Sideways is not a direction that anybody involved with a refit wants to see things go. But it’s a reality on many projects, with all kinds of boats that owners are looking to upgrade in small and large ways. According to experts from three of Maine’s

The first Legacy, launched in 1991, was a 40-footer, based on a 39-foot semi-custom Downeast cruiser built by Canadian master builder Mark Bruckman to a design by Mark Ellis. Paul Petronello, president of sailboat builder Freedom Yachts, visited Bruc

LOA: 61’4” Beam: 18’4”  Draft: 5’10” Displ.: 114,000 lbs. Fuel: 1,800 gals. Water: 400 gals. Engine: (2) 405-hp Cummins QSL9 Tendrils of fog swirled above Lopez Sound like serpent tails, pushed hither and yon by the wind that, at 8 a.m., was already

LOA: 33’5” Beam: 9’10” Draft: 2’1” Displ. (w/o power): 8,571 lbs. Fuel: 105 gals. Water: 21 gals. Max power: (2) 300-hp Mercury outboards For decades, the Scandinavians have used commuter boats to get to and from vacation homes or to work. But over t

The schooner American Eagle comes around Owl’s Head at the mouth of Penobscot Bay in Maine in the painting Breaking Storm by Carol L. Douglas. Dark clouds congregate over the Owl’s Head Lighthouse, yet just above the foremast of American Eagle, they

Andy Tyska sat alone in the room, trying to reconcile the weight of the past with everyone’s hopes for the future. He had just finished a meeting about his company, Bristol Marine, acquiring the storied boatbuilder Huckins Yachts. Everyone else had l

I left my home in Connecticut in October to do the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, where everyone was having a great time touring new models and talking with like-minded boaters who had come to town to shop for their next ride and a new drea

Since about 2020, people have been trying to figure out why orcas keep ramming sailboats near the Iberian Peninsula, including in the Strait of Gibraltar. Sailors hoping to protect themselves have tried everything from different-color hull paint to b

In Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, seafaring has been at the heart of culture and industry for more than 200 years. In the 19th century, its shipbuilding and fishing industries made the small port town—now a UNESCO World Heritage Site—one of the richest in t

Not too long ago, a Northern Marine owner wanted to spiff up his boat a little before putting it on the market for sale. He decided there was no better place to bring it than to the people who had originally built it, at the shipyard in Anacortes, Wa

Never tell Bob Lico it can’t be done. To him, that’s not advice, it’s a challenge. Bob, 78, grew up on the shores of Great South Bay on Long Island, New York, where he had his first boat at age 6. A union electrician by trade, he’s a hands-on guy who

Brian Trautman, his wife Karin Syrén, their 5-year-old daughter Sierra, and Brian’s brother Brady are the core crew of Delos. They have made several long ocean crossings totaling over 85,000 nautical miles, touched 45 countries and become accomplishe

I grew up sailing as a teenager in Hempstead Harbor on Long Island Sound. My urge to sail was so strong, that my family joined Hempstead Harbour Club, although I was the only one in the family with the bug. My habit influenced many of my life decisio

Ensuring your batteries stay charged while the boat is away from the dock has become easier than ever, thanks to solar charging systems. Whether you’re trying to keep the refrigerator running, reduce generator runtime or maintain a full battery charg

DON’T CALL KARL KRUGER EXTREME. “After I did the Race to Alaska, people would often throw that word at me,” says Kruger. “They’d say, ‘Did you always know that you’d be doing extreme stuff like this?’ It took me a long time to find the words to expla

One thing you can count on when you’re offshore in a small boat is that the vast, empty ocean is hardly that. There are more stars and planets overhead than you’ll ever see on land, all manner of creatures rising unexpectedly from the deep for a quic

Driving into town from the west on Highway 20, visitors descend a hill that opens a splendid panorama of old Victorians, azure ocean, snowcapped mountains and dozens of boats sprinkled throughout the scene. For many who wash up here—coming from Calif

When it comes to designing and building a new model, there are people who pay attention to detail, and then there’s the team at Sabre, who argue over fractions of an inch in the spring of the sheer. “When we’re developing a model like this, it’s year

It went viral in late September. The visual shown above, that is, which captures a tender moment during a jawdropping rescue in the Gulf of Mexico, 25 miles off Sanibel Island as Hurricane Helene approached Florida. It’s a clip from a video that was

When you don’t have a lot of time on your side, it’s nice to have three 600-hp Mercury Verado outboards and a 50-gallon bait well stocked full of frisky pilchards. Such was the case when I stepped aboard the Formula 457 CCF. It was well past 9 a.m. a

Huk, pronounced hook, has been busy cranking out reputable boating wear and the new Storm rain jacket is another example of the company’s commitment to superior design and quality. Available in four colors and sizes for men, women and kids, it’s styl

LOA: 46’8” Beam: 12’0” Draft (drives up): 2’4” Draft: (drives down) 3’6” Displ: 19,432 lbs. Fuel: 350 gals. Water: 110 gals. Because August had delivered a slew of dog days, muggy mornings and humidity too thick for canines and captains, the weather

I come from a family of engineers. As the journalist, I’m the black sheep. Although pretty handy—I’ve restored a Whitehall skiff and five houses—I’ve spent my entire life avoiding electrical work. I once installed an auxiliary power outlet (a car cig

Once someone learns I’m a licensed charter skipper, they often ask, “Where’s the best place to go?” It’s a tough question because it’s nearly impossible to answer, since everyone looks for different experiences on their bareboat charter vacation. But

On the evening of November 26, 1898, a light but strengthening wind swept across the New England coast. Within hours, wind speeds had reached hurricane magnitudes. They raged all through the night and the following day before finally subsiding after

It’s not unusual for a production sailboat builder to make a foray into the powerboat market. One of the earliest examples was Bristol Yachts, which debuted the Bristol 42 Offshore Trawler in 1969. Bristol Yachts got its start in 1964 after Clinton “

I was at the helm of my 47-foot wooden cruiser Puffin with the Gardner 6LXB diesel purring away below when a familiar voice called out a Pan Pan over the VHF. Robert aboard Paragon, one of the boats that was following us across Dixon Entrance, report