Yachting January 2016

THIS TIME OF YEAR, the mercury where I live dips somewhere below “Whoa!” and “Are you kidding me?” The heat in the house kicks on so often that I look around to make sure the place still has windows. On the days when icicles line the gutters like long-forgotten Christmas decorations and the view outside is reminiscent of the tundra, I find myself staring at the gray and thinking back to balmy days cruising on aquamarine seas. One early spring morning a few years ago, I woke up in the master stateroom of a Hatteras GT63 at MarineMax in Pompano Beach, Florida. The morning was mildly humid and warm in a welcoming way. In short order, the Hatteras crew and I prepped the boat for a two-day jaunt over to…

VIDEO GOES VIRAL: 2.6 MILLION VIEWS Yachting’s 158,000-plus Facebook fans went bonkers over a recent video post featuring the Seakeeper gyrostabilizer in action. Our audience was impressed with what they saw, leaving 11,850 comments about the nearly 95 percent roll reduction on Seakeeper’s Contender 35 ST demo boat. Here’s what some of our followers said after viewing the video: Things have come a long way from when I was building stabilizers in the ’80s. Nothing through the hull, way cool! A wonderful life, indeed. I, myself, am living on a yacht and have for 10 years. Wouldn’t change a thing. GREG CONNER It’s not even funny the difference having one of these makes. You can be in the drift and there’s little to no rocking. PHILIP OLIN They’re getting popular.…

DEVIATING FROM WHITE paint on a yacht once caused whispers on the docks, even concern for a boat owner’s sanity. Navy blue was an acceptable alternative, but sea-foam green? Bright orange? They were the mania of madmen. As it turns out, more of us boaters are stark raving looneytunes than paint companies ever dreamed. During the past five years, leading suppliers say, exterior paint has become a design element unto itself, every bit as customized as interior layouts and decor. Requests for custom exterior paint are now landing with suppliers once a week. Matt Anzardo, marketing manager for Awlgrip and Interlux parent company AkzoNobel, says boat owners have requested paint to match everything from Home Depot swatches to floor tile to a Texas Longhorns baseball cap. At Alexseal Yacht Coatings,…

THERE IS NO TRY. THERE IS ONLY WEAR. Devon Timepieces is offering luxury additions to the season’s Star Wars novelty products, including a $28,500 watch whose details are as head-turning as the Death Star. Note the points inspired by Darth Vader’s helmet, side panels reminiscent of the Empire’s TIE fighters (that’s a TIE fighter cufflink too) and screw heads shaped like the Imperial crest. devonworks.com PICTURE-PERFECT Leica’s M Edition 60 ($15,540) is a commemorative limited edition inspired by the 1950s Leica M3. BUILT LIKE A SURFBOARD WITH WHEELS Guapa Cycles makes the Urban One bicycle (about $7,200) from a blend of bamboo and carbon fiber that’s lighter than most steel or aluminum single-speed bikes, but it’s still stiff and sturdy. Downright stunning too. PREHISTORIC LUXURY The centerpiece in William Henry’s…

IN AUGUST 2003, a massive blackout in the Northeast lasted about 30 hours in New York. I was in Midtown Manhattan when everything went off. There were no lights. No trains. No refrigeration. But my friend had a Sea Ray 320 Sundancer at Chelsea Piers. Five of us trekked west seven avenues and south 30 blocks, jumped on board and headed for anywhere out of the city. I piloted the boat out of New York Harbor, under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and down the New Jersey coast. It was a great night for cruising. We all fell out in the copious cockpit lounge, enjoyed a cool beverage from the galley belowdecks and let the breeze wash over us. For the next 24 hours, we cruised, laughed and almost forgot about the…

SOURCING SHOE LEATHER is not a sexy business, but it teaches you what the world’s tanneries can achieve. Virginiabased Moore & Giles, which began as a sourcing company for shoemakers in 1933, indulged its own inspiration in 2007 and began creating a custom line of bags and accessories. These images showing the new offerings were partly inspired by company president R. Sackett Wood’s background as a sailor, and how he wants to look and feel walking up the dock to the boat. 1_| TAYLOR DUFFEL Supple Italian leather on the outside, woven Jacquard lining on the inside. $895. 2_|RAGLAND VARSITY DUFFEL Pockets inside and out for smaller items, shown in nubuck bison tan. $670. 3_| BI-FOLD WALLET Shown in tan alligator. $560. Can be ordered in chocolate alligator and with…