Performance-boat company Marine Technology Inc. will be representing Sunseeker Yachts in the U.S Midwest.

That’s exactly why MTI has become a Sunseeker Yachts dealer in the Midwest, and why Randy Scism, the world championship-winning owner and founder of the go-fast catamaran company, recently returned from a tour of the Sunseeker facility in Dorset, England.

“I have been around Sunseekers a lot because I have a lot of clients who own them, so I was pretty familiar with the different models they offer,” says Scism. “This whole thing started with a customer I have in Europe who has a 53-foot Sunseeker and wants trade it in. That’s how our dialogue with Sunseeker began. I don’t think there’s any conflict. The guys who buy our catamarans are all high-end guys who also buy yachts. I have repeat MTI buyers who have Sunseekers, and I have new MTI customers who are interested in buying them.”

Scism says a new, soon-to-be-released 40-foot Sunseeker model should be a popular choice in the Midwest, particularly on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, which has become something of a Midwest hotbed for the yachts. But while his territory is the Midwest, Scism said that the nature of his customer base is such that they boat year-round all over the country and, as such, are not limited to Sunseeker’s smaller models.

“We’ll be based out of here—Sunseeker hasn’t had good representation in the Midwest for some time—but our customers use their boats all over the place,” says Scism. “They take them south for the winter and north in the summer. They use their boats a lot more than the average, seasonal guys. Sunseeker has this new 38-meter model that’s really cool, and I think some of our existing customers will like it.

“I have one customer who’s had four MTIs and four Sunseekers so far,” Scism adds. “Next time he needs a new boat, I hope to be able to provide that service.”

Marine Technology’s latest project, a 42-foot, high-styled center console V-bottom that should be completed in six months, fits into Scism’s symbiotic vision for MTI and Sunseeker. “The new center console will be a very high-end sportboat,” says Scism. “One of the nice things about these guys with these big boats is they use boats models like our center console as tenders. So they complement one another.”

– Matt Trulio

Boating and fishing in the middle of the winter may be cold, but for die-hard boaters like these, it's well worth the effort.

1. Leave your battery on a trickle-charge. During the cold months when boats may sit for a few weeks at a time in sub-freezing weather, dead or weak batteries are common. Make sure yours stays strong, by putting it on a one-amp trickle-charge at all times; simple, inexpensive solar chargers are great for this job.

2. Bring back-up warmth when you go boating. If you get wet you’ll need to warm up fast—remember that hypothermia is the number-one killer of outdoor folks during the off-season. Carry pocket warmers, an extra change of clothes, a thermos filled with a hot drink or soup, and other forms of heat which you can pump into your body, if need be.

3. Wear a float-coat. These jackets not only have a PFD built-in, they’re also extremely warm; all that foam makes for great insulation.

4. Remember to plug the plumbing you can’t shut off. Some items on your boat will take on water the moment you start running, and don’t have seacocks to cut them off. Livewells with high-speed pick-ups are one common culprit, and if they fill up while you’re not paying attention, some water may sit in the lines or well all day long. In extremely cold weather, that can mean a burst hose or cracked fiberglass. Prevent this problem by plugging the well (or fishbox drain, sea chest, etc.) from the inside, before you launch.

5. Bring along ski goggles. Regular sunglasses won’t give your eyes any protection from biting-cold wind, but a pair of ski goggles will keep your eyes from tearing up while you cruise.

-Lenny Rudow

Commodore Ralph Munroe's Kingfish was half the original payment for 40 acres of bayfront property. Photo: HistoryMiami Archives & Research Center.

In 1886, Ralph Middleton Munroe purchased 40 acres of frontage property on Biscayne Bay for $400 cash and Kingfish, the sharpie pictured above. He first built a boathouse right along the shore, and lived upstairs until he married his second wife, Jessie Wirth. In 1891 he built the Barnacle, naming it after that tenacious crustacean both for its holding power and for its hole in the top.

The “Commodore,” as he was known, was an original founder of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and its commodore for twenty-two years. He began welcoming sailors to the first clubhouse, which also happened to be his boathouse and home, in 1887. And thanks to a group of his descendants, visitors can still experience that warm welcome today.

The Barnacle is a Florida State Park that transports the visitors back a hundred years, to when Biscayne Bay was a source of work as well as play. Photo: The Barnacle Historical State Park

An unobtrusive driveway off Coconut Grove’s Main Highway leads away from the hustle and bustle through a tropical hardwood hammock, eventually exposing the timeless beauty of Biscayne Bay. The Barnacle turns its back on the current center of town, reminding us of a time when visitors arrived either by the footpath running along the shoreline, or by boat. Built by the Commodore in 1891, the home was designed to withstand hurricanes and also to be naturally cooled by letting heat escape through a venting cupola. It is the oldest house still standing on its original location in all of Miami’s Dade County, and the wide porch is a fabulous place to savor a view of the water.

The Commodore designed 56 different vessels during his 83 years, most of them fast, shoal draft sharpie-style sailboats that would stand up to a rough passage outside the Bay and still be able to cut across the reefs to access shallow harbors. Nathanael Herreshoff was a close friend, and Cap’n Nat came to Coconut Grove for winter escapes later in life, to share ideas with the Commodore. A replica of the famous Munroe design Egret, a 28 footer, is still sailed today by his grandson. You can even perch on the leeward rail via a YouTube short.

In addition to yacht design and boat building, the Commodore was also a photographer and conservationist. By standing up to Mr. Flagler (who brought the railroad to Miami and then to Key West), the Commodore was able to negotiate a bend inland for the rail line. Coconut Grove was spared strip-mall anonymity, preserving its rare tropical greenery for generations to come.

Hour-long tours run by dedicated Florida State Park rangers offer a glimpse into the homey atmosphere of the Barnacle—a house so well designed and built that it withstood both the 1926 Hurricane and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The boat house was sadly reduced to matchsticks by the Hurricane of ‘26, and eventually rebuilt to the careful specification of the Commodore. He died in 1933 before he could see the completed building, but it’s still standing today: almost sixty years later, it withstood Hurricane Andrew by sacrificing its front and rear walls to the storm’s fury.

On your next trip to South Florida, stop in at the Barnacle for a glimpse into the past. Hopefully this tenacious structure will continue to cling to the shores of Biscayne Bay for a long time to come, transporting us back to a time when sailing was the best way to get from one town to the next.

For more information, visit the Barnacle website. A reprinted edition of The Commodore’s Story by Ralph Munroe and Vincent Gilpin is also available. And the Commodore’s excellent photographs offer a glimpse into the past online, via these archives:

• Historical Museum of South Florida
• HistoryMiami Archives and Research Center
• University of Miami Libraries

—Carol Cronin

The Hallberg-Rassy 412, designed by Frers, will have the familiar HR looks, with high performance potential.

The Swedes from Ellös have had the center-cockpit HR 40 in their lineup, and it will remain in production. But now there’s also the new, sportier, aft-cockpit version, which puts less emphasis on long-distance cruising. The HR 412 follows the lines and concept of the HR 372 that was introduced last year and won the European Yacht of the Year contest. In a way, it’s Magnus Rassy’s answer to X-Yacht’s attempt to make inroads in his segment with their stylish XC-series of cruising boats.

Indeed, the lines by Hallberg-Rassy’s standard designer, Frers, promise excellent sailing qualities. With its high three-spreader rig, powerful main, and narrowly overlapping genoa, the boat should manage 8 knots in only 12 knots of breeze with slightly cracked sheets.

There’s a remarkable number of interior layout options with two or three cabins and  one or two head compartments, so future owners can already choose from four base configurations. Add to that the lavish options that are common for Hallberg-Rassy, and include a retractable flat-screen monitor or a washer.

Also common for HR is the robust price — 435,000 euros for the base version, excluding shipping. The HR 412 will premiere in August of 2012 at the in-water boat show in Ellös on the Orust peninsula in Sweden, at the company’s headquarters. Prospective customers who decide to put in their orders now can hope for a 2012 delivery.

– Jochen Rieker

This story was originally published in Yacht Magazine.

Bluefin like this 100-pounder have become scarce; priced like the world’s most expensive fish, this finned critter would be worth over 100 grand.

The Obama administration decided not to add the fish to the endangered species list in 2011, saying it was not likely to become extinct. But this would seem to contradict its own assertions—a year earlier the United States backed an international effort to have the Atlantic bluefin protected under the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The attempt was thwarted by lobbying from Japan, where an intense love affair with big bluefin is exemplified by the big bucks they’re willing to pay for individual fish. Meanwhile, the Center for Biological Diversity executive director Kieran Suckling responded to the decision by saying “The Obama administration is kowtowing to the fears of the U.S. fishing industry instead of following the science on this”. Yep, you guessed it: money trumps science, even when it comes to nibbling on Nemo.

Meanwhile, everyone does agree on one thing: the bluefin tuna population has plummeted in recent years. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas found that the eastern Atlantic stocks of this species has declined by about 80-percent in the past few decades, and the western Atlantic stock has declined by about 70 percent.

Meanwhile, lax enforcement of commercial fishing regulations overseas has recreational anglers in the US hopping mad, since they’ve seen their per-day catch limits drop from four fish to, at times, zero fish per day, in the past decade. That’s a shame, because when fish carry a value like this, catching one would almost make up for the fuel bill.

- Lenny Rudow

The Caravelle 222 is one of many boat models under the Sak Marine umbrella.

The reportedly “debt-free” company’s latest move, bringing on Nick Miller as managing partner and vice-president for all brands, is a savvy one. Miller started with Pro-Line Marine in 1986 and eventually worked his way up to becoming vice president of sales and marketing for Pro-Line and Donzi—arguably during their hey-days—until 2003. With Miller heading sales and marketing, both brands gained significant market share.

Pro-Line and Donzi provided Miller with plenty of serious exposure to both the fishing and go-fast boat worlds.

Nick Miller is joining Sak Marine as managing partner and vice-president for all brands.

“I started there as a kid,” said Miller. “I started hanging drives, then moved to lamination, then moved to parts and service. They worked me through every bit of the product line before they threw me to the wolves. My first territory for Pro-Line was the Midwest—I was selling ‘fishing boats,’ though I knew enough to call them ‘rough-water boats,’ in the Midwest. And through my naiveté, if that’s the right word, I was able to sign up dealers, and some of our biggest dealers ended up being those in the Midwest.”

After leaving the companies he struck out on his own as a marketing consultant to a number of other builders. Most recently, though prior to the current bankruptcy debacle (See American Marine Holdings and Liberty Acquisitions File for Bankruptcy Protection), he worked as consultant for Fountain Powerboat and another brand he knew well, Donzi Marine.

“I’m thrilled to be part of Sak Marine, LLC. Clearwater, Key Largo, Caravelle, Interceptor, Cape Craft, and Sea Hawk all have great brand equity in the marketplace,” said Miller in a press release from the company.

Miller will have “an ownership” position with the company, according to the release. He will oversee sales and marketing for all of the company’s brands, as well as help develop new products and target future acquisitions. Among his most crucial and immediate tasks is implementing a “Head Start Program” focusing on domestic and international dealer profitability and long-term, “dealer friendly” strategic alliances between dealers and manufacturers.

“And after visiting the factory and closely going through the product I can say without hesitation that with their quality product and ‘Dealers First’ program, these brands are a boat dealer’s business dream come true,” said Miller. “I’m excited. There are a lot of choices out there. What I learned from Pro-Line and Donzi and from the companies I’ve consulted for is that you have to give dealers a reason to be your partner.”

- Matt Trulio

Harmonic lines, long cabin trunk, and many windows: The focus is on comfort underway. Credit: Delphia Yachts.

The high stability of this Andrzej Skrzat design should provide safety, maneuverability, and comfort for up to six people in all kinds of sailing conditions. The self-bailing cockpit remains open at the stern, but can be secured with high and stable lifelines. A swim platform facilitates easy access to the water.

The sail options for the Delphia 31 include either a genoa with a small overlap or a self-tending jib. Both come standard with roller furling. There are also two options for the rig, either with an in-mast roller furling system or a tabernacle for lowering and raising the mast. The boat is offered with a retractable centerboard for variable draft from 0.45 to 1.65 meters for shallow-water venues or with a fixed keel and 1.85 meters of draft for ocean sailing.

The interior features full cruising comfort with up to six berths in separate cabins and in the saloon. In addition there’s a pantry, a nav station, and a lavatory with optional shower. Panoramic windows will create a bright and friendly atmosphere below. Tank capacity is 150 liters for water and 100 liters for fuel, while the standard propulsion system is a Volvo Penta 18-hp diesel.

The pricing for the Delphia 31 has yet to be announced, but it can be expected that Delphia will stick to its strategy and offer the boat at an attractive price.

Specifications

• LOA: 9.78 m
• Beam: 3.40 m
• Draft, fixed keel: 1.85 m
• Draft, keel-centerboard: 0.45–1.65 m
• Displacement: 6.1 T
• Mainsail area: 23.9 sq. m
• Genoa: 25. 0 sq. m
• CE-Category:  A (Ocean) / 6 persons

This story was originally published in Yacht Magazine.

The new Honda 250 outboard offers new technical features and fresh styling.

A V6 displacing 3.6 liters (3583 cc), the 250-hp BF250 offers slightly more displacement than the 3.5-liter (3471 cc) Honda BF225, and also introduces a new gearcase that Honda says offers improved durability and hydrodynamics, and will accept 16-inch diameter props. The new outboard incorporates all of the Honda technical features found on the BF225, including VTEC variable valve timing and lift, the Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST) system that boosts power on hole shot, economy-enhancing Lean Burn Control.

This motor does have some new features I’ll be checking out in Miami. One is something Honda calls “direct air dual circuit induction,” that separates air entering the cowl for cooling purposes from air directed at the engine’s intake. Air for combustion enters through vents on the top of the cowl. Vents in the front of the engine direct air at engine components, and then through the top-mounted alternator, aided by a fan located over the powerhead. The idea is to send cooler, denser air directly from outside the cowl to the engine, which should boost power.

The second interesting feature, called Amp Plus, is part of the charging system. A sensor detects the actual electrical load demand of the boat’s systems at idle speeds, and when a threshold is reached, automatically increases engine rpm by 100 to produce an additional nine amps of charging power. Published specs don’t say how many amps the motor is making at idle speed, so that’s a question I’ll be asking. I’m also curious to see if a 100-rpm bump is even noticeable.

This is an important outboard for Honda, which has fallen behind its competitors in the outboard horsepower race. Mercury, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Evinrude each offer a model rated at 300 hp or more. I can’t wait to take the BF250 for a spin.

For more information visit Honda Marine.

Also read Simon Everett’s Honda BF250 Engine Test: Economic and Powerful at uk.boats.com.

- Charles Plueddeman

]]> http://www.boats.com/blog/2012/01/new-honda-250-outboard-to-debut-at-miami-boat-show/feed/ http://www.boats.com/blog/2012/01/new-honda-250-outboard-to-debut-at-miami-boat-show/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BoatscomBlog/~3/gGUhadfyzts/ http://www.boats.com/blog/2012/01/in-search-of-the-perfect-fishbox/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:02:38 +0000 Lenny Rudow http://www.boats.com/blog/?p=7478 If you have a fishing boat, you’re probably familiar with the problems of an integrated fishbox. Some allow water to pool inside, others are poorly insulated, and few are large enough to get the job done when you catch big game fish. Are you in search of the perfect fishbox? Then look for these attributes.

In search of the perfect fishbox? Look for these details.

DRAINAGE is incredibly important. If the box goes below the waterline, you’ll need a pump-out. Some boxes have bilge pumps mounted in a recess, which is a poor design—the recess will always hold a bit of water and fish slime which makes for a mess and nasty smells, and scales will clog the pump regularly. Macerated fishboxes are better, but macerator pumps tend to fail every few seasons and can be a perpetual problem. Better fishboxes have diaphragm pumps, which sound funny and are slow but can pump sand without locking up. The best rigs drain the old-fashioned way: gravity. They’re built above the waterline, and this fail-safe design is idiot-proof. Of course, this can limit the fishbox’s size. And speaking of size…

SIZE MATTERS. Bigger is better, but remember that length is more important than width. Since most fish are relatively long and narrow, a boxy box can’t hold as large a fish as a rectangular one. But there is a down-side to all that depth: it’ll take more ice to chill off the catch. Unless, that is, your box has…

INTEGRATED COOLING. An onboard freezer plate works well, but the ultimate in fishboxes is an ice feed. These are common only on large sportfishers, which have space in the engineroom for an ice maker, which is then plumed directly to the fishbox. All you have to do to fill it up is press a button. Talk about easy! And, speaking of easy…

GAS ASSIST STRUTS on the hatch are a must-have. Large fiberglass lids are heavy, and you’ll often be struggling to control a flipping, flopping fish when you need to open the fishbox. Not only will a strut or two make the hatch easier to open, it’ll also slow the hatch down when you close it. That prevents loud slamming noises, which can spook near-by fish. Spooked fish won’t bite, which means you’ll have no need for…

INSULATION, to keep the chill inside the box, where it belongs. Blown-in foam gets the job done, but a layer of foam laminated into the fiberglass works better. The hatch should be insulated as well (and gasketed and guttered to prevent water intrusion as well as escaping chill), and take note of where the box is located because this also has an effect on how long it will hold ice. Fishboxes located above an engineroom, for example, may be subject to heat from below.

Just how big a deal is it to have a “perfect” fishbox? To find out, I placed three 30 – 35 pound Yellowfin tunas, caught at the same time, into a regular Igloo cooler, a collapsible fish bag cooler, and an onboard fishbox that met most of the above parameters. Each was loaded with 40 pounds of ice. At the end of the day I took core temperature readings of the fish, and discovered that the Igloo fish showed 44 degrees, the bagged fish showed 49 degrees, and the boxed fish showed 39 degrees. That’s a substantial difference – so if you care about your catch, you’ll go in search of the perfect fishbox.
—Lenny Rudow

Oceanis 45 - Family Cruiser

Designed by Pascal Conq, this Oceanis 45 persuaded the jury with her concept and a combination of innovative details such as a well-balanced sail plan, a rig that’s stepped farther aft, a Targa bar above the companionway that keeps the clutter out of the cockpit and improves the sheeting angle of the main, wide and gently descending companionway steps, a large and well-organized cockpit, and a stern hatch that doubles as a swim platform when lowered, among others.

LOA: 13.50 m; Beam: 4.49 m, Sail Area: 100 sq.m.; DSPL: 9.6 t; Price: 203.370 euros.

The Oceanis 45, winner of the Family Cruiser award.

Pogo 12.50 – Performance Cruiser

The Pogo 12.50 was the second winning entry from Finot/Conq. The light and sparsely appointed Pogo surprisingly won out over more established competitors. Even though it’s not a boat for the masses, she impressed the jury with her concept and fantastic performance potential. Reaching in a 25-knot breeze under jib and a double reef in the main, the boat surpassed 17 knots of top speed while remaining safely under control at all times. There’s plenty of space below with all the necessities for a family cruise, so she’s quite the long-distance flyer.

LOA: 12.50 m; Beam: 4.50 m; Sail Area: 107 sq.m.; , DSPL: 5.5 t; Price: 221.410 euros.

The Pogo 12.50, winner of the Performance Cruiser category.

Oyster 625 – Luxury Cruiser

This 19-meter Oyster 625, a luxury yacht designed by Rob Humphreys, had to fend off very tough competition in very difficult conditions. During the test in the North Sea it was howling with 50 knots and more, but it was no problem for the Oyster 625, which stayed comparatively dry and under control. Bright, posh, and spacious belowdecks, there was no creaking noise to notice, not even in four-meter waves. It was downright difficult to find flaws. Although the realm of “mega” really starts above 80 feet, the Oyster, in many ways, resembles a super yacht.

LOA: 19.37 m;  Beam: 5.44 m;  Sail Area: 236 sq.m.;  DSPL: 33.5 t; Draft: 2.80 m (alt. 2.15 m); Price: 3,070,200 euros.

The Oyster 625, winner of the Luxury Cruiser award.

Esse 750 – Special Yachts

Small but completely carbon, the Esse 750 has a hull, rig, and bowsprit all made from the magic fiber. The expensive construction material drives up the price of the Esse, but it also makes her light, strong, and fast. Designed by Umberto Felci, the boat, which is built in Switzerland near Lake Zurich, delighted with precision and speed. The 750’s helm is perfectly balanced, she can be easily handled by a crew of one or two, and going to weather is a thrill. It’s the perfect fit for connoisseurs and experts who are looking for something special. A one-design for going full tilt.

LOA: 7.50 m; Beam: 2.05 m; Sail Area: 35 sq.m; DSPL: 960 kg; Price: 63,070 euros.

The all-carbon Esse 750 won the Special Yachts award.

This article is republished here with kind permission of YACHT, Europe’s largest sailing magazine. For coverage of  the powerboat side of the event, see European Powerboat of the Year Awards 2012 at uk.boats.com.