Innehållsförteckning för October 2025 från PassageMaker

When a yacht like Croix du Sud appears on the market, people often see her as a relic. She was built in 1944 in the U.K. as a torpedo boat, and was later refitted for recreational use. Those in the know would recall her striking presence on Dutch inland waters for decades. Recently, she was listed for sale at De Valk Yacht Brokers, and I saw something else: a blank canvas awaiting a modern update. As a naval architect, designer and from a boating family, I’ve always been fascinated by vessels that are structurally sound but feel stuck in an identity that doesn’t quite match the way people live or travel today. That is where my firm SIEdes began—as a design studio with a goal to help people see what…

You’re sitting on the bow of your trawler sipping coffee, watching a rose-hued sunrise and anticipating the day’s journey. It’s another 50 nautical miles to the next port. But as you start to haul your 120-plus-pound Bruce anchor, a nagging pain tugs at your left groin. Then, a sharp, searing jolt takes your breath away. You break into a sweat, feel dizzy and struggle to sit. This is an emergency. Your hernia demands immediate attention. Emergencies strike without warning. Whether you’re island-hopping in calm waters or tackling open seas, being medically prepared is not optional. It’s critical. For wound-care tips and first-aid strategies, read “Boating First Aid Kit: Treating Onboard Injuries” at passagemaker.com. Here are more things you can do before emergencies happen to make handling them easier. PERSONAL HISTORY…

The body of water between Australia and New Zealand has a few names. It was first Te Moana-o-Rēhua, or the Sea of Rehua, a star god to the Māori people of New Zealand whose guidance you may need in order to make safe passage in the dangerous currents. Modern maps label it the Tasman Sea. The water borders—or battles—the South Pacific Ocean, resulting in swells over 25 feet high. And to Aussies and Kiwis alike, the deadly waters have a third name: The Ditch. “Crossing The Ditch” is a common way to describe braving the 1,200-nautical-mile, open-water passage. The Ditch is one of the waterways that Mark Heeley had in mind when he decided to buy a powercat. Filling his particular design brief, however, would be a tall order. He…

Books on anchoring could fill a library, and boating magazines have covered the topic for as long as they have existed. There is no shortage of high-quality information on the difference between a spade and a claw anchor, or on how to calculate the catenary of anchor rode. Yet, boaters still find themselves in trouble at 2 a.m. This suggests that there is more to a restful night at anchor than the right equipment and proper scope. For a maneuver that should be final, setting the anchor is far from the end of your responsibilities. Dropping the hook might bring the engines to rest, but it is your situational awareness ahead of lowering the anchor that needs to be on high alert. Successful anchoring can’t be limited to what kind…

“Fast trawler” is an oxymoron, like “jumbo shrimp.” A trawler is technically a type of fishing boat: full displacement with round bilges. Trawlers are designed to go anywhere, handle the roughest of seas, and safely and effciently carry a load. They are also slow—not because fishermen particularly want to go slow, but instead because the characteristics of a full-displacement hull are better for seaworthiness, fuel efficiency and carrying a load. Like any full-displacement hull, these boats will never go significantly faster than their hull speed, and they often have relatively small engines compared to similar-length planing hulls. But nowadays, the word “trawler” is applied much more broadly to a style of boat that can share few, if any, fishing trawler characteristics. Fast trawlers are often advertised as offering the sea-worthiness…

The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal is a mostly dead-straight, restless, hectic and dull trip. This motorway for commercial shipping connects the port of Amsterdam with Germany. But near Maarssen in the Netherlands, there’s a small gap in the canal embankment. Under a fixed bridge just over 11 feet high, a narrow water-way leads through a (usually) open lock into the Vecht. This channel is perhaps only 250 feet long, but the contrast could hardly be greater. This connection releases boaters into a completely different world: on one side the busy canal, on the other the idyllic Utrechtse Vecht, where nature, charming towns, stately mansions and water sports are seemingly everywhere, just a stone’s throw from the bustling cities of Utrecht and Amsterdam. The speed limit here is about 5 knots, a slight…

Offshore’s CE Series boats are based on a 19-foot, 6-inch beam. Other shared features include full walkaround side decks, a main deck with glass in the superstructure, a cockpit with alfresco dining for 10 guests, and a flybridge and boat deck for outdoor living. The galley can be located aft or amidships, depending on the owner’s preference. Her accommodations package also grants owners some flexibility. The four state-room option includes a full-beam, amidships master stateroom with a walkaround king berth. A pair of staterooms with bunks or double berths separate the master from the forward VIP. Another configuration is three full-beam, en suite staterooms. Crew’s quarters are accessed via a transom door, which also leads to the full-height engine room. Twin 1,000-hp MANs, an upgrade from the standard 850-hp MANs,…

I love everything about a boat—except going to the boatyard. Beyond the typical and often necessary expense, a boat sitting on the hard is a boat that an owner can’t use, sometimes for much longer than originally planned. The one thing we can all count on is that, whether it’s for routine maintenance or major renovations, time in the yard will be eventful. To help keep the process manageable, here are a few pointers I have learned while owning a fleet of boats throughout the years. It is vital to communicate with the service manager about what you want done before making an appointment. The boat can be in for its yearly maintenance such as bottom painting, or to repair damage, or for something else. No matter what, staff will…

The year 1965 was brimming with future classics. Billboard’s Hot 100 music chart had two up-and-coming British Invasion acts in the top 10: The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. It was also the first full model year of the Ford Mustang, and the Stuttgart stalwart, also known as the Porsche 911, had just arrived on our shores. The following six decades of unbroken relevance from these musicians and sports cars are astounding. All have retained an enduring spirit and an oversize gravitational pull through constant refinement. They not only dug the foundation for the goalposts, but they also kept moving them to exceed expectations. The same can be said about Grand Banks Yachts. Its future classic, the Grand Banks 36, splashed in Hong Kong harbor in 1965. Since then, the…

It was just before Christmas 2022 when I left my friend Alyse at the airport in Mobile, Ala., for her flight home. We’d spent a rough three weeks together on the Great Loop, cruising from St. Louis to Fairhope, Ala., in mostly cold, rainy or foggy weather. The trip hadn’t been what she expected, and she was miserable. That made me miserable too, enough to be glad to drop her off, even though I had no one lined up to take her place. Honestly, I looked forward to continuing on my own. I live alone, and traveling in close quarters with two friends for the first six weeks of my Great Loop trip had been a struggle. Unlike a lot of folks, I don’t get lonely; I’m always busy doing…