Yachting

season’s greetings

The northeast boating season isfartoobrief, ifyouaskme—or if you ask most boaters in this neck of the woods. The cool-down comes fast and sometimes furiously. The saddest day of the year has always been watching shrink wrap turn a boat’s sleek profile into a nondescript, plastic marshmallow. ¶ But even with a shorter-than-desired season on the salt as the holidays approach, I find that this is a time to be grateful for a life on the water. And I’ve had some memorable days this year. ¶ A bunch of friends and I launched a charity fishing tournament back in 2012, and in June, we sent out around 200 anglers to catch some fish, win some money, and support our wounded veterans at the same time. It’s an extremely gratifying endeavor for…

this just in

The Riviera 645 SUV had its Americas debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in Florida. It’s the largest yacht in the builder’s six-model SUV lineup, which also includes 39-, 44-, 50-, 54-and 57-foot models. The layout can have three or four staterooms with three heads. A space aft can be set up as a utility area, crew’s quarters or guest stateroom. Power options are twin 1,300 hp MAN V-8s or twin 1,550 hp MAN V-12s. Cruise speed is reportedly about 30 knots; top hop is 34 knots. READER FEEDBACK Looking for photos and yacht news? Get social with Yachting: visit instagram/@yachtingmagazine, facebook.com/yachtingmagazine By email: letters@yachtingmagazine.com By mail: 480 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 236, Winter Park, FL 32789 On the web: yachtingmagazine.com…

buy it with bitcoin

It has been just 12 years since Bitcoin was launched in 2009. The yachting industry started hearing serious buzz about the cryptocurrency in 2014, when Denison Yachting began accepting it. By 2018, Denison had closed two brokerage deals and a charter booking on a 120-to 130-foot motoryacht, all paid for in bitcoins, but overall, the industry’s adoption of bitcoin has remained slow, especially at superyacht levels. ¶ Until now. In September, Camper & Nicholsons International announced that the owner of the 236-foot CRN Azteca is willing to accept bitcoin for the yacht, at an asking price of about $75 million. It’s believed that the 2010 build is the largest-ever yacht available for purchase with bitcoin. ¶ “The owner of Azteca owns a bank and is a very big bitcoin dealer,”…

made-to-order

Susan swope’s father wasaHatterasdealer who also built oceangoing houseboats, so she tasted the cruising life early. As an adult, she had a 54-foot Azimut and then switched to a 61-foot Outer Reef. “We were tooling back one day from someplace, and I realized that I liked going slow and seeing the sights and not being windblown,” she says. ¶ Her 61-foot Outer Reef wasn’t exactly a slouch on speed, but it was a bit small for her needs. Swope cruises with friends, family and dogs and wanted more room for scuba gear. In July 2019, she ordered a 74-foot Outer Reef, which should be with her in the United States by the time you read this. ¶ “We redesigned the stern of the boat,” she says. “There is a cabinet…

dayboat chic

Mjm yachts’ 3z has sportboat performance that belies its stately Down East lobster-boat style and upscale appointments. ¶ The 3z’s hull shape and outboard power create high performance. There’s a relatively straight stem enabling a longer keel to cleave and span waves. The relatively narrow 11-foot beam reduces drag, enhancing acceleration as well as handling in turns. There’s a battleship-style wheel of polished teak at the helm, and skippers can spin it like a pirate in tight quarters. In open water, the wheel provides positive control in turns and rough seas. Some narrower-beam boats can be tender as the crew moves about, but I noticed none of that as I stepped aboard. Underway, the 3z was rock-steady. ¶ Mercury Marine’s twin 300 hp V-8 outboards had the boat on plane…

that’s the bomb

For decades, mustang survival has had teams of people in the Pacific Northwest figuring out how to design and make safety gear, clothing and more for military use in the harshest marine environments. About five years ago, the company decided to leverage that knowledge to add more products for recreational boaters. As a result, this winter, yachtsmen have new options to help them stay out on the water longer. ¶ “This winter is really about extending the marine season and trying to keep people warm in wet or nasty conditions as winter approaches us,” says Joshua Horoshok, vice president of recreation business. “Traditionally, for us, that has always been through flotation clothing. This winter, we took a step out and worked with some really good materials to build out a…