Passagemaker

Illustrations by Jim Ewing Designer Ken Smith’s Grand Banks 42 is an acknowledged cruising classic, a salty trawler yacht with an aft cabin, sturdy wheelhouse and workboat-inspired profile that was built for nearly 40 years. The Europa version was an offspring. The Europa rode the same semi-displacement hull as the original, but the look was more contemporary, and an extended salon replaced the aft cabin, capped by a hardtop that covered the cockpit and side decks.

The pedigree behind the GranOcean W-72 is impressive: Noted naval architect Howard Apollonio drew her hull, and the interiors are designed by the Netherlands-based house of Vripack. The first W-72 to hit American shores—Hull No. 3 in the builder’s 72-foot series—debuted this spring at the Palm Beach International Boat Show. A fully custom boat, she is a three-stateroom model with a open flybridge.

I associate a number of pleasant aromas with boating: the briny sea, a sizzling steak on the barbie, sunblock, varnished teak. In contrast, there is a witches’ brew of noxious odors, from diesel fumes to fetid bilge water, that I like to forget. Holding-tank fumes are at the top of that list. A solution could be had with Perko’s Odor Eater waste tank vent filter. Utilizing a quick connect design, the Odor Eater is compatible with all waste systems or holding tank installations.

Photos by Katie Rouner and Mark Tilden A thin space is a place or time where the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world seems to be permeable, where a divine presence is more clearly felt. That is an apt description of what I think is among the most beautiful places on earth: Princess Louisa Inlet on the coast of British Columbia, Canada, about 100 miles north of Vancouver.

For more than two decades, Gerald Berton has been working on a problem that’s always been a part of the boating industry: how do you give an owner total confidence at the helm, regardless of experience level or boat size? Originally, his answer was to build the Yacht Controller, a wireless control system that enables yacht operators to maneuver their vessel away from the helm.

I remember the first time I strapped into a seat belt in my father’s Ford Country Squire. It was 1969, and I was about to have my first driving lesson in the station wagon. Recent federal legislation required manufacturers to install the belts in the front seats. Until that moment, ours had been left tucked into the seam between the seat bottom and backrest. I fished out the strap and snapped in, wondering why I should wear this uncomfortable device.

Hitting a large chunk of floating debris or running aground often does significant damage to the propeller, resulting in vibrations or reduced power. Such was the case last summer for my dockside neighbor, who, after an incident, was able to continue his trip thanks to a set of spare props he carried aboard. The replacement props initially appeared to eliminate the vibration, but when he let all of the ponies out of the stable, there was a throb at the helm.

Story + Photos by Ed Poltonowicz The sun was sinking low off Soldier Cay, painting the Bahamian water in shades of gold and blue. The view hardly seemed real. My wife, Lyn, handed me a martini. For a moment, everything was still. In the anchorage, it was just us, our boat and the quiet rhythm of the sea. Jumping off Triton’s boat deck in Staniel Cay, Bahamas.

Australian giant Riviera strikes me as a boatbuilder that has long been comfortable in its own shoes. Not usually the first to shift with the trend of the moment, its steadfast commitment to building high-quality, bluewater boats has earned the brand loyalty in spades. Of all the trends the industry has seen in recent years, one of the biggest has been the push toward outboard-powered dayboats. Photo: Darcy Starr Riviera’s answer to this tide shift? The Volvo Penta IPS-powered 4300 Sports Express.

Story + Photos by Angela O’Dowd Our journey aboard Celt, our Nordhavn 43, started nearly three years ago when we cast off lines from Jacksonville, Fla., crossed the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas and kept on motoring. We then transited the Panama Canal, crossed the Pacific and hopscotched throughout Polynesia. When we reached Bundaberg, Australia, Celt was hauled for some much-needed maintenance.