Smoke billows from the Yachtsmiths International plant in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Photo by CBC.
Fire destroys Passage of Time
A 53-foot aluminum passagemaker near completion at Yachtsmiths International in Nova Scotia was destroyed by fire, started when a spark from a welder's torch ignited discarded insulation in a trash can. Alan Wagner of Tampa, Florida, owner of the yacht named Passage of Time, says he hopes to start construction again. READ MORE . . .

Dave Dumas aboard the Krogen 42 Kinship drops anchor at Marco Island to start an ongoing chain of events that has anchoring laws in Florida in turmoil.
Anchoring in Florida in turmoil
A statewide solution to Florida's patchwork of local anchoring laws still has not been found. Because of the importance of the ongoing story for everyone—resident or visitor—who boats in Florida, Trawlers & Trawlering begins a multi-part report with the initial incident in Marco Island. READ MORE . . .

Full-displacement Krogen 55 Expedition has a range of 3,000 nautical miles.
New Krogen 55 will launch late in 2008
The first Krogen 55 Expedition, for which lamination is under way, will arrive in U.S. waters late this year. The 55 refers to length on deck; overall, the passagemaker is 59 feet long. A well-equipped K55 will run about $1.9 million PRESS RELEASE . . .

Fluids analysis made easy by SeaKits.
SeaKits introduces fluid analysis kit
The first oil and coolant testing program specifically developed for the yacht and workboat owner/operator has been introduced by SeaKits.
PRESS RELEASE . . .

Island Rover cruising the Oudegracht, or "old canal," through the centre of Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Across the Atlantic in a Rosborough RF-246
Cruising the canals of Europe in their Rosborough RF-246 became a reality for a Canadian couple thanks to Dockwise Yacht Transport. After cruising the Great Lakes, the Trent-Severn, the Rideau and Erie canals, the Intracoastal Waterway, the Abacos and their home waters of Georgian Bay, this couple proves any destination is possible in any boat. SITE SEE: web.mac.com/islandrovercanada/iweb/Site/WELCOME.html and BOAT SITES

Skipper Bob
Skipper Bob, arguably the most popular cruising guide writer and speaker in the U.S., died at his home December 11 while putting up Christmas decorations. He was 66 years old, the author of more than 10 cruising guides and books, including the best-selling Cruising Comfortably on a Budget. His real name was Robert Reib. He and his wife, Elaine, lived aboard a Krogen Manatee for nine years, cruising some 44,000 miles in the eastern United States, including a trip around the Great Circle Route. The Reibs experienced everything the waters of the East Coast have to offer, which made his books and guides that much richer.
READ MORE . . .
Robert Reib, widely known as Skipper Bob, died December 11 at his home in York, Pennsylvania.

Bruce Kessler twice Yachtsman of the Year
Circumnavigator Bruce Kessler has been honored by two different boating organizations as their 2007 Yachtsman of the Year. Independent of each other, the Pacific Coast Yachting Association and the Association of Santa Monica Bay Yacht Clubs bestowed the honor on Kessler who most recently served as organizer of the FUBAR Odyssey that saw 53 powerboats cruise in company to Mexico. It's the latest recognition for Kessler who in 1998 was named Passagemaker of the Year by Trawler World, Trawler & Trawlering's predecessor. READ MORE . . .

Mainship is the Peoples condo on water
John and Gloria Peoples decided to slow down and take it easy after seven years of chasing gamefish on their Luhrs 340 Sport fisher. They accomplished this by finding the best of both worlds in a Mainship 43 Pilot and plan to enjoy her to the fullest.  They can run and gun at 22 knots or go trawlering at 10 knots and enjoy the ride. The Peoples find the accommodations perfect for the both of them and the occasional visit from their children. SITE SEE: www.makaicruising.com and BOAT SITES

Merry Christmas 2007 from Arcturus
After meandering across the Pacific and exploring Australia, Fred and Christiane Caron have stayed put in Malaysia this year to have Arcturus, their trusty Nordhavn 46, repainted. Click here to read about their first encounter with heavy weather when they were novice passagemakers.

The British Virgin Islands are the prime charter destination in the Caribbean.
Banish the blahs of winter
If the only white stuff you want to shovel is sand this winter, then what better time than now to charter a power catamaran. A variety of warm sunny destinations are available, from bareboat to skippered, even fully crewed. READ MORE . . .

The 90-foot Wanderbird started life as a Dutch fishing trawler.
A genuine trawler in the traditional sense
Wanderbird was built in 1963 as a classic North Sea fishing trawler in Maassluis, Holland. She was launched as a beam trawler for a Dutch family and fished until 1990. READ MORE . . .

FUBAR to La Paz about to start
Fifty-three yachts are preparing to depart San Diego for La Paz, Mexico, in the first ever FUBAR Odyssey. READ MORE . . .

Follow the rally with James Kirby at Circumnavigator magazine's blog.

Earthrace, a 78-foot wave-piercing trimaran, has been dogged by problems since starting a record attempt around the world. (Photo by Jim Burkett)
Earthrace tries again
Earthrace, the leading-edge trimaran that aims to break the powerboat record for a circumnavigation of the world, is back on mission again—with a new start and finish. READ MORE . . .

You've heard of a launching. This is a sinking about to commence.

Dine with rays, sharks and fish

Normally, Trawlers & Trawlering reports on the launching of new trawler yachts. This time, we bring you news of the submerging of a new restaurant. READ MORE . . .

Sun21, a 46-foot solar-powered catamaran, is docked in Martinique after a 63-day passage from Spain.

Catamaran crosses Atlantic on sun power alone
A Swiss-made catamaran has become the first solar-powered boat to cross the Atlantic after reaching the French Caribbean island of Martinique. The Sun21 docked in Le Marin, 63 days after leaving the Spanish port of Chipiona near Cadiz. READ MORE . . .

Charis began life as a Royal Lowell lobster boat built by Bruno Stillman in 1977.
Lobster boat converted to trawler yacht
Joan and Larry Ropka’s cruising dreams are coming true with the launch of Charis, 42-foot lobster-boat hull that they converted to a liveaboard cruising yacht. It was a two-year project that lasted six years, required 18,000 hours of labor, and cost about $110,000. READ MORE . . .

Displacing more than 70,000 pounds, the new Nordhavn 56 Motorsailer will be a departure from typical coastal motorsailers. With her sails furled, she'll actually motor faster and farther than existing Nordhavns.

Nordhavn motorsailer under construction

If Robert Beebe were alive today, he would instantly recognize the new Nordhavn 56 Motorsailer, with its sloop-rigged jib and mainsail, as perhaps the ideal reiteration of his original passagemaker design. As Jim Leishman of Pacific Asian Enterprises says, "Motorsailers have always appealed to a different kind of person-someone who's comfortable with a leg in each camp. There's a romance to sailing and it's for good reason." READ MORE . . .

John and Judy Gill cruised the Great Loop during the summers of 2002-04 aboard, Two J's V, a 36-foot Carver Mariner shown under way on Georgian Bay.

Looking for the ideal boat for the Great Loop?

The quick answer is there is no ideal or perfect boat for cruising the America's Great Loop, but by using the checklist prepared John and Judy Gill, you will be well on the way to enjoying the boating adventure of your life. READ MORE . . .

Senor Moment and Que Linda! escort Idlewild, at right, down the Strait of Georgia at the completion her remarkable circumnavigation of the world. Trawlers & Trawlering photo by Georgs Kolesnikovs.
What a circumnavigation of the world!
Retired bison rancher Ben Gray and his two sons have concluded an incredible voyage around the world that ranks right up there with the amazing adventures of Tristan Jones. They arrived in Vancouver aboard the 57' Idlewild, completing a circumnavigation via the notorious Northwest Passage in less than one year. It's the first circumnavigation, power or sail, to have started far inland--and required portages just to reach the ocean. READ MORE . . .

Passagemaker on the hard in Trinidad. Photo by Richard Haner.

Beebe's famed Passagemaker for sale
Before he died in 1988, Robert Beebe designed more than 150 vessels, none more famed than his 67th design which he built for himself and named Passagemaker. The voyages Beebe made with Passagemaker proved his theory that the oceans of the world could be explored in a proper powerboat with greater comfort and dispatch than in a sailboat. READ MORE . . .

Idlewild steams nonstop for 4,495 miles
The longest nonstop passage by a trawler yacht has been completed by Idlewild, the shallow-draft 57-footer that was the first trawler yacht to transit the treacherous Northwest Passage across North America. Idlewild ran from East London, South Africa, to Fremantle, Australia, in just under 30 days at sea, arriving at her destination February 12, 2006. READ MORE . . .

Deckhouse N47 new from Great Harbour

Trawler yacht transits Northwest Passage

No stopping Trane as Island Pilot launches

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