PassageMaker

treasures, past and future

Editor-in-Chief Digging for a jacket in the darkest corner of my closet on a rare, cool Florida winter’s day, my fingers tapped something hard. Curiosity got the better of me, so I pulled out the offending obstacle: a timeworn wooden box containing my late grandfather’s fly-tying kit. To my soft computer-key hands, the wood, having survived being handed down for generations, felt delicate if not brittle. It had a musty smell—not the malodorous kind that makes your lips pucker at the edges, rather, the nostalgic kind that returns you to a particular time and place, namely my grandparents’ house in England when I was 9. Perhaps sensing my preteen boredom, Granddad had lent me his fly tying kit for something to do. Opening the box unearthed a wonderworld of curious wares, from peculiar…

passagemaker

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrew Parkinson aparkinson@aimmedia.com ART DIRECTOR & MARINE GROUP PHOTOGRAPHER Jonathan Cooper jcooper@aimmedia.com ELECTRONICS EDITOR Ben Stein ben.stein@panbo.com TECHNICAL EDITOR Nigel Calder nigel.calder@gmail.com COPY EDITOR Kim Kavin CONTRIBUTORS Bob Arrington Diane M. Byrne Chris Caswell Jonathan Cooper Hector Cyre Phil Friedman Becca Guillote Bill Jacobs Kim Kavin Cecilia Kiely Dag Pike Robert Reeder Peter A. Robson Mary South Peter Swanson Douglas M. Wartelle John Wooldridge Steve Zimmerman PUBLISHER Wade Luce wluce@aimmedia.com EASTERN SALES MANAGER Andrew Howe ahowe@aimmedia.com EVENT SALES & LOGISTICS MANAGER Ryan Davidson rdavidson@aimmedia.com ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Andrea Howey ahowey@aimmedia.com WEB ADMINISTRATOR Mary Lou Cooke mcooke@aimmedia.com MARINE GROUP PRESIDENT, GENERAL MANAGER Gary DeSanctis VP, MARKETING & EVENTS Julie Jarvie VP, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR William Sisson VP, MARKETING INNOVATION Eric Dallin FINANCIAL ANALYST Christine Nilsen PRODUCTION MANAGER Sunita Patel TRAFFIC COORDINATOR Samantha Brennan PRODUCTION COORDINATORS Chris Cirilli, Amy Pinto, Jennifer Williams EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CONSUMER MARKETING Dana Raven CIRCULATION, FULFILLMENT MANAGER Cerisse Carpenter DIRECTOR ACCOUNTING SHARED SERVICES Kelly Baumgardner IT SUPPORT Colin Dehnert CEO & PRESIDENT Andrew W. Clurman COO, CFO & TREASURER Michael Henry VP, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Tom Masterson VP, CONTROLLER Lisa Parkin VP, IT Nelson Saenz VP OF PEOPLE & PLACES JoAnn Thomas ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA BOARD CHAIRMAN Efrem Zimbalist III SINGLE COPY SALES MANAGER NPS…

the word on the docks

Drawing Board Aspen Unveils New C108 Aspen Power Catamarans has launched the newest member in its proa series, the 35-foot C108. Inspired by the unequally sized hulls of early Polynesian sailing catamarans, Aspen’s outboard boats adhere to the concept by employing asymmetrical twin outboards for propulsion. The C108 salon is extended by 2 feet from previous interior layouts on other cruiser models, and the overall beam is increased 8 inches to 10 feet 8 inches. Still trailerable, the C108’s expanded space allows larger accommodations, with greater speed and stability. aspenpowercatamarans.com Waypoints Charter Brazil The Moorings has announced its newest yacht charter base in Paraty, Brazil. Located between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Paraty’s cruising grounds feature towering jungles plummeting into the waters of Baia Carioca. Backed by mountains on Brazil’s Costa Verde, Paraty (pronounced…

grand banks 85

Team Grand Banks continues on its new ley line as it nears completion of its flagship GB85. According to CEO Mark Richards, the concept is a 30-knot boat with tiny-ish (twin 1,000-hp) engines, which if executed would be impressive for an 85-footer. Richards might have also mentioned an “amazingly fuel efficient long-range cruising speed of 21 knots.” And at 10 knots? “The range will be phenomenal,” he says. And the new flagship is only part of the big year that Grand Banks is planning, with the company having completed a four-year investment in its Malaysia and Australia shipyard facilities, doubling its undercover manufacturing capacity in the former to 550,000 square feet, adding 184 skilled staff to the workforce of now 900, and installing robotics technology to accelerate product development. “It’s taken a…

the many dangers of derelict boats

In 2008, after the world economy took a nosedive, the boating industry faced several challenges. One of the most serious was an epidemic of abandoned or derelict vessels (ADVs). Many boaters in sudden financial straits were panicked about continuing boat payments or maintenance and dockage costs. Perhaps intimidated by the glut of used vessels suddenly hitting the market, some took the “easy” way out—opening seacocks in less-traveled waterways, or simply rowing away from the headache bobbing at the mooring. ADVs continue to be a problem, especially in Florida, which has the greatest number of registered boats and is regularly hit by tropical storms and hurricanes. Severe weather events can rip vessels from docks and moorings, inflicting expensive damage and sometimes sinking boats. Is there a sadder sight than a derelict craft? Half…

navigating inlets

Few passages are more significant to a boater than ocean inlets. They are a gateway to adventure, or they can mean you’ve safely returned to port after a day on the ocean. Whether it’s the end of a simple run down the coast or the momentous finish to an ocean passage, the outer sea buoy and channel markers leading you in are a welcome sight. Even experienced boaters know, though, that this last stretch can ask the most of a boater’s skills. Inlets may welcome you home, but they can do it with teeth that will bite the unaware or unprepared. Transiting inlets doesn’t have to result in a harrowing tale. A little knowledge and preparation can keep yours from being the next story told. Let’s first understand the dynamics of water…