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Boat Reviews

A forward three-quarter view of the white Selene 64 Ocean Explorer yacht navigating a canal alongside shipyard buildings under a soft twilight sky.

Selene 64 Ocean Explorer

Hull No. 20 of the builder’s contemporary, full-displacement series is awash in customization.

A side profile rendering of the sleek, modern Townsend 34 solar electric cruiser cruising on calm blue water, featuring a white hull, long solar-paneled roof overhang, and an American flag flying at the stern.

Townsend 34

This boat is a modern riff on an old-timey classic.

An exterior dusk photograph looking through the large side windows into the illuminated, warm cherrywood salon and helm area of a Sabre motor yacht as the sun sets over the water.

South by Down East

A brisk November run from Connecticut to New Jersey showcases just how comfortable the Sabre 51 Salon Express really is.

Grand Banks 42 Europa

Cruising Classics, Perfected

From hull design to onboard flow, these legendary powerboats proved that great cruising never goes out of style.

A side three-quarter view of a large, rugged expedition trawler named "PAUL JOHANSEN" cruising through calm open water. The vessel features a dark blue hull creating a white wake at the bow, paired with a cream-colored superstructure and a high pilothouse. A tall central mast holds multiple radar domes and communication antennas, while the upper deck carries a white tender and a bright yellow kayak. An American flag flies from the stern under a grey, overcast sky.

Straight Life

Once a rescue craft, this Norway-built steel trawler is the ticket to ride for a venturesome crew.

A wide, sunny shot of a large, classic expedition-style motor yacht named "Walrus" anchored in calm, shimmering water. The vessel features a cream-colored hull with circular portholes and a multi-level superstructure. It is heavily dressed in festive maritime signaling flags strung from the bow to the tall white main mast. At the stern, both an American flag and a Texas state flag fly prominently from a secondary flagpole. The background features a green, tree-lined shoreline with a glimpse of a waterfront house under a clear, vibrant blue sky.

The Walrus is Ready

This aluminum vessel’s throwback design belies its modern systems, all installed for a Great Loop cruise.

Alt Text: A close-up view of two polished stainless-steel windlasses and anchor gypsies mounted on the white foredeck of a yacht under a partly cloudy sky.

Anchors Aweigh

Windlass and ground tackle maintenance can make all the difference in an emergency.

A Garmin marine chartplotter display screen showing a digital nautical map with AIS vessel tracking, route waypoints, and navigation data overlay.

Understanding AIS

Good seamanship means using every available tool, but never relying on any one alone.

Three side-by-side screenshots from the Navionics app showing nautical charts of Hell Gate and Wards Island, contrasting a correct manually plotted water route on the left with two flawed AI-generated routes on the middle and right that erroneously plot course lines directly across land.

A Suspicious Plot

I used AI to chart a course through a notorious waterway. The results were unusable.

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