for a run on the Beneteau Antares 9. The chilly snap in the air reminded me that pilothouse designs like this one are not just for people near my home in the Northeast. Boaters in the Sunshine State also appreciate an enclosed deck for the warmth and protection it provides. The windows on the Beneteau offered us big views of the Intracoastal Waterway as we bombed our way toward Fort Worth Inlet. The throttles were close to wide-open as the skipper, Ken Moore, demonstrated what the boat could do. I was aboard to learn more about the new Beneteau for a report I’d write (see page 28 of this issue). For that reason,…
LOA: 35’0” Beam: 11’0” Displ.: 16,750 lbs. Transom deadrise: 24 degrees Power: (2) 300-hp Yamahas Top speed: 35 knots Rockport Marine has been commissioned to produce a custom 35-footer. The Maine-based boatyard describes its new R34 as a modern take on a New England classic, a vessel that’s outboard-powered and can either host a couple for weekends or up to 10 passengers for cocktails at sunset. “In terms of styling cues and design language, it’s similar to other work we’ve done,” says Rockport Marine Chief Designer Sam Chamberlin. “Although, this boat has a modern, deep-V planing hull. That’s the thing that really differentiates it from the 37 we launched a couple years ago, which was semi-planing.” Comfortable, convivial seating is a focal point on the R34. In the cockpit is…
In early April, an unusual partnership was announced, pairing the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s boating safety courses with a new app from a company called BoatBot. “By offering BoatBot as a free supplemental tool at USCG Auxiliary classes, we are actively supporting the mission of promoting boating safety,” said David Johndrow, a Coast Guard-licensed captain and member of the Auxiliary. “We believe this technology will make a significant impact on the safety of boaters in our community and beyond.” The partnership was the latest example not just of artificial intelligence making its way into all kinds of things involving recreational boats, but specifically of companies combining AI capabilities with traditional seamanship and safety ideas. Numerous other companies have recently announced this type of tech pairing, including Lookout and Sea.AI. Whereas…
Donny and Nancy Perkins of Portland, Maine, spent more than three years shopping for the right sailboat. “We just couldn’t find what we were looking for,” he remembers. “There was a little tension between us about it.” Nothing they saw fit their specifications. Fiberglass designs and wooden models were considered and rejected, one by one. Then, they went to see yet another boat for sale near Deer Isle, Maine. “We motored halfway around it and my wife said, ‘Oh my, she’s the boat,’” Donny remembers. Then called Levera, the K. Aage Nielsen-designed 41-foot wooden sloop was 55 years old, with classic lines and heavy construction. Its generous sail plan and high freeboard were paired for the challenges of the renowned Newport to Bermuda race. They bought it. Among reams of…
In 2023, 2,126 people were injured and 564 people died while boating in the United States. Far and away, the leading contributing factor to those accidents was operator inattention and improper lookout, and the leading cause of death (67 percent) was drowning. If we could get everyone to pay attention while underway, and wear life jackets when operating open vessels under 26 feet, we could cut those death and injury rates in half. The U.S. Coast Guard’s Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats pays a lot of attention to the equipment and knowledge required to curtail these tragedies. But after studying the accident statistics and evaluating the equipment requirements over the decades, I don’t think these requirements are working. In fairness to the Coast Guard, the Guide…
LOA: 34’6” Beam: 10’10” Draft: 3’0” Weight (approx.): 12,975 lbs. Fuel: 300 gals. Water: 30 gals. Power: (2) 350-hp Yamahas Max Speed: 44 knots The Pursuit Boats factory is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, just a few miles from where my stepdaughter Kaitlyn and her boyfriend Nick live. Both in their late 20s, they are enthusiastic anglers who usually fish from the banks of the ICW. When Pursuit invited me to sea trial the new S 328 Sport, I realized this would be a great time to introduce the couple to the joys of wetting a line from the cockpit of a premium center console. Soon after we boarded the S 328 at Safe Harbor Harbortown Marina in Fort Pierce, Nick discovered the 24-gallon recirculating live well inside the boat’s…
