Boca Raton 26°21′ N 080°20′ W
Photograph by Samantha Robinson
Your senses seem to heighten as the afterglow of the day fades along with with the range of vision. Navigating in low-light situations requires extra care and caution, true, but there’s something oddly freeing about focusing on the water around you and living in the moment.
It’s a feeling that the owner of the pictured Pershing 62 knows well. Decked out with a dramatic lighting scheme, he likely looks for any excuse to cruise at sunset to show off the LED lighting he had installed by Underwater Lights Limited in Ft. Lauderdale. And if, for some reason, he isn’t really feeling the green lighting on a certain evening, a few taps of the iPad screen change the lights to any other color of the rainbow.
Green, blue, red, or whatever color the owner chooses, this shot has us dreaming of our next sunset cruise.
Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo 25° 19’N 080° 16′ W
Photograph by Molly Carroll
Ever wonder what it would be like to travel back in time and charter a yacht in the 1950s? You escape the reality of the Cold War by sitting back in the saloon of a glistening Trumpy, Elvis’s “Heartbreak Hotel” crackles through the radio as you swirl a glass of Old Foresters. Not so bad, huh?
Alas, while we can’t go back in time, Key Largo’s Ocean Reef Club offers the next best thing, a rendezvous of sorts in early December called Vintage Weekend, which attracts antique yachts, cars, and planes from across the country and around the world. And for three days, the many enthusiasts come together—bound by a passion for restoration—to celebrate the craftsmanship of the vessels and vehicles on display. It’s a weekend that proves while our vices and taste in music might change over the decades, good design and pretty boats are timeless. For more photos from Vintage Weekend, see here.
Loveland, Colorado 40° 0’N 105° 16′ W
Photograph and story by Jonathan Cooper
Cradled in a barn at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains sits Eric Paulsen’s pride and joy, a 1968 Grand Banks 42. She paints a peculiar picture in her landlocked home north of Boulder, Colorado, where she has been dry-docked for the past six years as Paulsen carries out a stem to stern restoration. There’s still plenty of work in front of him, but Paulsen displays no signs of the weary carpenter: He does admit, however, to looking forward to the day when Splinters begins to cruise the waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Gatun Locks, Panama Canal 9° 16′ N 79° 55′ W
Photograph and story by Mark Fusco
Entering the Seventh Wonder of the World is a peculiar feeling. Despite being a nautical shortcut between oceans, a quick glance at your chart reveals that the Atlantic entry to the Panama Canal is actually farther west than the locks on the Pacific side. The next shock is the company you encounter. Even a sizable cruiser such as Argo, a Nordhavn 68 fairly accustomed to being on the larger side at any marina, appears to shrink uncontrollably when passed by the seemingly endless, brightly colored hulls of Maersk and Wallenius Wilhelmsen shipping liners.
While everything about the canal is big, the rest is all a waiting game. The canal runs 24 hours a day, and by the time it was our turn to enter the Gatun Locks bound for the Pacific the sun had long gone. In this photo, Argo is entering the second “step” of the three-stage Gatun Lock. By the end, the locks will have lifted the 200,000-plus-pound Nordhavn some 85 feet above sea level to the surface of Gatun Lake, at a pace that is barely noticeable to those aboard. Sharing our 110-foot-wide elevator with BBC Indiana (Antigua and Barbuda) and Kim B, a Panamanian workboat, we could finally appreciate getting out from under that old military catchphrase, “Hurry up and wait.” Until the next lock, that is.
Palm Beach, Florida 26° 46’N 80° 2′ W
Photograph by Billy Black
Sunsets get too much credit. Sure, they’re pretty and pair well with tall rum drinks. But as those who force themselves from their berths at dawn can attest, nothing beats a good sunrise on the water. You step out into the cockpit, your bare feet register mild shock before adjusting to the cool morning dew on the decks. There is a brisk chill in the air while the sun battles to burn through a thin veil of haze. And it’s silent. Absolutely drop-dead silent. Watching the sun rise and reflect over the water you’ll be left to ponder the question, is there a better way to begin a day? Spoiler alert: There isn’t. —Daniel Harding Jr.
San Juan Island, Washingon 48° 36’N 123° 8′ W
Photograph and text by Jonathan Cooper
Idyllic scenery, a first-class marina, and an intriguing past make Roche Harbor Resort & Marina on San Juan Island the go-to destination for mariners in the Pacific Northwest. Whether you’re staying long-term or simply using it as a stepping stone for longer passages to British Columbia or Alaska, Roche Harbor offers a little bit of everything.
And Roche really heats up after Memorial Day. Boaters can enjoy the resort’s jovial Fourth of July celebration, ongoing colors ceremony at sundown, and its suite of family-friendly activities, including a heated pool, serpentine bike trails, and a pristine bocce court, and cap the evening by dining at McMillin’s linen-tabled restaurant on seafood plucked from local waters, or take it down a notch and dine al fresco at Madrona. The food and libations menu at either will not disappoint.
It’s no wonder that boatbuilders also understand Roche’s greatness. Manufacturers and owners’ groups alike have filled the marina’s slips for decades, with no sign of slowing down. Makes of all sizes grace these docks from May to October, ranging in size and pedigree from such beloved builders as Ocean Alexander, Ranger Tugs, Grand Banks (pictured here), and countless others. Whether you come by pocket cruiser or megayacht, Roche Harbor has something for everyone.
Offshore of Aruba 12° 38′ N 69° 51′ W
Photograph by Richard Gibson
Line screams from your reel like a toddler on an airplane; your mind snaps from a haze as you dive for the reel. There’s no time for a belt, the bite is on and it’s a big one. The captain throws the throttles in reverse and the boat backs down on what you’re sure is a tournament-winning blue marlin. The transom—and your lower back—strain as your cockpit and the ocean become one. But you can’t worry about that now, since one misstep can be the difference between hero or zero. For the crew of Naira, a 47-foot Paul Mann (shown here) fishing in the Presidential Challenge Aruba Carribbean Cup Tournament, this battle would result in the former and a year’s worth of bragging rights. —Daniel Harding Jr.
Abaco Beach Resort, Marsh Harbour, Bahamas 26° 31’N 77° 5′ W
Photograph by Forest Johnson
Some people fish to disconnect from the real world, others fish to reconnect with nature, still others fish with the sole purpose of stealing bragging rights from their buddies. It was that last one, competitive spirit, that led a group of anglers to develop a points system that would allow them to determine who among them, at the completion of the 1968 tournament circuit in the Bahamas, was the overall “Bahamas Champion.” And so the Bahamas Billfish Championship was born.
Currently in its 43rd year, the area’s preeminent tournament series is still attracting world-class anglers. Case in point: the crew of the 69-foot Bayliss Uno Mas. On the first day of the tour’s second leg, the crew, led by Capt. Tom Lynskey, released a blue marlin, two white marlin, and a sailfish, earning them the tournament’s $5,000 Grand Slam bonus and the eventual win. www.bahamasbillfish.com —Daniel Harding Jr.
Atlantic Ocean 26°45’N 79°29’W
Photo by Robert Holland
School is back in session. A chill returns to New England and Pacific Northwest evenings, while in southern climes the temperature dips ever so slightly. Despite the fact that the sun slips below the horizon just a bit sooner, September is one of our favorite cruising months. Not quite fall, not quite summer, it’s a time that serves as a reminder to soak up all the waterborne memories you can. —Daniel Harding Jr.
Sarasota Bay 27°21’N 82°34’W
Photo by Jennifer Tee
Like cufflinks with a crisp tuxedo, there are certain appendages that dress up a boat and take it to that next level. They can be anything from a set of colored underwater lights, a fresh set of dock lines, or even a carefully applied coat of varnish. The same can be said of a new, crisp flag flying behind a boat—whether it’s an American, Bahamian, Canadian or any other nationality, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you replace your ratty old, worn-out flag with something that you can be proud of. It’s a tiny touch that speaks volumes, it says: I care about the appearance of my boat. Perhaps that’s why all the Chris-Crafts we tested recently flew their colors proudly. —Daniel Harding Jr.
Stiltsville, Florida 25°39’N 80°10’W
Photo by Black Sail Media
A new center console company called Mag Bay has been born—started by Cabo Yachts cofounder Mike Howarth and his brother Barrett. The goal for the company’s first model, a family- and fisherman-friendly 33-footer, was to create a boat that was instantly recognizable without needing to look at the logo. That mission was accomplished, thanks to a hull that features both concave and convex curves. A sky-blue 33 displayed on a trailer beside the road near our offices in salty Essex, Connecticut, has been known to cause the odd traffic jam. If that litmus test, and gorgeous shots like this one, are any indication, Mag Bay might be on the launch pad and ready for takeoff. —Daniel Harding Jr.
Port Townsend Wooden Boat Show 48°7’N 122°45’W
Photo by Jonathan Cooper
The last remaining Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet steamship, the Virginia V, is a pristine example of a passenger and freight ferry built in the early half of the 20th century. Commissioned in 1921 by the West Pass Transportation Company to offer service on south Puget Sound, Washington, Virginia V operated, uninterrupted, until 1934. It was then that she was nearly lost while docking during a severe storm. High waves smashed her against dock pilings, crushing her upper decks and resulting in a three-month reconstruction.
Today she is thriving under the watchful eye of the Virginia V Foundation. Her triple-expansion steam engine is all original, with parts cast in 1898, and her old-growth fir timbers have withstood the rigors of a duty-filled life from Puget Sound to a stint on the Columbia River. www.virginiav.org
Los Cabos, Mexico 23°36’N 109°35’W
Photo by Jonathan Cooper
It’s almost jarring at first; the bright white, sugar-sand beach melting into the deep blue of the Sea of Cortez. Behind you are miles of unspoiled mountainous backcountry, before you and just a few miles offshore, is one of the world’s true sportfishing Meccas. This is Costa Palmas, the up-an-coming resort destination from the Four Seasons. Perhaps what makes it most appealing, especially to boaters, is its marina. Already up and running and impressive in its own right, it will be home to 250 slips as well as some superyacht-accommodating water depths. In a world with fewer and fewer destinations left to discover, Costa Palmas will scratch the adventure itch for many yachtsmen who will likely go on to boast, “We were one of the first to be there.” www.costapalmas.com—Daniel Harding Jr.
