Leaving Carter Creek, Irvington, Virginia (37.39.14 N, 76.27.08 W)
The 1926, 127-foot Miss Ann Built by Pusey & Jones. Photo by Steve Helber.
Photographer Steve Helber writes: “This photo shows the captain of a 1950s Classic Cruiser Launch as he tipped his hat bidding farewell to the yacht Miss Ann as it departed Carter’s Creek in Irvington, Virginia, in September 2008.
Miss Ann was built in 1926 by Pusey & Jones of Wilmington, Delaware. The 127-foot, steel-hull, fantail yacht cruised the Great Lakes before being sold to the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served as a research vessel during the war, as well as a Presidential yacht tender.
She was purchased in 1954 by the owner of the Tides Inn resort in Irvington, Virginia. The yacht was a familiar site as she toured Carter’s Creek and the Rappahannock River, serving the resort for 52 years as a cruise and charter yacht. She is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.
She was purchased in June of 2008 with the intention of serving the dinner-cruise business in Washington, DC. The plan was scuttled by the recession and the yacht now is berthed in Colonial Beach, Virginia, where she is for sale.”
Southwest Harbor, Maine (44.2797 N, 68.3250 W)
Photo by Art Baldwin
“This photo was taken from my Ellis-28 lobster boat cruiser moored in Southwest Harbor, Maine, around 5:30 in the morning. The tranquillity of nature enjoyed on the water at that time of day is pure ecstasy. About 20 minutes after the photo was taken, my wife produced freshly baked muffins and hot coffee from the galley.”
Photo by David Pollard
A Moorings 47 Power Cat pulls up to a dock in the Bahamas to pick up a group of charter guests. Wouldn’t you like to be heading down that dock, eager with anticipation for your own private charter? Well, you can be. The Moorings has a large fleet of vessels available for bareboat or crewed charter throughout the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Med—basically anywhere you might want to go cruising. Head to www.moorings.com and begin your next adventure.
Lake Norman, North Carolina (35.48 N, 80.93 W)
1930, 30-foot Hacker-Craft Pau Hana. Photo by Jack Stanford
“We live on Lake Norman, a very large lake just north of Charlotte, North Carolina. The boat house in this picture is where we keep our all-mahogany, 1930 30-foot Hacker-Craft triple cockpit, rebuilt from keel to stem in 1990. I have owned the boat since 2000. It is powered by a Chevy 454, otherwise everything is vintage 1930 Hacker-Craft. The name on the stern is Pau Hana which is Hawaiian for “end of the day” and “done with work.” Done with work, and time to boat. — Jack Stanford
Princess Louisa Inlet, British Columbia, Canada (50.18 N, 123.80 w)
2009, 74-foot Ocean Alexander Coconut. Photo by Gary Beyschau
“You’ve published another photo of ours, taken from a trip we took down to Mexico [“Snapshot,” October 2012], but this was our first passage north of Catalina Island. We have made passages as far south as Barra Navidad, Mexico, and have done two significant passages to Baja. Coconut is a 2009, 74-foot Ocean Alexander. Her home port is in Kona Kai Marina in San Diego, California. We met Ron and Carol Petersen on Kodiak, a 2009 65-foot Grand Banks Aleutian (seen in the background), during the 2011 FUBAR rally. They have cruised Alaska and British Columbia before, and at their encouragement, we met them in Anacortes, Washington, and departed for our trip north on April 26, 2013. The plan to cruise British Columbia and southern Alaska for the summer with a couple we hardly knew was a departure from our norm, but it became the best boating experience we’ve had during our 35 years on the water. Princess Louisa Inlet was our third anchorage, after False Creek and Pender Harbor. What an amazing introduction to the endless beauty of Canadian and Alaskan cruising. From there it was nearly four months of exploring, adventuring, and getting up close with the Alaskan people and their way of life. A six-month passage from San Diego to Glacier Bay, covering 6,000 nautical miles. Can’t wait to return in 2015. As my friend Ron would say, ‘This is way too beautiful to not share!’” — Gary and Pat Beyschau
Big Majors, Exumas, Bahamas (24.11.55 N, 76.27.34 w)
Photo by reader Mark Thompson, Owner Of The 76-Foot Horizon Skylounge Motoryacht M&M
“We have stationed M&M in the Exumas for the first few months of the year for the last three years. We found that Staniel Cay has sustainable and reliable access for supplies and for our guests to arrive and depart. In just minutes after arrival they can be enjoying a local libation like a Gumbay Smash at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, or a snorkel at famous Thunderball Cave, or relax taking in an amazing sunset from the aft saloon of M&M. To Life is an 80-foot Lazzara Skylounge owned by Jim and Beth Smith, who cruise with their four chihuahuas. This photo of To Life rafted with M&M at Big Majors, Exumas, in the Bahamas, was taken on March 10, 2014. We travel together often. When we don’t have family or friends scheduled to cruise with us, we sometimes just take one of the yachts and share good times together. We enjoy cruising all of the Bahamas. We have been known to leave for Bimini at a moment’s notice with the Smiths. It’s only 48 miles away, but there is just something so exotic about arriving there after crossing and seeing the deep blue waters of the Gulf Stream and all the beautifully different shades of blue you see as you approach Bimini. It’s like being transported to the good end of the world. We enjoy all that the Bahamas has to offer but it’s mostly the nice people and reuniting with other cruisers we meet along the way that keeps us coming back.”
Prideaux Haven, Desolation Sound, British Columbia, Canada (50°08’30″N, 124°41’15″W)
Photo by Power & Motoryacht reader Chuck Guildner, owner of the MJM 34z Encore
“This photo is from July 2013. It was taken from my MJM 34z Encore at my favorite anchorage in Prideaux Haven. I have been cruising to Desolation Sound since 1964, not every year but frequently, so it has been 50 years of rewarding cruising in this lovely area, where the water is 74 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, snowcapped mountains reach right down to the water, and there are many lovely protected anchorages in close proximity. Most of the years my family and I reached Desolation Sound by sailing vessel. Since 2008, I have spent several months each summer in Desolation Sound cruising with my MJM 34z.”
Taken in Cayo Herradura, Venezuela (10°59’232″ N, 65°23’162″ W)
Photo by readers Chuck And Barb Shipley, owners of the 2001 Kadey-Krogen 48 North Sea Tusen Takk II
Chuck and Barb Shipley are no strangers to beautiful waterfront vistas; they’ve been cruising the Caribbean since 2005 when they sold their land-based possessions and moved aboard their 2001 Kadey-Krogen 48 North Sea trawler, Tusen Takk II (shown in the foreground). This picture was taken from the top of a friend’s mast in the horseshoe-shaped harbor of Cayo Herradura, Venezuela.
“The folks on one of those motor-yachts warned us that the anchorage would soon be crowded: Thursday was a holiday and so many powerboats would be arriving to spend the long weekend there. They were correct; at one point on Saturday we counted over 120 yachts in that anchorage. We were impressed with everyone’s behavior. Yes, there were teenagers that hot-rodded a bit in their daddies’ dinghies. A few boats played loud music. But the affair was really a family vacation, including small children, and the music was appropriately muted as bedtime approached. Venezuela is a beautiful country.”
At press time, the Shipleys were cruising to Trinidad and chronicling their adventures at tusentakk2.com/wordpress
Taken in Tracy Arm, Alaska (57° 46′ 40″ N, 133° 37′ 0″ W)
Photo by Paul May, owner of the Jefferson 64 Lady Cynthia
Like many boaters, longtime reader Paul May’s first experience on the water was cruising around on a Boston Whaler near his home in San Diego. As his love for the water and appetite for adventure grew, so did the LOA of his boats. He would go on to own a 54-foot trawler and cruise to Southern California and Ensenada, Mexico.
“We enjoyed cruising in California so much that we wanted a larger, better-equipped boat to venture beyond our cruising grounds,” explains May. “We sold the trawler in 2013 and found the perfect boat in Seattle the same year.”
His “perfect boat” is a Jefferson 64 built in 2004 and powered by twin 845-horsepower Detroits. And when he said, “beyond our cruising grounds,” he meant way beyond. He and his wife Cynthia have ventured as far north as Tracy Arm, Alaska.
“As we neared the Sawyer glacier, we entered fjords with drastic granite walls and waterfalls at every turn,” says May. “The waters and geography of Tracy Arm are simply awe-inspiring. I very much recommend visiting to other cruisers looking for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in the wilderness of Alaska. You can’t beat the sizes, shapes, and colors of the icebergs.”
Photo by Kristina Strobel
I took this shot aboard Stew Leonard’s 70-foot custom boat … yes the owner of the supermarket chain. Stew drove us over to Anguilla from St. Maarten where we had a fabulous beachside lunch with his lovely wife and daughter. I remember Stew insisted I try the key lime pie as I mentioned I had never tried it. Mind you, I was hired to shoot interiors/exteriors, but luckily the sun stays out forever in the islands so I figured a couple of hours indulging wouldn’t hurt. It turns out that our timing was perfect. The light was gorgeous as we cruised back to St. Maarten where I snapped this image. It was a great day. —Kristina Strobel
Photo by Robert Holland
Leaning out of an old helicopter with a questionable maintenance history, Robert Holland captured this shot of a 121-foot Crescent, that at the time was appropriately named Nectar of the Gods anchored near Isla Palominitos, (Little Palomino Island) just off the coast of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Holland hopes that people who see this photo will lust after the place (mission accomplished in our book). This print now hangs in corporate offices across the country. Are you feeling inspired yet?
18° 18’ 522” N, 64° 49’ 927” W
Photo by George Sass Jr.
Plunging into the water never feels as refreshing as after a long day of working on a boat in the Virgin Islands. Jay Stockmann, CEO of Vetus-Maxwell, (shown here, midway through an impeccable swan dive) can certainly attest to that. Editor-in-chief George Sass Jr. snapped this shot in Christmas Cove, off St. Thomas after the two spent the day working on our 42 Grand Banks project boat, Arawak. This endeavor isn’t called MyBoatWorks for nothing. For updates on our progress head over to www.betterpowerboat.com.
Photo by Robert Holland
Hull No. 1 of a new Rybovich may sound like an oxymoron at first, but the 64-foot walkaround sportfisherman, Lizzy Bee (seen here) is in fact the first build from the legacy builder’s new venture as Michael Rybovich & Sons. Blending traditional lines and wood-hull construction with modern design techniques, allows them to build custom boats that are truly modern classics.
Go Fourth
Photo Courtesy Sea Ray Yachts
The smell of charred hamburgers and hot dogs mixes with the scent of suntan lotion as it wafts across the marina. Ice-filled coolers rattle with each labored step you take towards the boat. With a bit of luck, you cast off the lines just before flocks of folding-chair-lugging landlubbers envelope the shore. After an afternoon of cruising, the sun finally sets. Sweatshirts and blankets are produced to ward off the chill that descends upon the water; the show is about to begin. A loud crack and crackle pierce the silence as fireworks explode against a night sky. Fireworks are followed by the inevitable ovation of blaring horns. You could tell us there is a better way to celebrate Independence Day than on a boat, but frankly, we won’t believe you.
36°40.387’N 28°02.812’E
Photo by George Sass Jr.
Classic boats and nautical antiquity are easy to come by in a country that is as obsessed with the sea as Turkey. Yet a setting such as the Tuzla Yat Kulubu, overlooking the Istanbul and Princess Islands in the distance, is a special gem even for a country where daily living is woven into such a rich, unique history. Ninety-year old Olympic-class sailing craft line the grounds with antique outboards, mahogany launches, rowing shells, art, and books. Walking through the ivy-covered stone gates is any boating nut’s dream, where one special find trumps another. And the best part is rooms and studios are available to rent. We say skip the 5-star accommodations in Istanbul, and pass through the gates to go back in time, even for a few days. It’s a one-of-a-kind place and not something that is easy to replicate. And also, it is truly what memories are made of. www.tuzlayatkulubu.com
43° 44′ 6.7092″ N 7° 26′ 45.3876″ E
Photograph by Alberto Cocchi
Imagine, for a moment, it’s early in the morning and you’re cruising atop a placid Balearic Sea from Cannes to Genoa for a long weekend lounging in Italian luxury. Your AIS alarm begins to blare. Eight vessels in a tight formation are headed your way, the closest point of contact diminishing by the second. A fleet of fishermen you wonder? No, they’re too quick. Military vessels? That’s more likely.
As shimmering silver and mahogany hulls come into focus you recognize the mass as a flotilla of Rivas. An 88 Domino Super, 88 Florida, 63 Virtus Rivale, Rivarama Super, Aquariva Super, Isea, and an Aquarama Super fly past you and vanish as quickly as they appeared. When your boat finally stops rocking you wonder if you really saw what you think you saw or if you had another boat nut’s dream (we get them all the time). Whether it was a dream or reality, I guess the question is, does it really matter?
34° 33′ 47.2356″ N 76° 40′ 39.7344″ W
The cockpit of a battlewagon can be a peacfeul place before the fishing starts. Rods sit idle in their holders, neatly spooled line is pulled taut on the spools. Like the clay of a baseball diamond before the game, the bare teak looks impossibly clean and smooth.
That sense of quiet, the calm before a storm is what photographer Thomas Spencer hoped to capture when he took this shot from the flybridge of the Ricky Scarborough 74 Eye Roller.
Just a few moments later the captain would shout, “lines in” and the action began. The crew that day would be six women competing in the annual Keli Wagner Lady Angler tournament, a subtournament of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City, North Carolina. By day’s end this cockpit was covered in sweat and gills, and filled with memories.
Alligator Reef (off Islamorada, Florida) 24° 51’N 80° 37′ W
Photograph by Aubrey Hamic
It’s not uncommon to hear stories of couples who work hard, save money, and move aboard a trawler or sailboat to spend their retirement chasing the sunset. What is rare is hearing about a family of four (and a dog) moving aboard their 1999 33-foot Cruisers to travel the world, but that’s exactly what bloggers Robb and Aubrey Hamic (along with kids Blake and Bianca) set out to do after salvaging their boat from the bottom of a lake. The family has since crossed the Gulf of Mexico from their home in Texas and is currently cruising South Florida with their sights set on Cuba and Central America. “Sure, some people look at us like we’re crazy,” explains Robb. “But I had a kid dream that I never let die. I always tell people this is the boat I had [in the dream], and now we’re having a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Life on the water has been treating the family pretty well so far, as evidenced by myriad images on their blog of incredible sunsets, and their children smiling ear-to-ear while playing with various sea creatures. Even their dog, Onyx (shown) seems to be enjoying living aboard; but their new life hasn’t come without challenges. “It’s a lot different than living in a house with a two-car garage. We’ve faced rough seas, high fuel bills, and generator problems, but we love this life. We sought out an uncommon life and now we’re making the most of it.” (Read the Hamics’ blog at misslonestar.net.)
Little Bahama Bank 26° 55′ N 78° 33′ W
Photograph by Tim Orr
The photograph above is the kind that boating dreams are made of: deep-blue water so flat that it’s hard to decipher where the sky ends and the ocean begins. This shot was taken by reader Tim Orr and shows his friend’s 2004 Seahunter 35 center console gliding west across Little Bahama Bank to West Palm Beach after spending some blissful time cruising the Abacos.
“I can best sum up boating as the passion of my life outside of my partner in life, Lisa, and our family,” Orr says. “Boating represents a freedom, solace, and challenge that has no equal. The peace felt on the water frees the mind of all encumbrances and brings a contentment I can’t find elsewhere.”
Manatee River, Florida 27° 30’N 82° 32′ W
Photograph by Bruce Bottorff
Bruce Bottorff has been boating since before he could walk and he thanks his early experience on the water for instilling the deep-rooted love of nature he enjoys today. “Growing up, my family would boat just about every weekend,” he says. “And that was the time where my parents taught my brother and I the value of being together as a family and respecting nature not only for its beauty but for the way it can be non-forgiving if you disrespect her.”
Bottorff is now trying to instill that respect in his 3-year-old son Alton while cruising aboard his Lazzara 92. He and his family spend most weekends cruising the Gulf of Mexico—from the Florida Keys to Orange Beach, Alabama, with some trips to the Bahamas thrown in.
