A new Cruisers Yachts model offers insight into American boating lifestyles, since the builder seeks owner and dealer feedback to shape its launches. The Cruisers 57 Fly speaks to boaters’ desires to entertain and engage with the water—for instance, by taking transom platforms and folding hullsides to the next level.

Consider the portside deck, where the entire bulwark from the cockpit to the midcabin folds out. Cruisers wasn’t the first to introduce this feature, but the builder added a cool touch by placing a pair of stools next to a sliding window that opens to the galley. A wraparound settee with a dinette across the transom provides an entertainment hub for dining, lounging or water play, all accessible from the oversize swim platform, which submerges for swimming or launching a tender weighing up to 850 pounds. A transom lounge also folds out to create a beach club.

The concept of “water interaction” is more than just splashing around. The 57 Fly also has nearly 360 degrees of salon windows, allowing guests to relax in the interior’s air conditioning while still feeling connected to the surrounding environment. This theme carries through to the staterooms, all of which have oversize windows so guests can enjoy the water views while resting in bed.

The Cruisers 57 Fly could easily be called “party central,” with four dining areas spread across two levels, all supported by two spots to cook. On the main deck, there is a dinette aft and a formal dining area in the salon. The foredeck lounge is truly versatile, converting from sun pads facing either way to bench seating or a dinette with twin tables.

The flybridge is another highlight, with its galley and an optional Texan grill measuring 2 square feet. It has a flat plancha (perfect for veggies or omelets) and a traditional grate. The bridge also includes a wraparound dinette that seats 12, with a high-low table partially shaded by the hardtop.

The salon is built for alfresco living, with triple sliding doors and all-weather boating features, including a settee and a 55-inch pop-up TV. The galley has a convection microwave, two-burner Kenyon cooktop, and four fridge drawers for a total of 12.6 cubic feet of stowage. By eliminating a full-height fridge, the Cruisers design team gave the skipper unobstructed visibility aft.

Speaking of the skipper, the helm is a thoughtfully designed, ergonomic space with twin 16-inch Garmin multifunction displays, a Volvo Penta IPS joystick and a double-wide bolstered helm seat. Two footrests—one of which flips up for standing—and a window that opens for communication with the crew are practical, thoughtful features. My favorite thing at the helm was the sleek black dashboard that curves smoothly into a wide eyebrow, effectively shielding the monitors from glare through the windshield.

The 57 Fly has a three-stateroom, two-head layout. The owner’s stateroom spans the beam amidships with a walk-around queen berth, a four-drawer bureau, and a built-in table with two settees for playing games or enjoying morning croissants. An Isotherm wine locker and a washer-dryer combo are options. The en suite head has a full-size shower with a Lucite door and seat, a Euro-style sink and faucet, and another window with blinds for privacy.

The forepeak VIP stateroom has a queen berth and an equal-size en suite that doubles as a day head. The third stateroom, across the passage, has twin berths that convert into a double.

Although the 57 Fly is designed with owner-operators in mind, there’s air-conditioned crew quarters abaft the engine room. The cabin has a single berth, a head and space for handling lines. It could also serve as a private area for a teenager, be used for stowage or act as a work area.

Power for the Cruisers 57 Fly comes from a pair of Volvo Penta IPS950 pod drives, powered by 725 hp, six-cylinder common-rail D11 diesels with twin-entry turbos. This combination provides more than enough power to push the 57 Fly past the 30-knot mark, even in the choppy Gulf Stream conditions we experienced. At a cruising speed of 25 knots, the engines sip 63 gallons per hour, giving the 57 Fly a range of about 250 nautical miles. If you’re not in a hurry, cruising at 9 knots increases the range to approximately 700 nm.

On the water, the 57 Fly is a true pleasure. Whether running up-sea or cross-sea, the yacht handles with aplomb, thanks to the standard Seakeeper 9 gyrostabilizer and the hull design by Donald Blount and Associates. Returning to the marina after our offshore excursion, the joystick with pod drives made maneuvering into tight spaces a breeze, with no white-knuckle moments. Two fingers and a twist was all it took.

Let the phrase “water interaction” become part of your boating vocabulary by experiencing the Cruisers Yachts 57 Fly.

Chef’s Delight

The lower galley has acres of stowage and can be fitted with a dishwasher. A nice touch is the Plexiglas backsplash to keep any chef uh-ohs from spilling onto the dinette upholstery. The upper cooking area has a Texan grill, a fridge and an ice maker.

A Place for Everything

The foredeck is seamanlike, with a Quick vertical windlass and 200 feet of chain tucked out of sight, a washdown in the anchor locker, and a pair of clamshell lockers on the cabin top to absorb deck gear such as fenders and dock lines.

Pedigree Design

Award-winning Miami-based yacht designer Luiz De Basto engineered the dramatic windows on the 57 Fly, as well as masterminded the decor on the boat we got aboard. The ocean-sand oak draws on his background of more than 200 boats and superyachts over 30 years.

Take the next step: cruisersyachts.com

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While I’ve always had an affinity for go-fast monohulls, I’m also a catamaran convert. Cats offer a combination of roominess, stability and comfort that’s difficult for similarly sized monohulls to match. The latest foray from Aquila Power Catamarans—whose designs range from a 28-foot Molokai fishing boat to a 70-foot Luxury yacht—is a sleek 46-foot Coupe that pairs semi-foiling capability with a speedy, double-stepped hull form.

Foiling technology isn’t new. Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini designed and built the first powerboat utilizing a foil system in 1906, when he hit 36.9 knots with a 60 hp airscrew. But can a foil really make a big difference in the way a boat rides? In the case of the Aquila 46 Coupe, the answer is a resounding yes.

Aquila calls its technology the Hydro Glide Foil System. An underwater carbon-fiber wing is attached horizontally between the catamaran’s hull sponsons and extends a bit below them. A second, smaller foil is between the hulls at the stern. These combine to produce lift that reduces drag and improves fuel economy. They also help to cushion the ride.

In addition, the steps aerate the hulls, further increasing speed. The foils are attached with titanium bolts for strength, but are designed to break away without compromising hull integrity if there’s a collision with a submerged object.

Running the 46 Coupe from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following the boat’s worldwide introduction at the Miami International Boat Show, we faced overcast conditions and a solid 15 knots of northeast breeze stacking a steep wind chop against the rolling swells of the north-flowing Gulf Stream. But it was ideal for the 46 Coupe to strut its stuff with a bit less than 500 gallons of fuel and a crew of six.

Powered by a pair of 600 hp Mercury Verado V-12s, the boat had virtually no change in the hull attitude from idling at rest to being at speed on plane. At around 17 knots, the 46 Coupe began to ride on the foil as the two-speed Verado transmissions shifted to high gear. Handling felt a bit tight at that point, but with the engines trimmed out to 20 percent, the boat loosened up and the speed increased to more than 22 knots without any additional throttle.

It felt akin to Aladdin’s magic carpet ride as we bounded across the tops of the frothy seas at 25 to 35 knots. When we had to cross larger ship wakes or maneuver sharply, a quick trim to tuck the engines back in tightened up the ride without the need for trim tabs or interceptors.

There were also no creaks or rattles, even as we hit a top speed just over 42 knots. At a cruising speed of 33 knots, the engines burned 54 gallons of fuel per hour, giving us a range of 338 nautical miles with a 10 percent fuel reserve. Aquila touts the foil system as providing an increased fuel efficiency of up to 40 percent at cruising speed.

Several things stood out at the wheel. A pair of 24-inch Raymarine multifunction displays were mounted in the 60-inch-wide helm, which was free of glare and appeared to be free-floating in its design. The comfortable, three-wide seating provided exceptional visibility through the oversize coupe windows and sharply raked forward windshield. The electrically actuated sunroof opened to nearly 55 square feet overhead, giving us the option to enjoy the sun and breeze, or crank up the air conditioning powered by a 10-kilowatt Fischer Panda generator. CZone digital switching controlled all the boat’s DC-powered components from the helm.

But the coolest feature had to be Aquila’s new multifunction wheel. Its digital display remains centered no matter which way the skipper turns the wheel, with paddle-style buttons on each side to control any onboard function related to the National Marine Electronics Association. Hull No. 1 was set up with the music control settings on the left and the ship’s horn on the right, saving the helmsman from having to fumble for switches on the dash.

Open-air entertaining options range from the bow’s lounge seating to the stern’s loungers and trio of bar stools near a Kenyon grill. With the hinged aft window flipped up and the salon door open, the interior blends with the exterior.

The 46 Coupe is primarily a dayboat, but it’s comfortable for an evening or long weekend aboard too. The VIP stateroom is to port with an aft-facing queen berth and dry stowage. The master stateroom is to starboard with a queen-plus situated athwartship. Both staterooms are en suite with separate showers and 82 inches of headroom throughout. The decor includes light- and dark-gray tones, and accents of stainless steel and carbon fiber.

The galley is to port on the main deck, with additional seating abaft the helm to starboard. A recessed table normally lives within the deck, but can raise electrically for dining or cocktail hour. The 46 Coupe also has several big-boat touches, such as access doors on both sides of the cockpit for boarding, and an option for a compact electric davit that can lift some PWC models onto the aft deck.

With its blend of performance, stability and foiling technology, and a solid balance of interior and exterior entertainment spaces, the Aquila 46 Coupe is well-positioned to be a boat at the head of its class.

CE-Certified

All recreational boats being sold or entering the European Union are required to have CE certification, with four primary categories: A (ocean), B (offshore), C (inshore) and D (sheltered waters). The Aquila 46 Coupe is CE-certified for 12 passengers offshore, 22 inshore and 32 in sheltered waters.

Inboard Option

A pair of 440 hp Volvo Penta D6 DPI sterndrive diesel engines are available as an option for the 46 Coupe. Aquila says performance is roughly equivalent to the standard V-12 Mercury Verado outboards, although the Volvos do offer extended cruising range. Great Loop, anyone?

Solid and Strong

Aquila uses resin-infused vinylester throughout the hull and deck as well as in bulkheads and reinforcing structures. There is no wood in any structural components or below the waterline. Watertight bulkheads are fore and aft. The foils are designed to shear away without compromising hull integrity in a collision or grounding, in a similar manner as the lower unit of an outboard engine.

Take the next step: aquilaboats.com

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The 180-foot Heesen Moskito typically spends summer days in the Mediterranean, perhaps at anchor with all of the water toys out. Come late afternoon, the anchor is weighed in time for an evening cruise with dinner on the upper deck aft. Charter guests see the moon, the stars and twinkling lights ashore as a warm breeze keeps everyone comfortable.

In the Caribbean, Moskito’s crew particularly enjoys being in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, especially the crystal-clear waters and reefs of Canouan and the neighboring Tobago Cays. These shoal waters are fantastic for scuba diving and snorkeling, and a visit to the turtle sanctuary is a highlight. A great end to the day is a barbecue with music from a steel-drum band, either on a beach or on board.

Given how popular the yacht has proved for charter through its exclusive agency, IYC, it’s almost hard to believe the project was started on spec. Indeed, Moskito began life as Project Pollux, named for the son of Zeus and one of the Gemini twins in Greek mythology. The yacht launched in August 2020 and sold about a month later, with the British owner taking delivery in spring 2021. Moskito is the fifth of presently 13 Heesen 55M FDHF Series trideck motoryachts, with four under construction.

This 760-gross-ton, steel-and-aluminum superyacht’s striking exterior and space planning come from Frank Laupman and his Omega Architects team. The efficient fast-displacement hull platform is by Van Oossanen Naval Architects. Moskito’s interior is the ninth Heesen with a scheme by London-based Bannenberg & Rowell.

Moskito’s interior entertainment areas—a salon, dining area and sky lounge—and six guest staterooms make for a solid charter platform, along with outdoor spaces such as the full-length sun deck, which has a hot tub and several sun loungers. At water level, there’s a beach club abaft the engine room that includes a sauna, hammam and day head, also popular amenities for enticing charter bookings.

The yacht’s six en suite guest staterooms provide up to 13 berths. The owner’s suite is forward on the main deck with an entrance off the lobby and 880 square feet of full-beam real estate. A desk and dressing area are immediately inside, followed by the stateroom with full-height picture windows that provide fabulous views. The forward-facing super-king berth is on centerline with a desk and chair to port, and a pair of armchairs and a table opposite.

Four guest staterooms are on the lower deck: two with forward-facing king berths, and two with twins that convert to super kings. One of those twin-berth staterooms also has a Pullman berth. The sixth guest stateroom is on the bridge deck with a double berth and could be used for private staff.

The yacht also has quarters for 13 to 14 crew, though Moskito’s owner staffs 19 in order to cover crew rotations. There are six twin-bunk cabins forward on the lower deck, along with a mess and the yacht’s laundry. The captain’s double-berth cabin is on the upper deck.

Crew can move around discreetly through most of the yacht. The main-deck galley amidships to port serves as the crew hub. From there, stairs connect with the crew cabins, the bridge, and pantries on the main and upper decks.

Moskito has two Ribeye tenders: a 21-footer for crew, and a 23-footer for guests to enjoy. The yacht also has inflatable docks, Sea-Doos, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, Seabobs, wakeboards, water skis and several Fliteboards for a variety of watersports interests and skill levels. I’m told that guests progress through them quickly.

Twin 1,350 hp 8V 4000 M63 MTU diesels deliver the yacht’s thrust via a pair of straight-shaft ZF boxes and five-blade nibral propellers. The top speed is quoted at 15.5 knots, with a long-distance run at 12.5 to 13 knots yielding a range around 4,500 nautical miles. On the bridge, the five-screen ECDIS setup includes dual radar.

Moskito may have started its life as a spec yacht, but given its popularity on the charter market, its continued success seems certain.  

BVI Namesake

This superyacht shares its name with Moskito Island in the BVI, which, like nearby Necker Island, is owned by Sir Richard Branson.  The name is believed to be a corruption of Miskito, the native people from the Mosquito Coast in Central America.

Making It Happen

Rotating captains Ian Robertson and Thilo Burks foster a can-do culture among the crew. Popular shoreside pursuits for guests include tennis and golf. Several of the crew play themselves and will serve as partners as needed. Other crew can instruct guests in yoga, Pilates and Irish dancing.

Stream Your Heart Out

Moskito has Starlink high-speed broadband connectivity, which means guests can do whatever they need to do online, wherever the yacht happens to be. Crew say that on transatlantic crossings, they have had no problem streaming live sports and movies.

Souvenir Screening

With permission from guests, Moskito’s crew will shoot GoPro and drone footage throughout a charter. Typically, they will screen a selection of images and videos with a soundtrack. On departure day, guests receive USBs with all the imagery as a keepsake of the trip.

Take the next step: heesenyachts.com and iyc.com

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The Galapagos Islands are a bucket-list destination for nature lovers eager to see the iconic animals of this remote island chain off mainland Ecuador. From the giant tortoises to the blue-footed boobies, the islands’ extraordinary wildlife is worth the extra effort required to cruise here.

Getting There

Cruising regulations are incredibly strict to protect the islands’ one-of-a-kind creatures and ecosystems. International yacht owners must work with a local agency to obtain an autografo, or entry authorization, from the Ecuadorian government. (Start the process two months out.) Cruisers must visit only the islands on the approved itinerary and must carry a local naturalist guide on board. Or consider booking a charter yacht instead. They can handle the administrative hurdles and provisioning so you can simply enjoy this incredible destination.

What To See

Each of the 13 major islands offers a memorable wildlife experience. Giant tortoises are the star on Santa Cruz Island. The Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora safeguards the survival of this beloved species. Scientists there nurture juveniles for several years until they’re large enough to survive in the wild. Up in the highlands, the nearly 30-acre El Chato Tortoise Reserve provides a protected haven for hundreds of adults, which can reach 5 feet in length and more than 550 pounds.

The view of Pinnacle Rock from the summit of Bartolome Island is the most photographed vista in the Galapagos. The waters at the base of the rock are a prime snorkeling spot, where a colony of Galapagos penguins resides. You’re also likely to spot black-tipped sharks and spotted eagle rays.

On San Cristobal Island, Punta Pitt is one of the few spots to see all three species of booby birds found in the Galapagos. The blue-footed booby gets top billing, but you’ll also spy red-footed boobies and Nazca boobies. In the evening, cruise around the island’s eastern side for a gorgeous sunset view of Kicker Rock.

Punta Suarez on Espanola Island is one of the most popular cruising stops in the Galapagos. From April through December, an estimated 35,000 critically endangered waved albatrosses settle in for nesting season. It’s awe-inspiring to witness their elaborate courtship rituals and juveniles learning to fly. Near the rocky landing site, you’ll also spy lava lizards, colorful red-and-green marine iguanas and Galapagos sea lions resting on shore or frolicking in the waters.

If you’re an avid birder, set a course to the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela to spot the flightless cormorant, another iconic species. And keep an eye out for swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos hawks and—of course—Darwin’s finches throughout the islands.

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Full wrap. Thin temples. Arched brow. Integrated side shields. Vented adjustable nose pads. Bioacetate frames. Recycled fishing-net frames. Upcycled plastic frames. Tri-Pel lens coating. Bio-based polarized lenses. Sports hinges. Spring hinges.

The list could go on for pages when describing all the features and options available these days for buying sunglasses—with styles now also being made not just for use on the water, but in particular for use on fresh or salt water, and during inland or offshore boating and fishing.

Some brands are going so far as to get species-specific when describing new sunglasses options. Bajio, in announcing its Zapata style, told this story: “This frame was named after the Zapata swamp in Cuba. Felipe, a local legend, lives there, teaching kids to fly-fish in the streets. This swamp is infested with permit, bonefish, snook, tarpon, snapper and barracuda. They are keen to eat anything in front of them, so we made a frame you can feed them in.”

Polarized lenses and ultraviolet protection are standard features in performance eyewear these days, as are hydrophobic and oleophobic lens coatings that repel water, sunscreen and more out on the boat and back at the beach. At the same time, there really are differences between, say, needing the best lens and frame shape for spotting fish in the shallows, and needing the best glare protection at high noon on a flybridge slathered in bright-white gelcoat.

It’s the basics plus the nuances that create a great pair of sunglasses for any activity—all the more reason to have multiple pairs on board.

A Pair for Every Activity

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Aquila had a hit on its hands the moment it announced its 54 Yacht Power Catamaran, which sold 27 hulls before the first boat launched.

The 54 was a direct answer to market demand for four- and five-stateroom layouts on a platform conducive to owner-operators.

Twin 380 hp Volvo Penta D6 diesels are standard on board the 54; however, some models come with optional twin 480 hp Volvo Penta D8s or twin 550 hp Cummins QSB6.7 diesels.

At press time, there were nine Aquila 54 Yacht PCs available, ranging from $1.2 million to $2.3 million.

From the Archive

“We left Clearwater for a short run along the Intracoastal Waterway and then out into the Gulf of Mexico. There was only a small chop, with 1- to 2-foot rollers, and the 54 felt like it was riding off the water. One of a multihull’s advantages is minimal roll; pitch was also minimized by the footlong underwater bulbs on the forward edges of the hulls. Those bulbs provide buoyancy and increase speed in displacement mode.”

— Yachting, May 2021

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Boaters who haven’t set a waypoint for Annapolis, Maryland, the past few years might be surprised by how much they find there.

“Annapolis, for years and years, was really traditional with what was downtown,” says Samantha Branham, regional director for Safe Harbor Marinas. “But the landscape has changed. They’ve built it up, and there are new restaurants right on the waterfront. It’s really cool.”

One of her newer favorites is The Choptank, billed as a classic fish and crab house. Its deck overlooks the boating action. “You’re sitting right over everything,” Branham says.

Another favorite of hers is Preserve, which is on Main Street. The menu shows a range of options from lamb ragu to vegan pot de creme, but Branham goes for the oysters, which she orders topped with creative accompaniments. “They’ll do things that are a little different, like a pickled onion mignonette,” she says, adding that she has also enjoyed the apple variation. “It was really sweet.”

To work off some of the calories, boaters can head back to Safe Harbor Annapolis, which has tennis and pickleball courts for member use. After that, maybe it’s a light nosh at The Fat Crab restaurant on-site, with a newly extended pavilion, before another walk around downtown.

“It’s the state capital, so there’s also a lot of history,” she says. “You can do walking tours. The Naval Academy is there. It can be romantic, or it can be good for a family with kids. It’s beautiful. I’m biased, but I think it’s the most beautiful place in the world.”

Local Delicacy

So many places serve crab in Annapolis that eateries regularly battle to make it onto Top 10 lists. Crab cakes, crab bisque, crab dip and soft-shell crabs are just some of the varieties.

Music Galore

A newer event in the city is the Annapolis Songwriters Festival, which takes place in September. It was created a few years ago and is modeled after the Key West Songwriters Festival, with dozens of free performances over the course of four days, as well as some ticketed concerts for highlighted acts. Shows performed at the City Dock are free for children 12 and younger, with additional venues typically including Maryland Hall and Rams Head On Stage. Some musicians also perform in the local parks, hotels and bars, with many of those concerts free for boaters who are having a walkabout downtown. The styles of music at this festival are wide-ranging, with a little bit of something for everyone.

The post Cruising Annapolis, Maryland appeared first on Yachting.

Ease of maintenance is something that has impressed Jay Dollries ever since he bought his Tesla almost a decade ago. On a catamaran charter with friends in the Bahamas, he couldn’t help but wonder why boats are so far behind in that department—not to mention still using noisy generators to power basic comforts like air conditioning on the hook.

“You spend so much time going through and checking the oil and doing all these things on the boat,” he says. “It’s been nine years ago now since I bought my first Tesla, and I still have that car, and I have spent a total of, I think, $250 on maintenance in the nine years, and I don’t have to check my oil. I change tires and wiper blades, and that’s about it.”

When he learned about Silent Yachts, Dollries saw people who thought like him. He ordered an SY62 during the pandemic, when the company was going through management challenges. Still a believer in the technology, he ordered a second SY62 that just emerged from the shipyard under the company’s new leadership. He still has Sunrise Dream, but he christened the new SY62 100% because it has been outfitted, in Dollries’ mind, to total perfection.

“We have two water-generation systems on the new one,” he says. “We’ve got a much lighter color scheme on it. It’s a four-bedroom plus two crew, versus a five-plus-one. Originally, when we designed the boat, we were going to do four-plus-one, but we didn’t want to put the onus on having a husband-and-wife combo for operating the boat. The crew quarters are a little bit on the smaller side. Having the second crew quarter gives somebody their own space.”

His plan for 100% is to spend this summer in the Mediterranean, starting around Venice, Italy, and then cruising down the Croatian coast to Montenegro and Greece. From there, he’ll head to Italy’s Amalfi Coast, then over to Sardinia and Corsica. The boat will be on display at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September, and after that, he’ll explore the South of France and Spain’s Balearic Isles before heading to Gibraltar and staging to cross the Atlantic.

He plans to be on board for the crossing, and he’s so confident in the boat’s technology that he’s already talking like an old salt about other priorities that have bedeviled boaters for centuries. “I think we’ve got the right crew, and we’ll be smart about making sure we have the right weather,” he says. “We’ll look at the weather patterns and make decisions.”

The Owner

Jay Dollries, 61, has been boating for 15 years. He had a 23-foot Boston Whaler and did fishing vacations at Tropic Star Lodge in Panama. A Bahamas charter with The Moorings showed him what cats could do, and he sought out one with tech that reminded him of his Tesla.

Designed for Solar From Scratch

Models in the Silent Yachts range are not solar conversions of traditionally powered cats. The team creates each boat from a blank sheet of paper.

The Silent Yachts Range

Silent Yachts builds solar-electric catamarans in the 60-, 80- and 120-foot ranges. The company’s founders have been at it since 2009, with the brand’s official debut in 2016.

Goals have a way of evolving. When Rob Vigors was a teenager, his primary goal was speed. He raced on water skis and then became a driver for the sport in his 30s, representing Australia in chasing a world title at up to 112 knots.

But today, with the whiskers on his chin coming in gray, he has other priorities. He moved to the Whitsunday Islands in 2020, bought a 60-foot flybridge monohull and made decent use of it, even though a cat might’ve better handled the short, sharp chop.

“I had looked at power cats,” Vigors says. “What turned me off was the narrowness of the hulls. The accommodations were tight. You had to climb over the bed to get into it.”

Then, at a boat show, he stepped aboard the Iliad 53S.

“It’s like an apartment on the water,” he says. “I went down into the master bedroom, and it was a bedroom that was east-west, and you could walk all around it, and it was queen-size, and I said, ‘That’s the boat for me.’”

That same day, he and his wife ordered Kailani, which is Hawaiian for beautiful sky and ocean. They’ve been cruising the Whitsundays with the cat for about a year, and they say they feel a significant difference.

“I don’t have to have a gyro running all night with the genset going to try and keep us stable at anchor or on a mooring,” he says. “Even the walkway down each side, it’s so big. It’s not like a monohull where you almost have to turn sideways to walk up to the bow. And the bow area’s great. It’s a great entertaining boat too because people can spread out easily.”

Full-height standing room near the engines is another favorite feature, along with a lot more stowage.

“One of the other factors was the swim platform,” he says. “It not only goes down, but as it’s going down, it extends rearward. It’s literally only a couple of minutes to get the tender into the water or extract it out of the water. It just makes life so much easier.”

Handling with the bow thruster is also easier, he says—so much so that it’s helping the couple’s relationship. “With the engines, the shafts spaced so far apart, it’s very easy for coming back to the berth,” he says. “We nail it every time. The old boat, we had a few moments…”

Real estate is constantly on Steve Lloyd’s mind. He started in the business two decades ago, focused on commercial properties. Now in his mid-50s, his brain went straight to land-based buildings when he decided to move from Pennsylvania to Florida’s west coast during the pandemic. He looked and looked for a dream home on the water, but they were all too big for him. Then, he says, “I saw an ad for the Fort Lauderdale boat show, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to live on a boat.’ My friends thought I was crazy.”

Lloyd had zero boating experience on the day a broker walked him around the show to see various catamarans. He didn’t like some of the finishes; prominent use of fiberglass inside especially bugged him.

Then he went on a build from Horizon Power Catamarans and really liked it. “My broker said a 52-foot Horizon had just come up for sale,” he recalls. “It was about $1.85 million. I said, ‘If you take a little off, I’ll shake your hand.’ I was living on the boat 30 days after the inspections.”

Four years later, he says, becoming a liveaboard power-cat owner has changed his life. He hired a captain and first mate who run the boat so he can be chief entertainer, sometimes inviting dozens of friends for local sunset cruises or to explore Bahamian islands by day while staying shoreside at night.

“Two of the bedrooms, they can handle queen-size beds,” he says of My Best Life. “The kitchen has the two Sub-Zero freezers and the refrigerator. The TV is a tuck-away. It’s like living in a 1,100-square-foot apartment, but you can go wherever you want.”

The more friends he invites on board, he says, the more people realize everything that cruising has to offer: “I have high-level friends who have never been on the water, and they’re like, ‘Wow, this is what it’s like?’ When you don’t have a boat, you’re not used to the lifestyle.”

He’s also become comfortable at the helm aboard smaller boats himself. In April 2024, he ordered a 32-foot Calcutta catamaran because the bigger cat couldn’t get into all the island nooks and crannies where he wanted to play. “I can take the Calcutta and run around to all the different bars and restaurants down there,” he says.

And he has fully embraced the idea that when it comes to some things about cruising, he actually knows more than a few lifelong boaters do. “The beautiful thing about the 52 is the width, the width, the width,” he says. “People walk on my boat who are boaters, and they can’t believe how wide it is.”

His Best Life

Steve Lloyd had zero boating experience when he got stuck in Florida during the pandemic. He looked for a house on the water, but they were all too big. Instead, he bought a Horizon PC52 and became a live-aboard with a captain and a steady stream of friends for parties.

Horizon Power Catamarans

The PC52 is the smallest model from this builder, with the biggest being 74 feet long. On the PC52, there are three staterooms, with open or sky-lounge versions offered.

Quiet Cruising Package

Horizon’s cats are equipped with a phosphate battery package and Termodinamica variable-speed air conditioning to minimize generator use.

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As a kid, I would accompany my dad to our local chandlery to buy paper charts. He’d spend his winter weekends with them, planning our cruises. Come July, these charts would appear on board, with waypoints and routes drawn in pencil.

This system wasn’t seamless, but there was something magical about sitting next to my dad at the nav station, discussing the day’s agenda.

Flash-forward 40-plus years, and Furuno has combined the convenience of electronic navigation with the practicality of a chart table.

Modern electronic charts simplify navigation, but it can be challenging to plan a cruise on a relatively small screen. Enter Furuno’s PS-100 planning station, which is available in three large screen sizes, including a pedestal-mounted 55-inch display. This setup can overlay automatic identification system, radar and weather information atop cartography, giving navigators the convenience of electronic navigation with the elbow room of an old-school nav station.

The PS-100 is primarily designed for large vessels that navigate using International Hydrographic Organization-approved electronic charts on ECDIS (electronic chart display and information system) equipment, rather than for recreational navigation gear like multifunction displays. That said, some large yachts sail with IHO charts and ECDIS equipment, while other boaters can plan their cruises on a PS-100 and then manually transfer routes into their Furuno NavNet TZtouch MFDs.

“The PS-100 is meant to be an addition to, or an enhancement to, an existing Furuno bridge system,” says Bart Disher, Furuno’s commercial business development manager, referring to ECDIS equipment. “It’s a way to easily look at a much larger screen, separate from the navigation bridge, to do the planning.”

PS-100 systems consist of a display networked via USB and DisplayPort cables to a downstream PC tower, which, in turn, is networked to the vessel’s ECDIS via Ethernet. Planned routes are created on the PS-100’s display and sent to the ECDIS via Ethernet, while AIS (and tracked targets), radar and weather information is sent from the ECDIS to the PS-100 via this same connection.

Users have a choice of three standard screen sizes: 32-inch, 43-inch and the pedestal-mounted 55-inch. Alternatively, users can spec their own screen. The three standard displays are built by Hatteland Technology. “We have a long-running relationship with Hatteland,” Disher says.

All three of the standard monitors have 4K image resolution, which allows them to display high-definition electronic navigation charts. The 32- and 43-inch displays can be mounted at the helm or on a bulkhead, or they can sit on a desk like a computer monitor. The 55-inch display can be mounted or fitted in a pedestal that presents the screen at a fixed 45-degree angle or that articulates from horizontal to 30 degrees using electric motors.

All PS-100 systems use identical PC towers, which are also built by Hatteland to Furuno’s specs and run on Furuno’s software. Each PC comes with a ninth-generation (or newer) Intel Core i7 processor, an Nvidia Quadro P2200 (or later) graphics board, 16 gigabytes of RAM, and a 240 GB solid-state hard drive. In terms of connectivity, the towers also have HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, a USB type A port, an RS-422/485 port, an RS-323C port, an Ethernet port and an analog input.

While it’s tempting to think of PS-100 systems as MFDs on steroids, Disher says one distinction is that while PS-100s can display networked radar information, they can’t control the radar’s functionality, such as operating modes or zoom levels. Instead, he says, PS-100s are intended to be large and eye-pleasing planning stations that let users explore points of interest, compare route options, measure distances using an electronic divider and create routes. PS-100s also have three sets of electronic bearing lines and variable range markers for measuring bearing and distance, and they can store and transfer up to 300 routes and 200 charts with their networked ECDIS.

PS-100 systems can also run NAPA’s cloud-based Voyage Optimization software, which requires Furuno’s optional Service Gateway Gate-1 automatic chart-update system. This software optimizes route planning based on each vessel’s performance characteristics to bolster safety and reduce fuel consumption. While NAPA’s Voyage Optimization considers factors including weather routing, fuel consumption and emissions, Disher says the system uses math, not AI, to optimize routing.

In addition to route optimization, Furuno’s optional Gate-1 system also acts as an automatic chart-downloading and updating service. This, Disher says, transforms the manual process of updating IHO-approved electronic navigation charts into an automatic service that compares available updates with the vessel’s licensed cartography library. It then automatically downloads any needed updates via the vessel’s satcom system and shares these with the ECDIS system.

Disher says boat owners and captains who navigate using MFDs can create routes on a PS-100 and save them in MFD-friendly formats onto a Furuno USB dongle, and then manually transfer this information to their MFD. While the process isn’t seamless, Disher says it allows navigators to bring PS-100 routes into Furuno’s NavNet MFD ecosystem.

Also, Disher says, Furuno is exploring the possibility of enabling NavNet MFDs to navigate on IHO-approved charts. If this happens, PS-100 owners could potentially share routes with compatible Furuno-built MFDs via Ethernet.

Adding additional equipment requires analysis. PS-100s require a large helm to accommodate the display, or bridge space for a pedestal-mounted screen. Still, the system would be a welcome addition to most yachts for planning routes, replaying past voyages, briefing crew and owners, or showing guests the day’s agenda. A simple tap flips the screen’s orientation, allowing for group discussion and collaboration.

Overall, Furuno’s PS-100 can provide the best of all worlds: accurate and up-to-date cartography displayed atop spacious screen real estate that makes route planning a pleasurable experience.  

The post Introducing the Furuno PS-100 appeared first on Yachting.

Water toys today offer more options than a Starbucks coffee menu to accommodate a wide spectrum of interests and activity levels.

For those who prefer to relax and lounge casually, there are cozy, covered and open float designs available.

If being more physical is your thing, perhaps a round of virtual golf off the swim platform, cruising on a custom stand-up paddleboard, skating atop the sea on an electric surfboard or diving beneath the surface with an underwater scooter is the move.

For those seeking to take their underwater fun even further, how about a personal submarine that can travel to depths of 600-plus feet?

Then again, why choose?

SeaDriveCX / Golf Entertainment

Sitting on the hook in Saint-Tropez, but want to play 18 holes in Pebble Beach or just work on your driving and putting skills? Enter the SeaDriveCX. Built for superyachts, this virtual-golf system is constructed with F1-grade carbon fiber for durability. The unit comes in a selection of colors and finishes, can be set up for lefties or righties, and has an easy-to-see display. Some of its data-capture features include ball speed, distance, launch angle and side spin. Club data is also captured, including head speed, angle of attack and more. There are myriad options ranging from biodegradable golf balls to gloves, golf bags and mats.

Triton 660/9 AVA / Underwater Explorer

Considering an underwater wedding with a few friends or a round of Texas Hold ’em at a custom poker table several hundred feet down? The nine-seat Triton 660/9 AVA—built for eight guests and a pilot—has a flexible, entertainment-centric layout that can do the above and more while below, even formal dining. Owners can choose how to outfit the interior, which is possible because of the 660/9 AVA’s single free-form acrylic pressure hull. The 660/9 AVA’s volume is about three times greater than personal subs with multi-hull designs. The 660/9 AVA travels at about 3 knots for up to 12 hours. Maximum depth is 660 feet.

Lind Electric Surfboards / Technology Meets Tradition

For those whose ultimate dream is to surf anytime and anywhere there’s water, Lind offers a solution: an electric surfboard that pays tribute to traditional craftsmanship and performance while pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation. The board’s drivetrain (the battery and jet system) fits into the frame and is held in place by a locking mechanism. It is modular and requires no tools to assemble, and it has more than 50 sensors and microprocessors powered by an always-on mobile network connection, making for easy setup, transportation and service nearly anywhere that a yacht drops its hook. 

FunAir Shaded Oasis / The Getaways’ Getaway

Ready. Set. Relax. While the kids are diving, swimming and paddling, the FunAir Shaded Oasis lets the adults enjoy some serious downtime. FunAir collaborated with Deck Tent to create the Oasis’ Bimini top, which can be removed if sunbathing is on the agenda. According to FunAir, it takes around 15 minutes to inflate the Shaded Oasis, which can be secured to the boat, the dock or even the beach. It accommodates as many as eight guests with access via the company’s SeaStairs. The Shaded Oasis has an inflatable coffee table as well as a netted area that lets guests enjoy the water without encountering the local wildlife.

Seabob F9S / A Porsche Design Classic

For swimmers who want to glide like a dolphin underwater, the F9S from Seabob provides the chance to cavort and cruise with the local inhabitants. This scooter has technological construction innovations, starting with its titanium, magnesium and ceramic coatings. It has a digital, thumb-operated accelerator to adjust the variable engine power while a sensor allows the rider to switch between normal and dive modes. For a more active ride, riders can select sports mode and feel the rush of maximum engine power. The wing system on the F9S’ jet nozzle and the rear side wings work together to create a stabilizing effect. 

The Rapid / A Go-Fast SUP

Designed with input from professional kitesurfer and designer Julien Fillion, The Rapid from Beau Lake is a racing-style stand-up paddleboard that has sleek looks and is designed to offer outstanding performance. Its body is constructed of carbon fiber for strength, rigidity and light weight, and a chic Macassar ebony wood veneer stretches the full length of the upper deck. The paddleboard is finished with an ultra-glossy protective coating for a distinctive sheen that protects the wood from ultraviolet exposure. The 14-foot board tips the scales at just 29 pounds. A carbon-fiber paddle with a telescopic handle is included.

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