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.
Spring has a way of flipping the switch for boat owners. Covers come off, docks come alive, and for some of us, the idea of a new ride suddenly feels more appealing than ever. Boatbuilders know this well, which is why so many gleaming models debut at this time of year. For a preview of what may soon be tied up at a dock near you, see our spring season roundup on page 44. And if you’re truly serious about shopping for your next best boat, a few smart moves can make all the difference. First, try to balance excitement with a clear-eyed approach. A little planning now can help ensure the boat you buy this spring delivers years of great days on the water—not second thoughts at the fuel…
MORE SAFETY AT SEA Boating safety is not a passive endeavor. It takes training, thought, strategy and practice if you want to protect yourself and your crew in the event of an incident. As Jeanne Craig pointed out in the January issue of Soundings, the subject of safety doesn’t always grab headlines, but it’s important to recognize that the organizations devoted to it play an essential role in boating. I have a six-pack captain’s license. I fish regularly and teach adult sailing near my home in Scituate, Massachusetts. I’m also a member of the Cohasset Yacht Club’s executive committee. I want to emphasize that on-the-water accidents do not differentiate between recreational and commercial boating communities. I would argue that those who ply the waters to make a living are exposed…
The Cruising Club of America has announced 2025’s winners of the Blue Water Medal, the Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy and four other awards for exceptional achievements in sailing, cruising and voyaging. The CCA awards recognize amateur sailors for “adventurous use of the seas” and are among the most prestigious honors in sailing. A MAN OF THE SEA The Blue Water Medal was inaugurated in 1923 to reward meritorious seamanship. Previous recipients include Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Francis Chichester, Bernard Moitessier, Jeanne Socrates and Kirsten Neuschäfer. Now, Pete Hill joins the list. Hill, 75, was notified of the award while cruising in New Caledonia aboard his 38-foot, junk-rigged catamaran China Moon. “I am blown away by this,” he said. “This is such an honor.” Hill earned the Blue Water Medal for “more…
There’s an old saying that the sea and inland waterways find out everything you did wrong—eventually. Maybe not on day one, when the sun is shining and your deck shoes are still clean. But give it time. The best boaters are not the boldest. They’re the ones who always make it home safely, according to Chuck Hawley. In his former role as chairman of US Sailing’s Safety at Sea Committee, Hawley—recently inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame after some 40,000 miles at sea—investigated many boating accidents. He’s also been an expert witness in court, and has lectured widely on all manner of mishaps. One such investigation happened in the summer of 2025, when Hawley was 5 miles from Lake Tahoe, at his family’s cabin. A freak storm blew…
The team at Grady-White has never believed that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Why wait to make changes that could improve the product? The latest case in point is the Express 340, which replaces the Express 330 that debuted in 2001 as the company’s first outboard-powered, express-style cabin boat. Grady-White has built more than 1,200 of these vessels. In the updated Express 340, the builder keeps the boat’s classic, beautiful lines with the signature broken sheer, but expands the cabin space, adds stowage throughout, incorporates more comfort features and moves the helm to starboard to create a spacious bridge deck and better flow from the forward V-berth all the way to the transom. When I stepped aboard the Express 340, the cockpit felt much larger than the boat’s…
It was September 1983, and the New York Yacht Club had successfully defended the America’s Cup for 132 years, the longest winning streak in sporting history. The 12 Metre Liberty was prepared to mount a defense against the Royal Perth Yacht Club’s challenger, Australia II. In this 6.5-by 9-inch gouache painting, artist Frank Wagner depicts Liberty during the series of match races where the Americans would ultimately lose the Cup. Australia II was controversial from the outset, with a revolutionary winged keel that prompted the New York Yacht Club to allege that she was not a legal 12 Metre. The club also claimed the keel design was the work of Dutch engineers rather than the yacht’s designer, Ben Lexcen. This would have disqualified the racer, which was representing Australia. Although…
