Yachting March 2016

Weather on the water can change in an instant. It was early summer, and our six-man crew was headed off shore on board my friend Tom’s Viking 50. The Atlantic was unusually calm on this morning. Greasy calm. Thick clouds hung low in the sky, like a light-gray comforter blanketing the water, but nothing severe was predicted, and the sun was trying to poke its head out. Our hopes were high for a storm-free, beautiful bluewater day. About an hour offshore, we noticed rain streaking toward the sea surface in the distance. A sizable squall was approaching, rapidly. Looking at the now fully green radar, we tried to weave the Viking’s way through the rain bands. There would be intense, blinding downpours — the kind of rain that gets you…

BAGLIETTO REVEALS 177-FOOT SUPERYACHT Yachting’s 176,000-plus Facebook fans responded in droves when we shared Baglietto Yachts’ photo gallery of its 177-foot superyacht being launched. Here’s what our audience had to say about the Francesco Paszkowski design: I like this one a lot. Spot on. MICHAEL MCEWEN When you see it on land like this, you can see it as a house. ANDREW MCCONNELL I think I’d rather be there. JERRY BUTLER It’s a beautiful yacht going to one very lucky owner. IAN HOBBS Congrats to the new owner. SEAN O’BRIEN Without straps, it’s even more beautiful. CARMELA TULINO Looking for photos and new yacht news? Get social with Yachting: visit facebook.com/yachtingmagazine READER FEEDBACK Send comments or questions to: letters@yachtingmagazine.com Send mail to: 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park,…

From start to finish, a custom design — your boat’s profile, a palm tree, whatever you want — takes 10 to 15 minutes. WHEN YOU THINK OF SPERRY TOP-SIDERS, the type of guy who comes to mind is not a dude who inks arms, backs, necks and legs in a Queens, New York, shop called Solid Gold Tattoo. But that is where Rob Hotte has been honing his craft for more than a decade, and he is now deeply associated with one of yachting’s most iconic footwear brands — all because one of his longtime clients works for Sperry. “It must have come up as a marketing idea, to tattoo the leather,” Hotte says. “My friend gave me a call to see if it was possible, and they sent me…

GYMNASIUM CHIC Hock makes these Loft Dumbbells ($1,000 set) from stainless steel and oiled walnut. THE WRITE STUFF The Cross Peerless Fonderie 47 Limited Edition ($4,700) has an 18-karat gold finish. ONLY 33 MADE The new platinum design of the LM101 from MB&F ($72,000) is a limited edition. WORTH THE WAIT: MONHEGAN 4 2 It’s rare for a builder to wait two years between Hull No. 1 and Hull No. 2 of a 42-footer, but that’s what happened to Lyman-Morse with the Monhegan 42. Hull No. 1 was called Peregrine, and she launched in 2013. Some enterprising boaters found her online, checked her out and commissioned the Maine boatbuilder to create Hull No. 2. She has now splashed as Lyman-Morse’s first boat certified by the U.S. Coast Guard — whose…

Marinemax has become the exclusive dealer for Galeon Yachts throughout the Americas, offering 10 models from 38 to 66 feet length overall. “We were determined to find a brand that could successfully compete with the more affordable pleasure yachts that recently began being imported in the market,” says Chuck Cashman, MarineMax executive vice president of sales, marketing and manufacturer relations. Galeon Yachts is based in Poland, where it has been building boats since 1982. The shipyard works with well-known designers like Britain’s Tony Castro, whose name you might recognize from the Tiara 5800 Sovran, the Numarine 68 and the Neptunus 56 Fly. One of the Galeon models now available in America is the 500 Fly, which has fold-down sides that enlarge the aft deck space, as well as an aft…

ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, I spent a summer season running a Riviera 40 Convertible. It was my first experience with the Australian-based builder. I took that boat up and down the East Coast, fishing far-flung bluewater waypoints. Every marina I stopped at, people asked me, “Who built that?” She was a pleasure to be aboard, from her clean, flowing lines and stout, solid fiberglass hull form to the flawless high-gloss teak interior and first-rate fit and finish throughout. So I was excited when I saw this builder’s latest: the 57 Enclosed Bridge, a formidable vessel that sits in the middle of a seven-model line ranging from 43 to 77 feet length overall. Some things haven’t changed, such as Riviera’s commitment to constructing high-quality, built-for-the-sea craft with solid fiberglass hulls and…