Innehållsförteckning för January/February 2024 från PassageMaker

One of the perks of being a commercial fisherwoman is having access to fresh crabmeat. I love to make these crab croquettes for a quick and easy lunch or dinner from the crabs we catch on our boat, the LaDonna Rose. They are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a burst of lemon flavor and a hint of spice. To make these croquettes, you need only a few ingredients, and you can use canned or fresh crabmeat, but I prefer the latter. The trick is not to overmix the ingredients, and to gently shape the croquettes. You want to keep some chunks of crabmeat for texture and flavor. You will also want to chill them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before frying them.…

“Don’t all of the safety drills you do take some of the enjoyment out of boating?” a slip neighbor asked after my partner and I completed our morning drills. “Oh, no, quite the contrary,” I replied. The truth is that rehearsing for an emergency makes us feel freer to enjoy the boat, confident that we’re prepared for anything. The Stoics called it premeditatio malorum, “the premeditation of evils.” It is the practice of foreseeing what could go wrong, and having a plan to deal with it. The philosopher Seneca wrote: “What is quite unlooked for is more crushing in its effect, and unexpectedness adds to the weight of a disaster. This is a reason for ensuring that nothing ever takes us by surprise. We should project our thoughts ahead of…

You’ve had a great day on the water and are ready to drop the hook in a secluded anchorage. You release the anchor pin and toe the windlass-down foot switch, but nothing happens. The windlass worked fine the last time you ran it. This time, you’re stuck releasing the gypsy manually and adding some braking to the plunging chain. Once the anchor is set, it’s time to do some troubleshooting so you won’t have to pull the rode back in by hand tomorrow morning. THE BASICS Back in the early days of sail, a windlass was a rotating wood drum with pawls that would let it turn only in one direction. Later, the windlass (or capstan) was made vertical so men could walk around it, pushing on bars to increase…

As I walked along the white sand beach in Ibiza, a gem of a place within Spain’s Balearic Islands, I could see the Leen 56 gleaming in the afternoon sun a short distance offshore. It’s the first power multihull from France-based Neel Trimarans Group. (Did you catch the semi-palindrome? It’s a Leen boat from Neel Trimarans.) Like her sailing sisterships, the Leen 56 is built with vacuum infusion. Having three hulls allows for a power package that includes a 305-hp Cummins diesel in her center hull as the main propulsion, with electric drives in her outer hulls. According to the builder, with just the electric drives, the boat is capable of speeds up to 5 knots. Under full power, she can hit 20 knots and cruise at 15 to 18…

During a recent visit to Belgium, I was fortunate to attend The Zoute Sale, a collector car auction held annually by Bon-hams|Cars, one of the world’s preeminent auction houses. There, among new and old classics from Aston Martin, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and more, I gravitated to a masterwork from Modena, Italy: the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta TdF. Of course, I was smitten with the flow and curvature of her metal. But, I was also enamored by her history. Originally designed as a GT—a grand touring road car—the 250 earned its mettle as a racer in the Tour de France endurance event. After the car took the checkered flag in 1956, the TdF moniker was unofficially added to the name, per tradition. I thought about the 250 GT as…

Groupe Beneteau acquired Jeanneau in 1995 and has created delightful yachts ever since, including the Jeanneau NC 1295 Fly. Taking the popular 34-foot NC 1095 and stretching the concept to more than 41 feet, Jeanneau has built a yacht that is as appealing as croissants and espresso. The broad strokes are three staterooms (all with doors), including a master with a larger-than-queen berth, and two mirrored guest staterooms with twins that slide together into doubles. The master has an en suite head with a stall shower, while a day head with an equally large shower serves the twin staterooms. When I first boarded the 1295, I puzzled over how Jeanneau achieved so much space in the salon. Then, I realized that the house is actually asymmetrical on the 12-foot, 6-inch…

It’s not often that I cruise after dark, but on some occasions, it may be necessary or preferable. Navigating at night presents unique challenges. The potential to judge distance incorrectly, along with hazards and the absence of visible landmarks, all make after-dark navigation more complex. However, with preparation, proper equipment, smart navigation techniques and appropriate safety measures, nighttime trips can be rewarding for a captain and crew. PREPARING FOR NIGHTTIME NAVIGATION Before embarking on a nighttime voyage, check the weather forecast for any changes that may affect visibility or create hazardous conditions. Be aware of fog, storms or any other weather phenomena that can impede safe navigation. Be familiar with the planned route, and study the nautical charts thoroughly. Identify potential hazards such as shallow areas, rocks, reefs or other…

Italy’s Azimut Yachts has spent the past few years revamping and supersizing its Magellano line, which now tops out at 97 feet. But it’s the Azimut Magellano 60, which is the newest and smallest vessel in the range, that brought me to a yacht-filled marina on the Ligurian coast. Named after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, the Magellanos once started at an economical 43 feet. Today’s dual-mode, semi-displacement hulls keep the ethos of long-distance cruising with economy at the forefront of the designs, but update them substantially for a modern audience. When I boarded the 60, I felt like I was walking into a thoughtfully designed living room. From the cockpit to the bow, there were plush settees, soft carpets and a rotating TV near a high-low table. Visibility and volume…

The Sirena 48 is the smallest vessel in a four-model line that runs to 88 feet from the Turkish shipyard. Like her sisterships, the 48 is drawn by the Argentinian yacht designer Germán Frers. Her profile is defined by an elegant plumb bow, copious hullside glass and a tall pilothouse with forward-facing windows that echo her straight bow. It is a fetching look that translates well up and down Sirena’s model line. During the Sirena 48’s premiere at the recent Cannes Yachting Festival, the optional passerelle brought me over her hydraulic swim platform and into the cockpit, where buyers have a choice of layouts. These can include fixed or loose furniture with a deep lazarette and a transom door that opens to the swim step. An owner could opt for…

Nothing under the sun lasts forever. As things age, they tend to cry out for repair, replacement, reimagine or refresh, whether they’re mechanical, theoretical, cultural or biological. Dana Point, Calif.-based builder Nordhavn has made a habit of refreshing its designs, sometimes adapting tooling for one successful model to accommodate manufacturing needs of another. In 2003, the company started production on a 55. After delivering 42 of them, Nordhavn extended the tooling to 60 feet. The yard has since delivered around 43 of the N60 hulls. The N63 comes off the same mold as well, and so far, 20 have been delivered. Now, the Nordhavn N625 also rides on that same, time-tested hull. The N625 is a refresh, if you will, with some styling modernizations and a new approach to options.…

Today’s boats require a fair share of routine maintenance, as well as access to skilled talent for troubleshooting, repairs, updating and major projects. Demand for these services is always high, which is why smart boat owners ask for boatyard recommendations before they actually need to have work done. Any boatyard can power wash the bottom and apply a fresh coat of antifoulant, but if removing the season’s slime reveals oozing gelcoat blisters, you’ll need more than a quick in-and-out stop. If the yard you choose is short on labor, you’ll be stuck on the hard. Conversely, if a yard has multiples of workers tending to bottoms, repairing fiberglass and wood, and doing mechanical work, then it’s likely a better choice for whatever service you might need. Look around for a…

Ever since Robert Beebe published his transformational work Voyaging Under Power, boaters who are interested in a long-distance explorer yacht have followed a similar path. The consensus has been that the best boats for long-distance power cruising were heavy, displacement-speed monohulls. Stephen Weatherley, the founder of Archipelago Yachts, has different ideas. Two years ago, he began a search for a 45- to 60-foot explorer yacht with long range, good seakeeping characteristics and speeds in the upper teens to mid-20 knots. It was a combination of features, he came to realize, that virtually no current boat fully embodied. There were plenty of durable, high-speed boats capable of handling adverse conditions, but in the targeted size, they couldn’t carry enough fuel for his intentions. The closest Weatherley was able to get to…

As you read this, we’re coming off a holiday season defined by gifts, overeating and toasts. There is almost never a gathering of two or more people where a toast is not shared. It might be as mundane as “cheers,” or, for the more worldly, “sláinte” (health in Gaelic). Aboard a boat, toasting is always in season. While toasts officially date back to ancient Grecian banquets, I suspect that the first caveman probably grunted something to his cave friends over a mastodon cutlet, like “enjoy.” Historically, toasting is said to have begun as an homage to the gods. The host would pour a portion of the drink into a goblet, lift it with both hands in prayer, and then drink as a toast to Hermes and Zeus. This tradition morphed…