Innehållsförteckning för January/February 2025 från Cruising World

Watch out for that branch!” Christian hurried to the starboard side, boat hook in hand. He fended off the threatening greenery while I slowly steered us through a 20-foot-wide entrance fringed by limestone cliffs. Our 41 Sparkman & Stephens, Pitufa, is narrow, just 12 feet, 7 inches wide, but the rocks felt close enough to touch as I made a U-turn. Finally the basin opened up, and we anchored in 23 feet on a sandy bottom. Next came taking the dinghy around the basin, looking for a place to attach chain and wire loops around rocks to secure our boat in a spiderweb of lines. Fortunately this was a dress rehearsal—no cyclone was forecast—but we at least knew where we would hide in a worst-case scenario as we enjoyed our…

Ever since my husband, Chris, and I moved aboard our 41-foot 1979 Cheoy Lee, Avocet, three years ago, our fresh produce has been going bad faster than it should. The fridge compressor was running nearly 24/7, straining our batteries. Having finished a majority of our larger refits, we finally looked into this issue. Our theory was that the culprit was insulation, or lack thereof, and we were right, leading us into our fridge rebuild. My favorite part of every project (besides finishing them) is the demolition and discovery. That’s when we learn what went wrong and how we can improve the design. When we ripped off the once-white, now-stained Formica countertop to reveal what was in the “walls” of our fridge and freezer, we were shocked. The previous owners had…

A lifelong pleasuresailor’s parents were well into their senior years, and like the vast majority of people older than 50, they wanted to age in place. That’s the term for staying in the home you know for as long as possible, instead of feeling forced to sell it as changes to your body make it increasingly difficult to remain independent. “With my parents, I would go around the house and take all the area rugs that they put on top of carpet,” he recalls. “I said, ‘What’s the biggest threat to your independent lifestyle? It’s a fall. We’re taking out this area rug.’ It’s a minor thing, but we fall-proofed the house, and we moved stuff around so that they could age where they were.” According to Harken CEO Bill…

Mark Pillsbury Mark Pillsbury is a die-hard sailor who has owned and maintained a number of sailboats, including a Sabre 34 on which he lived aboard for 15 years in various harbors around Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. He has been involved with Cruising World’s Boat of the Year program in various roles for many years and has reviewed scores of sailboats for the magazine. He is currently a Cruising World editor-at-large, as well as the editor-in-chief of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors. For the purposes of Boat of the Year judging, his purview is interior plans, systems and build quality. Tim Murphy Tim Murphy serves as education project manager with the American Boat & Yacht Council, where he develops marine-trades curriculum and certification materials. Having been involved with ABYC since…

Once you get into the category of cruising boats over 40 feet, all sorts of possibilities emerge. It’s a platform that supports plenty of volume below for accommodations and stowage, and which is also large enough for a powerful rig to take you anywhere you wish to go. The key feature is versatility. For this trio of contestants in the 40- to 45-foot sector, there was also a strong emphasis on performance. All three of these yachts sport all the cruising amenities, but they also perform well enough that competitive sailing will be an option for the club-racing set. Indeed, this Full-Size Cruiser division supplied the judging team with some of the finest Chesapeake Bay sailing in the entire contest. And one very special boat was doubly rewarded. J/BOATS J/40…

Big cruising catamarans are an ever-evolving segment of the cat universe, but the truth is, many builders and designers approach the deck layouts and interior accommodations with the lucrative charter market in mind. Hence, we see plenty of features that cater specifically to consumers of sailing vacations, which is why it was so refreshing to inspect and sail these two well-executed cats that have been developed with real cruising sailors in mind. Yes, Robertson and Caine, the builders of Leopard cats, provide many boats to charter vendors such as The Moorings, but the Leopard 46 is a cruiser, and a solid one at that. Meanwhile, you can certainly find Nautitechs on charter in places including the British Virgin Islands, but they’re the choice of avid sailors. What a matchup. Let…

From offices and homes to cellphones and appliances, we live in an era of expecting more from everything. A modern car is more than a means of transportation from point A to point B. It’s an entertainment center, massage parlor, babysitter, navigator, mobile office and, increasingly, a personal chauffeur. The expectation to do more with less is omnipresent, and the interior design of a yacht is no exception. Designers must increasingly meet consumers’ desires to live intentionally, work dynamically, rest restoratively and play immersively. It’s no small task to pack this growing list of demands into a space that’s able to navigate seas and storms, voyage to distant locales, and endure exposure to every type of extreme climate imaginable. While mega-yacht designers have the luxury of working with thousands of square…

A freak dismasting near the Canaries. A sweet, southern sojourn down the Dismal Swamp Canal. A father-son duo’s first serious offshore trek to Bermuda. The exhilaration of riding out a Cat 3 hurricane in the Caribbean. A bitter-cold bucket-list voyage across the Northwest Passage. Cruising World photographers and writers captured these stories and more in 2024. Scan the QR code above to explore our Top 10 most breathtaking images from the past year—and read the stories that tell the tales. What’s Trending Sailing Totem: Cultural Awareness Having arrived safely in the Marshall Islands, the Sailing Totem crew, Behan and Jamie Gifford, shift gears to the essentials of international arrival procedures, including the importance of patience and adaptability, respecting local customs, and having “one nice thing”—a respectful outfit reflecting local standards.…

This past August, the 52nd Annual Opera House Cup attracted an eclectic mix of 47 beautiful wooden yachts for an 11.3-mile race around Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts. The concept for this classicboat race was hatched in 1973, when Gwen Gaillard, owner of the Opera House Restaurant, and maître d’ Chick Walsh hosted a group of sailors to discuss the idea. Legend has it that famous singers such as Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland sang at the Opera House. Well-known patrons have included Senator Ted Kennedy, a long list of prominent writers and, of course, many sailors. Gaillard posted the winning boat’s name on a wooden plaque on the wall. Sadly, the Opera House Restaurant closed several years ago, but the regatta lives on and often includes excellent racing for 500-plus…

I confess: Beyond boiling eggs or making coffee, I’ve never been much good in the galley. I cook when I have to, and tell guests that my forgettable meals are hot, will keep them alive, and…would anyone else like to cook? A trip through the Bahamas on my Catalina 34 changed all that. I’d bought the boat years before, after crewing on other people’s boats. Eventually, I found the 1992 Catalina 34 for sale: long waterline, large sail area, and lines leading aft for good singlehanding capability. Below, the boat had a roomy salon, a galley and a comfortable V-berth—perfect. My fiancé, Kanako, was brandnew to sailing back then, but she was enthusiastic. We both liked what we saw. I signed the papers, cast off the lines, and discovered that there’s…

Upgrading your cabin lighting can be a winwin winter project. Not only will it brighten the sailboat’s interior, but swapping incandescent lamps for LEDs can also cut DC cabinlight current consumption by 75 percent or more. When lighting a sailboat’s interior, less is more. The goal is to place specific lighting intensity where it’s needed, lowering illumination elsewhere. Reading lights that are adjustable with a narrow beam width are a must near berths. The galley requires a bright source for the stove and counter. A navigation station benefits from variable-intensity lighting that includes red light for night vision; a flexible mini spotlight with a narrow beam can be used to delineate fine print or chart symbology. Digital displays stand out when the ambient light is reduced. Lumens, which are a…

Are you ready to take your boat ownership to the next level? Introducing our weekly Hands-On Sailor e-newsletter, which is designed exclusively for boat owners like you. Every Friday, you’ll get a treasure trove of actionable insights, from DIY projects and boat-maintenance tips to expert seamanship and the latest gear reviews, delivered right to your inbox. Our goal? To give you the knowledge and confidence to keep your boat in tiptop shape, to sail smarter, and to enjoy every nautical mile. Here’s what a few of our early subscribers have shared about their experience: “Hands-On Sailor is a game-changer!” —Tom B., Annapolis, Maryland “I thought I knew my way around basic boat maintenance, but Hands-On Sailor has taught me tips and techniques that save me time and money. Each week,…

The well-told origin story of J/Boats, one of the major successes in American boatbuilding for almost 50 years, began in 1977. That’s when Rod Johnstone cobbled together a homemade boat of his own design in the family garage. The dimensions of that 24-foot-long garage determined the length of the boat, and the J/24 was born. Ragtime was the first in what eventually became a production run of more than 5,500 boats, making it the world’s most popular keelboat. It was also the first of the brand’s more than four-dozen models produced in the years since. The Johnstones never looked back. It’s always been a family-run business. Rod’s marketing-whiz brother, Bob, joined the team soon after it launched. Today, Rod’s kids run the show: Jeffrey is the company’s president, and Alan…

So, you want to head offshore for true bluewater sailing? You want a vessel that will get you to your destination swiftly and safely? You want an inviting layout and all the amenities for comfortable, gracious living once you arrive? If that’s the case, then the big-boat category for this year’s Boat of the Year fleet has a pair of offerings that provide different platforms and approaches but check all the relevant boxes with style and panache. For many sailors, this will be a straightforward choice based on tastes and experiences. Do you want the open layout and broad vistas of a deck-salon layout, like the Moody DS48? Or the inherent strength and security of an aluminum hull, like the Allures 51.9? You could easily make the case both ways,…

Two hulls are better than one: Well, that’s the consensus of the growing number of sailors and charterers who opt for the ever-expanding universe of cruising and racing catamarans. But are three hulls better than two? That was the question posed by this trio of no-holds-barred multihulls, which included the fleet’s sole trimaran, the Neel 52. On massive platforms like these, the options and possibilities are almost endless, and all three of these boats were true marvels of ingenuity, technology and innovation. Of course, with sticker prices ranging from $1.5 million to $4 million, they well should be. At the end of the day, however, this triumvirate also offered excellent sailing. As far as the question of cat versus tri, at least for 2025, the judges made a firm choice.…

Our annual Boat of the Year contest is different. Seriously different. Each year, select nominees are judged by an independent panel of sailing experts who evaluate the fleet in two stages: dockside during the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, and then in dedicated sea trials on Chesapeake Bay. This year’s panel of judges—Herb McCormick, Mark Pillsbury and Tim Murphy—set a pretty high bar, measuring every spec, inspecting every inch of rigging, unscrewing every electrical panel to examine the wiring behind it, scrutinizing every element of construction, and questioning every layout option. Congratulations to the 2025 Boat of the Year winners and nominees, which are profiled starting on page 64 in this issue. We hope you, the readers, continue to get as much out of our annual reconnaissance mission…

I remember the near-perfect wind conditions: a clean 18 knots from the north. Smooth water slid under my board as the setting sun lit up my yellow Duotone 10. It was a glorious day in the Cyclades off the Greek mainland, behind a strip of land just south of Naxos. What made it unforgettable was the girl. My heart jumped when I saw my friend and fellow cruiser, Yuka, launch from her boat on a pink Duotone 9 and begin crisscrossing my wake. I had no idea how rare the company of women in this sport would be. Nearly two years have passed, and I’ve yet to befriend another cruising female kiteboarder. With women also being historically underrepresented in the sport of sailing, my kiteboarding observation shouldn’t be surprising—though there are…

There is nothing better than the revitalizing effect of a hot shower after a cold, wet, windy watch. This is why I place such a high value on the reliability and efficiency of a vessel’s water heater. Here are the key considerations for any boat’s hot-water heater to keep it running at its best. AIR Closed engine-cooling systems, which circulate coolant rather than seawater through the block, are designed so that air will rise to the highest location: the pressurized expansion tank. This is where the pressure cap is installed, and should be the apex of this system. However, if a water heater is plumbed to the engine and elevated so that its internal heat exchange is higher than the pressure cap, air will migrate into this plumbing. This will…

It wasn’t all that long ago, in the grand scheme of things, when a 35-foot boat was deemed more than adequate for bluewater sailing. Hal Roth won the Cruising Club of America’s prestigious Blue Water Medal for his adventures aboard his Spencer 35, Whisper. World cruiser Alvah Simon roamed the planet on a 36-footer called Roger Henry. Heck, Lin and Larry Pardey’s Taleisin wasn’t even 30 feet long. In more-recent times, production builders have eschewed the Midsize Cruiser category in lieu of larger boats that are more profitable, but the Boat of the Year judges have a soft spot for modest-yet-capable boats. For the 2025 contest, happily, they had a solid trio of nominees from which to choose. GROUPE BENETEAU Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 Performance This new Midsize offering from…

The Midsize Multihull category for the 2025 Boat of the Year contest was represented almost as well as the United Nations, with a truly international lineup. It included two nominees from the most prolific builders of cruising cats on the planet: France (Lagoon 43) and South Africa (Vision 444 ES). The third boat (Seawind 1370) was conceived by a builder that started operations in Australia, moved them to Vietnam, and now produces yachts in a brand-new facility in Turkey. All three brands have enjoyed considerable Boat of the Year success over the years, which made this one of the most competitive divisions for 2025. What made it even more enticing were the different approaches from the trio of nominees. SEAWIND CATAMARANS Seawind 1370 This 45-foot cat from Aussie Richard Ward’s…

“Stepping aboard the 54-foot Windelo, it was refreshing to see all sorts of new thinking in terms of building material, layout and propulsion. WINDELO Windelo 54 Yachting Every year, it seems, the Boat of the Year fleet includes a company and boat with a groundbreaking approach that borders on the radical, something that seems completely different from everything else afloat. For 2025, that yacht was an impressive catamaran: the Windelo 54 Yachting. Judge Tim Murphy says: “In the past few years, it has seemed like there are fewer and fewer differences between the various nominees. So, stepping aboard the 54-foot Windelo, it was refreshing to see all sorts of new thinking in terms of building material, layout and propulsion. The forward cockpit was a new take on a trend popular…

Busted FLUSH My mom was a voracious reader who often passed along her tattered paperbacks to me. That’s how I came to know and love the works of John D. MacDonald, and the rough-and-tumble protagonist in nearly two dozen of his novels, a “salvage consultant” called Travis McGee who moonlights as a private eye. McGee lives on a houseboat called Busted Flush, which he won in a card game, and he even makes an appearance in the Jimmy Buffett tune “Incommunicado”: “Travis McGee’s still in Cedar Key/That’s what old John MacDonald said.” MacDonald actually lived on Siesta Key, near Sarasota, Florida, a place I now know well; for the past two years, I’ve spent winters aboard my Pearson 365, August West, just a few miles north on another barrier island…