Soundings is the news and feature publication for recreational boaters. Award-winning coverage of the people, issues, events -- and the fun -- of recreational boating. Check out our generous boats-for-sale section and our gunkholing destinations.
The Soundings staff has been having fun on social media recently, sharing some of the boats that get us excited when we see them on the water. They include decade-sold designs built in wood and fiberglass, and newer models that have what it takes to become the classics of the future. Judging by the engagement we’ve seen, it seems the boats that turn our heads are the same ones that get your attention when you’re scanning the harbor from your own bridge. I’m talking about heartstring-tuggers like the Pocasset 26 from First Light Boatworks in Chatham, Massachusetts. Like us, you also appreciate the sweet lines of this traditional wooden powerboat, with its tidy wheelhouse that makes her a capable little weekender. Then there’s the Pemaquid 26 (shown above), a design…
The worst day of Miriam Payne’s 59-day, 16-hour, 36-minute solo row across the Atlantic was when she had to make peace with the fact that she was going to reach the finish on the Caribbean island of Antigua, but not in time for the record books. About three weeks earlier, her shore support team had determined that if the 23-year-old could row her 24-foot boat an average of 55 nautical miles a day—ideally, 58—she’d become the fastest woman to row unassisted across the ocean in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. “It would be tough, but it was doable,” she remembers thinking at the time. Then, in a scenario countless boaters have faced in all kinds of vessels, increasingly bad weather forecasts started rolling in. With every update, there was a…
On June 6, the head of the National Marine Manufacturers Association called on Congress to fund research into the real-time technological monitoring of marine mammals, as a way to make sure 63,000 boaters from Massachusetts to Florida continue to have access to the Atlantic Ocean. Such research is needed as an alternative to a plan by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which wants to impose “regulations representing the greatest restriction of public access to our nation’s cherished waterways in our time,” Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of the NMMA, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. The oversight hearing was about a NOAA proposal that would restrict boats as small as 35 feet to a speed of 10 knots along much…
Cape Cod is one of the most popular summer destinations on the Eastern Seaboard. With more than 500 miles of coastline, the peninsula in the southeastern corner of Massachusetts has stunning coastal landscapes, many of which are only accessible by boat. Cruising to the Cape from Boston allows boaters to beat the summer traffic jams on the roadways while enjoying a scenic ride with noteworthy harbors to visit along the way. One of the most appealing aspects of cruising around Cape Cod is that the region is accessible for most types of boats. There are many protected harbors that are safely navigable by small craft, as well as accommodations for 200-foot-plus yachts. Here are some of the cruising options for boaters arriving to the Cape from Boston, as well as…
Is the anchor obsolete? Okay, that’s a trick question. From the standpoint of boating in general, the anchor will probably never be obsolete because it is a safety item no boat should be without. And if your cruising includes overnight stays or if stops in secluded coves for sun and a swim are on your agenda, the anchor is your best friend. But if you are a fisherman who enjoys catching any bottom species, you’ll find a lot to like in new technology that, in some ways, makes the anchor a thing of the past. Here’s an example from personal experience. I love chasing blackfish. I used to fish for these tricky bait stealers from an older center console, and to position the boat over small rockpiles or a specific…
LOA: 55’7” Beam: 15’6” Draft (engines down): 4’ 0” Displ. (full load): 49,873 lbs. Power: (4) 600-hp Mercury Verados w/joystick Fuel: 1,200 gals. Price (base): $2,835,000 Almost as much as they love the adrenaline rush of fighting a trophy fish, many offshore sportfishing boat owners crave speed. With the Valhalla V-55 center console powered by quad or quint Mercury Verado 600s, they can have both. The flagship of the Valhalla fleet, the V-55 has tournament-level fishboat features, sleeping accommodations for four and a 1,200-gallon fuel tank. It reportedly delivers speeds faster than 60 knots with five of the 7.6-liter, V-12 Verado 600s, Mercury Marine’s largest production outboard. The V-55 made its world debut at this year’s Miami International Boat Show, where it won the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s 2023 Innovation…
