Yachting August 2023

THE TEXT READ: “HEADING OUT FOR A QUICK TRIP TOMORROW. WE’RE leaving at 4:30 a.m. Wanna go?” ¶ It’s always great to get an invite on a friend’s boat, and while I would normally jump at the chance, I knew I was going to be out the night before with family. I had a beyond-full schedule the next day. As much as I wanted to go, I could feel the weight of my obligations on my decision-making. ¶ But I let it sit for a little while. A follow-up text from my friend showed me the results of his last trip out, a couple of days earlier. He’d caught monster-size fish—the kind of fish that get talked about from generation to generation. How could I turn down that kind of…

76'4" LENGTH OVERALL 19'4" MAXIMUM BEAM IT USED TO BE THAT IF YOU WANTED a truly custom experience out on the water, you had to spend years building a custom superyacht at only the biggest size ranges. Oh, how times have changed. In May, Turkish builder Bering Yachts released images of its first custom yacht smaller than 80 feet. Lemanja, a Bering 76, is just the latest example of all kinds of platforms—small, large and revolutionary—that today’s builders are offering to satisfy pretty much whatever type of adventure owners want to embark on next. ¶ In the case of Lemanja, the owner had a vision of autonomy in the most remote locations, including substantial noise reduction so the yacht would feel like a home for the six people on board.…

FEATURE-PACKED E-BIKES have been around for several decades. The designs keep evolving, along with battery technology, control algorithms and construction materials, all of which help the e-bikes go faster, better, longer. Today, boaters who want to carry e-bikes on board are benefiting from advancements intended to make the cycles powerful enough to replace cars in urban areas. ¶ That’s the goal of the company Fuell, which says it has developed the longest-range e-bike in the world. The aluminum alloy Fuell models called Flluid 2 ($5,995) and Flluid 3 ($5,495) have reported ranges from 110 to 225 miles at speeds as fast as 28 mph. ¶ “We used the knowledge gained from our initial foray into the electric bike market with Flluid 1 to develop a superior urban-transportation solution, making sure…

45’8” LENGTH OVERALL 13’8” MAXIMUM BEAM GALEON YACHTS’ NEW 440 Fly is aimed at cruising families. It joins nine other flybridge models ranging from 41 to 83 feet length overall. This near-46-footer made its North America debut at the Miami International Boat Show earlier this year. ¶ In addition to having room for the family, the 440 Fly is a capable entertaining vessel. Fold-down side decks to port and starboard transform this yacht’s cockpit into a beach club, increasing the 13-foot-8-inch beam by 7 feet. Alfresco activities are further encouraged by a wet bar with a grill, a sink and stowage. An L-shaped settee with a wooden dinette is forward and under the flybridge overhang, protected from the elements. ¶ Sun soakers can gather at the foredeck sun pad that’s sized…

LAST WINTER, the owner and crew aboard the 124-foot Christensen Reflections spent the Christmas and New Year’s holidays in Belize. They had such a great time that this winter, they’re going back for several months that could stretch from November through February, if there’s enough interest from charter clients too. ¶ “There are so many little islands to explore,” Capt. Darren Shepherd told Yachting. “It’s never-ending, the amount of stuff. You’ve got the three main atolls, which are stunning, but you also have the outcropping with a national park on the mainland inside the barrier reef. There are hundreds of little islands there where you can hop around. The water is pretty deep. There are coral reefs all over the place.” ¶ He and the crew are especially eager to…

SOMETIMES I GET THE FEELING that I’ve spent more time working on boats out of the water, below their waterline, than I’ve spent actually sailing them. That’s because for New England-based sailors like myself, every fall, our yachts get hauled for the winter and then require a fresh coat of bottom paint before returning to the drink the following spring. For me, this seasonal rite of passage has gotten a bit easier since the old days when I spent hours with a longboard sanding the bottom of my J/24 racer to get that smooth-as-silk racing edge. But all the cruising boats I’ve owned since then still require prep and paint, and it’s an annual task I’ve learned to tolerate—barely—in the same way I grit my teeth for my yearly physical…