Soundings March 2021

The Soundings edit team is always up for an adventure. Take Executive Editor Pim Van Hemmen. He wanted to write a story about a group of oystermen near his homeport in Maine for this issue, so he had to do the research before winter shut things down along the waterfront in that part of the country. So, in early December, he joined the crew of a harvesting operation on the Damariscotta River with the goal of watching the professionals in action. To get to the oyster beds, he rode out in an open 24-footer on a frigid morning as the wind blew hard out of the north. Temperatures were so low the sole of the boat was covered in a sheet of ice and one of his cameras froze up.…

OUTBOARD VS. INBOARD Thanks for the good review of the new Back Cove 390 (February 2021). I have a Back Cove 37 with the optional 600-hp Cummins inboard and was interested in comparing the two boats. The one item that struck me was the substantial difference in the cost of fuel and loss of range with the outboards. For those of us who cruise long distances or put 200-plus hours on our boats annually, this is a material difference. At 24 knots, the 37 inboard gets 1.24 nm/g and has a range of 336 miles. The 390 only gets .6 nm/g with a range of 300 miles, but it needs a 550-gallon fuel tank to accomplish that range. The 37 carries 300 gallons. All performance figures are right off the Back…

About two years ago, the owner of a Hinckley 44 approached Chris Hood of C.W. Hood Yachts in Marblehead, Massachusetts with a request for a custom boat. He wanted something larger than what he had, and while he briefly flirted with the idea of a Palm Beach 60, he soon realized that he wanted something completely different. In the end, he got it: a Hood 57 LM. This wood-composite flybridge design is one of a kind, as it is the result of a collaboration between three reputable firms. Partnering with Hood Yachts on the project was Stephens Waring Yacht Design and Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, both of Maine. As you might imagine, a boat conceived by this team has strong examples of modern and creative engineering. Among them are an origami-inspired cockpit table,…

Fraud charges were recently unsealed in a 21-page indictment against two former Illinois boat dealership employees in a case that marine industry experts say is rare, but that offers an opportunity for boat buyers to think about how to choose a reputable broker or dealer. Jeffrey D. Gibbs and Kara M. Wilkey, both former employees of Clinton Marine II, which sold used and new boats, are facing decades in prison on a combined 18 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Central Illinois, the two obtained loans on fictitious boats, took out loans using forged signatures, sold boats without paying off the customer’s loan or remitting payment, and collected payments for taxes, titles and fees without actually paying for…

After a few weeks of giant tuna fishing out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, aboard my 42-footer, I was looking forward to the two-day steam back to my homeport in Brielle, New Jersey. But the first leg to Montauk was one of those experiences I will never forget. What should have been a routine ride felt more like a relentless rinse cycle in a saltwater washing machine. I knew we were in for sporty conditions when the southwest wind went from fresh to somewhat frightening as we exited the Cape Cod Canal and came abreast of the Cleveland East Ledge Light. Rhode Island Sound was a mess of tall green swells with big, dark holes behind each one. A convention of white caps reached for the sky and the windblown spray cascaded down…

1. NAVIGATION: Which weather element cannot be measured accurately while on board a moving vessel? A. Visibility B. Temperature C. Wind direction D. Atmospheric pressure 2. NAVIGATION: Two well-developed high-pressure areas may be separated by a: A. Hill of low pressure B. Trough of low pressure C. Valley of low pressure D. Ridge of low pressure 3. NAVIGATION: What generally occurs when the land is cooler than the nearby water? A. A land breeze B. A sea breeze C. A norther D. A prevailing westerly 4. NAVIGATION: The hurricane season in the North Atlantic Ocean reaches its peak during the month of: A. June B. September C. November D. July 5. NAVIGATION: Which condition suggests that your present position lies in the navigable semi-circle of a tropical storm? A. A backing wind B. A veering wind C. Sustained gale force winds D. A strong wind that maintains a constant speed and direction ANSWERS: 1. A,…