Passagemaker

Photos by Onne van der Wal Photographer Onne van der Wal has lived an amazing life as a yachtsman. His 50 years of images are well worth a thousand words. As a person, he is even more inspirational. I read the feature describing his restoration of Snow Goose, a 1986 Grand Banks 32 Classic (see “Shutter the Thought” at passagemaker.com). At the time, I was tacking between Fleming and Grand Banks in search of my own next project.

Trawlerfest is one of my favorite events during the year. I gain insights for managing Tiramisu, my Nordic Tug 42. I have engaging conversations with all levels of boaters, listen to outstanding presentations by industry experts, and stroll the docks boarding luxurious boats. This year in Anacortes, Wash., I attended “Ask the Experts: Town Hall.” I could not resist asking each of the panelists to share a medical episode that was their worst experience.

Even in a historic port city like Charleston, S.C., it’s not every day that a 125-foot, 200-ton ship from 1936 ties off at the downtown marina. Nautical news travels fast here and when a friend alerted me to the Robert Gray ’s presence, I was intrigued. It turned out that owner Leila Davenport Ross and her captain and business partner S. Davis Alford and I share several friends. A few days later, they welcomed me aboard a real-life time machine.

Story + Photos Vincent Daniello The problem was simple: A loose lock nut, unnoticed deep in the lazarette, let the steering system’s hydraulic ram shaft unscrew itself. With just a large adjustable wrench and needle-nose pliers, anyone with basic mechanical inclination would have had us back underway in 15 minutes. Or significantly quicker if the boat hadn’t been wallowing in 6-foot seas. Unfortunately, the inadequate tool set aboard had neither.

Photos courtesy of Northrop & Johnson A few years ago, I started to follow a slow and erratic trickle of information about an in-build, 78-foot, custom yacht that was slated to come to the United States before embarking on an Arctic excursion. I didn’t have a name, deck plans or a port of call, just a smattering of promising leads that kept me wanting to learn more.

When I first heard about the Automatic Identification System, I rolled my eyes and made some curmudgeonly comment about yet another gimmick to sell more marine electronics. I can admit it now. I was wrong. Really wrong. AIS has been a game changer for boating safety. While radar can detect vessels that don’t have AIS transponders (or don’t have them turned on) as well as other hazards, there’s nothing quite like AIS for providing critical information to avoid collisions at sea.

Story + Photos Vincent Daniello Smart boaters and good captains build maintenance programs and parts inventories with the goal of avoiding unscheduled marina stays for emergency repairs. While working as a freelance skipper, without a say in long-term maintenance, I’ve been on the wrong side of that premise too often. Issues with engine- or generator-cooling systems were often to blame for entirely preventable delays.

Earlier this year, Jeanneau Boats teased the Sea Loft 480 at boot Düsseldorf. She is a markedly different design from anything else in the Groupe Beneteau satellite of brands, born from a company-wide sustainability objective to reduce Jeanneau’s overall carbon footprint by 30 percent. Sailboat Sales Director Antoine Chancelier says his team conducted a case-use study with charter boats in Croatia. They found that clients were not sailing.

Photos by Billy Koehler CF Koehler is one of a vanishing breed. As a shipwright and second-generation owner of Koehler Kraft, a boatyard and custom builder in San Diego, his life’s work is dedicated to the creation, restoration, preservation and enjoyment of classic wooden boats. The yard is among the few remaining in America that repair and restore wooden boats outside of Port Townsend, Wash., and New England. Among his company’s charter fleet of luxury wooden yachts is the graceful Dickie Walker.

The Absolute 70 is the flagship of the builder’s Fly series, which starts at 47 feet and is designed for socializing and outdoor living. Sundecks, al fresco dining and plenty of glass are all part of the package, along with spirited performance and good maneuverability, thanks to IPS drives. I had the chance to get aboard the boat in the spring, and discovered the 70 is one of the roomiest flybridge models in this size range.