Welcome to the Tribe
Two couples stepped cautiously from the dock to the deck of a Boston Whaler 330, as their captain, Eddie Persichetti, greeted them with a warm welcome before showing them around the boat. It was a scene not too dissimilar to the organized chaos of the Newport International Boat Show happening just a few hundred yards away.
The difference was that the guests aboard this Boston Whaler weren’t interested in buying a boat (today, at least), they wanted to learn how to operate one with the help of a Confident Captain Power Boating course.
“How much experience do you have on boats?” Persichetti asked the group, who seemed somewhat shy.
“I have some,” one student acknowledged. “But I haven’t been on a boat in 15 to 20 years. Still, I remember red, right, returning.”
From there Persichetti and his co-captain, Tom Mcginn, walked the wide-eyed students through the channel and some basic safety protocols. One by one, the students took a hand at the helm, pushing the boat’s joystick and bumping it in and out of gear.
According to Mcginn, these classes give a first taste of being behind the wheel of a boat, and really work to bring people into the sport. “I had a woman in her mid 50s last year who had sailed her whole life but had never so much as touched the wheel on a power boat, but had decided that she wanted to get a small Down East boat to enjoy in Maine,” he says. “She left [the Newport Show], went off and bought a boat.”
And it seemed to work this time. All four guests spent time driving and left with a bit more confidence in their abilities as they strolled off toward the show. www.confidentcaptain.com
Master & Commander
Every so often a design stops our seasoned editorial team and makes us say, wow. A collaboration betwee3n Floating Life and CCN for a 138-foot expedition yacht, called the Commander, made us do just that. This boat is modern, masculine, and built to light-ice class, and the builder is experimenting with the idea of bi-fuel propulsion. We’re going to watch this project closely. www.cerricantierinavali.it
Fall into a Great Read
Our award-winning sister publication, Anglers Journal, is at it again with a fall issue that delves into the sometimes complex relationship between fathers and sons, taming the chaos in the cockpit when the action heats up, using the newest electronics to stealthily speak to nearby anglers, and much more. www.anglersjournal.com
Knot So Fast
On a recent long, slow cruise, I was reminded of the scene in Jaws where Chief Brody passed the time by practicing his knots. You know the scene: “Little brown eel comes out of the cave… comes out of the hole… goes back into the cave again… It’s not too good, is it Chief?” When Quint isn’t there walking you through it, Knot Guide ($1.99 on the app store) will help you brush up on all the essentials. Passing the time and improving your skills—maybe Brody was onto someting!
iBoat
Years ago it seemed as if everyone owned an iHome. That device might be on the cusp of a nautical comeback, thanks to the iBT9 ($100). Rugged and waterproof to an IP67 rating, this sound system can take a beating. It’s also loud enough that it can keep the party going while the boat’s underway. A built-in USB charger is a nice touch when out on the beach. www.ihomeaudio.com
Sweet & Sour
Cooking on boats often seems to result in food prepared merely to be edible. But if you’re going to fire up a Kenyon electric grill, as we did on our Jeanneau Leader 36 this summer, we figured why not make it worth our while?
Start with the shopping: good-quality Italian sausage (hot and sweet), a lemon (bear with me), and a sharp knife. Heat the grill to medium, and tent the meat as it cooks with aluminum foil, to keep the heat in and control the spatter. Turn the links regularly.
When it’s cooked through, move the sausage off to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch slices and squeeze over some fresh lemon juice. It makes that flavor pop.
—Jason Y. Wood
This article originally appeared in the November 2016 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
