My damn phone never stops ringing. I’m going undercover,” my pal Ed grumbled. Ed has earned a reputation as one of the marine industry’s best yacht-systems experts. He stopped advertising years ago and now drives a plain, unmarked van.

“If I’m within sight of a marina, they hail me like a taxicab,” Ed groused.

Ed’s experience made me think about a scolding I’d endured from a visionary industry pal in the 1990s. He hadn’t been keen on a column I’d written promoting self-reliance at sea. It had included an image of me toiling in my steaming-hot engine room. He insisted that boats would soon be as reliable as subcompact cars, and that white-glove marine service would be the industry standard.

“Well, the guy had a vision problem,” Ed grunted. “I’d like whatever they’re pumping through the ventilation ducts at corporate headquarters.”

My industry pal’s vision was that if there were a mechanical problem, there’d be no more need to look under the hood. Yachtsmen would simply push a button, and a satellite-sourced voice would promise a free tow and a late-model loaner until your ride was returned, fit as a fiddle and detailed to perfection. During rare boatyard visits, you could relax in the customer lounge, sipping lattes and nibbling on scones.

The marine industry has worked hard to fulfill my pal’s vision and has had some success. Boatbuilders and equipment manufacturers have chased reliability with computer chips, and a new generation of plug-and-play shoppers is touching screens, reading glass cockpits and wiggling joysticks. In many cases, boatyards are far more approachable; they no longer look like Superfund sites. The problem is the boating environment and lifestyle: Electronic devices prefer salt-free chips, and mechanical devices need regular exercise.

Read More from Jay Coyle: Tell Tales

Given the complexity of new boats, some people believe that even if an owner were willing to read a manual, modern marine systems are too much for hands-on types to tangle with; that those who are qualified to sort out today’s high-tech systems no longer wear grease-stained boiler suits and turn wrenches; and that modern marine technicians rely on a computer and carry a tool bag stuffed with data port adapters.

Ed has a different take: “BS. There should be a witness-protection program for the dumb ‘smart systems’ I’ve seen. You don’t need a computer to find a leak or a clogged filter.”

He arms customers with spare parts and tools that can often save a cruise by keeping the air-conditioning and beer cold, the head empty, and the generator and engine running.

If you’re interested in white-glove service, don’t call Ed. It’ll be three months before he can get to you in shorts and a T-shirt, and there’s no loaner.

Years back, my industry pal moved to another industry, and I’ve heard he’s done well. Obviously, his vision has improved.

The post Seeking Reliable Service appeared first on Yachting.

Silent-Yachts and VisionF Yachts have collaborated to create the former’s first hybrid-powered boat: the Silent VisionF 82. It’s an aluminum catamaran with three driving modes: electric, hybrid and power. A fully electric model is also available; there are 34 solar panels atop the 82. Top speed is reportedly 13 knots.

In terms of size, the 82 is most comparable to the Silent 80: The 82 is 6 inches longer than the 80 while surrendering about 3.5 feet in beam. According to the builder, on the 82, more space is allocated to the foredeck and its “sunken lounge area” with a table, an L-shaped settee for four to port and an overhead shade from the extended flybridge deck. There’s also space for four personal watercraft or a variety of modular-furniture arrangements.

Moving inside, there’s a 581-square-foot salon, which is nicely connected to the aft deck and its alfresco dining around a table for eight. The 82 has several layout options: two galley-up versions and a galley-down option. In the galley-down option, there is one crew cabin with a V-berth forward in each of the hulls. The 94.7-square-foot galley is aft and belowdecks in the portside hull.

Alternatively, the galley-up options have the galley either in the starboard after corner of the salon or along the entirety of the starboard side. A crew cabin is where the galley is located in the galley-down option. Owners can choose two stowage spaces forward in each hull, or stowage in the portside hull and another crew cabin in the starboard hull.

Regardless of the layout, the 82 has four staterooms for the owners and guests. The 190-square-foot master stateroom is located in the starboard hull with eight hullside windows to illuminate the space. Its en suite head has his-and-her sinks and a 21-square-foot shower. Each of the forward guest staterooms is 91 square feet, and the portside, amidships guest stateroom is nearly 97 square feet. It can double as an office for boaters who need to get in a little work before snorkeling.

The 82’s flybridge has space for lounge furniture in various arrangements, or it can be utilized as an alfresco gym for fitness buffs. Regardless of the amenities here, the flybridge will always have 145 square feet of forward-facing sun pads, and there can also be four more aft-facing sun pads on the after part of the flybridge.  

Take the next step: silent-yachts.com

The post Meet the Silent VisionF 82 Hybrid Powercat appeared first on Yachting.

Generally speaking, two types of furniture have always been aboard yachts. Some designers pluck sofas and chairs from home stores and bolt them through so they will stay put in a seaway, while other designers create custom, built-in boating furniture. Both solutions work in their own ways, with the home pieces often being more stylish, and the built-ins generally offering more practical features such as undercushion stowage.

The new Jacques-Yves line of modular furniture is aiming to be both. It’s the brainchild of the team at Zuccon International Project, which has long worked with yachtbuilders such as Ferretti Group and Sanlorenzo, and the team at Poltrona Frau Custom Interiors, which increased its focus on the yachting sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Boats, and yachts in particular, are seen as private islands guaranteeing their owners not only comfort but also safety,” Poltrona Frau CEO Nicola Coropulis said in announcing the furniture line. “That is why we have been developing products specifically for the yachting world with Zuccon International Project.”

The Jacques-Yves line is a modular seating system that’s intended for indoor or outdoor use on board. It is available in a variety of finishes. Poltrona Frau leather and fabrics are offered for indoor use, with waterproof fabrics for outdoor placement. Each piece has generous volume—note the size of the cushioned area shown above—but that volume is contained within compact dimensions, to work within the limited space of, say, a yacht salon or aft deck. Elements such as armrests and seat depth are reduced in a way that the teams say maintains comfort, and stowage is built into the seats below the cushions.

“Designing a sofa for the yachting market was both an unusual and a fascinating challenge,” Bernardo Zuccon said. “The real turning point in approaching a project so different from those I am used to was applying all my baggage of experience in the world of yachts to designing a sofa that really does solve the problems raised by its unusual location: an environment that moves on water.”

The post Jacques-Yves Yacht Furniture Has Form and Function appeared first on Yachting.

It’s not every day that a 150-bottle, custom-designed wine cellar commands attention on the main deck of a 125-footer. Or that a staircase wrapping around a sculpture custom-made by an Italian artist, sitting beneath a skylight, is the linchpin for the rest of the yacht’s design and layout. Or that a motorcycle sits in the same yacht’s beach club.

Little about the 125-foot Rosetti Superyachts Emocean is conventional by large-yacht standards. In fact, the unconventional aspects began with the owners signing on the dotted line with the Italian shipyard when it was new to yachting. They carried the project straight through to the yacht crossing the Atlantic on its own bottom this past winter.

Clearly, the owners wouldn’t have undertaken such potential risks if they lacked confidence in the yard or yacht. Arguably, they had more confidence than most custom-yacht buyers because they took a thoroughly hands-on approach that included speaking with subcontractors. These experienced cruisers had a crystal-clear vision for how they wanted to enjoy time aboard and what was needed to achieve their goals.

Likewise, Rosetti Superyachts’ management team was confident that it could deliver. While it only hung out its shingle in late 2017, and Emocean was its first contract, the yard had the backing of nearly 100 years of experience. It’s the yacht division of Rosetti Marino Group—the second-largest commercial shipbuilding conglomerate in Italy—in the northeastern city of Ravenna. The Group engineers and builds vessels for a variety of sectors, including offshore energy, renewable energy and towing.

“The owners of Emocean came to us because of our background in building thoroughly reliable commercial vessels,” says Andrea Giora, the sales and marketing director for Rosetti Superyachts. “This was the first thing they put on their brief.”

Hydro Tec, which introduced the owners to the shipyard, was responsible for Emocean’s naval architecture and exterior styling. “They really knew what they wanted,” Hydro Tec founder Sergio Cutolo says of the owners. Their priorities included spending long periods on board regardless of sea conditions. The idea wasn’t new to them, having had a smaller yacht “which they used quite intensely and updated continuously, even introducing some modifications,” Cutolo says.

Additionally, the owners wanted to push the use of space to the limit, a challenge that Cutolo says Hydro Tec welcomed, given its control of design and engineering. Ultimately, Emocean has 7,535 square feet of space, nearly divided evenly between interior and alfresco areas. The sensation of space is palpable throughout the 432-gross-ton superyacht, including in the galley and crew pantry, which contain nearly 793 gallons of refrigerator and freezer space for long-term provisions.

Even though the owners had distinct ideas, they remained open to suggestions and recommendations. “There was a strong interaction with my team, creating a kind of virtuous circle where all parties felt free to throw on the table new ideas and concepts to incorporate in the design,” Cutolo says.

All parties, including Rosetti Superyachts, suggested outside contractors to execute the overall vision of Emocean. The owners also valued Hydro Tec’s knowledge of the Italian supply chain. “They never imposed their point of view,” Cutolo says, with Giora adding that the owners educated themselves about who was capable of what trades. “They wanted to be able to interact with the builder, to know the suppliers, to speak with them and select the best contractor for each element that was to be installed on board,” he says.

While Emocean might be considered a sporty-chic cruiser because of a few chiseled features and bulwark cutouts, that appearance is really the proverbial sheep’s clothing. Rosetti Superyachts calls it a 38-meter EXP, signifying explorer. Giora readily admits that, “stylistically, this is not your typical explorer yacht,” but he does stand by the abbreviation, adding that Emocean has a reported 5,000-nautical-mile range at 10 knots. Its bulbous bow, extended skeg and voluminous stowage came from a commercial mindset. “So, in terms of the main characteristics of what true explorers are all about, she is definitely an explorer yacht,” he adds.

This won’t be Rosetti Superyachts’ last explorer, either. The shipyard has a few larger designs under consideration. One is the 52-meter EXP, a nearly 171-footer with lattice-type patterns akin to those on leaves flanking Emocean’s elongated aft deck. The 213-foot EXP, meanwhile, is for clients who want to venture from the poles to the tropics. Eventually, Rosetti wishes to take on custom yachts upward of 328 feet.

As for Hydro Tec, it’s working with Rosetti Superyachts as well as other shipyards on exploration-oriented projects. In terms of Emocean being the first yacht his studio designed for these owners, Cutolo says, “I do really hope to design their next yacht too.”

It’s not every day that a naval architect is already thinking about what comes next for recent clients. Then again, ordinary just wouldn’t do for anyone connected to Emocean.

Drawing on History

Rosetti Marino Group, Rosetti Superyachts’ parent and a publicly traded company, dates to 1925. Although its approximately 200 deliveries to date touch a wide range of onshore and offshore sectors, many of the builds venture out in conditions that keep most yachts safely tied to the dock.

Crew Space

The owners closely collaborated with BurdissoCapponi Yachts & Design for the decor, which incorporates light and dark smoked oak. The crew real estate, in addition to having three cabins, includes a dedicated laundry room. The captain’s cabin is finished to the same standard as guest staterooms. 

Design Departures

Aboard most superyachts, regardless of length, the main salon is truly the main lounge. However, Emocean’s primary relaxation area is on the upper deck. Yet another design departure at the request of the owners on this level: The tender stows aft, rather than in a dedicated garage.

Take the next step: rosettisuperyachts.it

The post Rosetti Superyachts’ 125-foot ‘Emocean’ Launches appeared first on Yachting.

BlueNav’s BlueSpin retractable motors are electric drives that fit aboard vessels with outboard engines. They give owners a hybrid propulsion system that uses the boat’s internal-combustion engines (ICE) for high-speed work, as well as the electric motors for slow-speed work (up to 8 knots). In electric mode, operations are silent and vibration-free, such as around marina docks.

The electric motors are powered by lithium-ion batteries. The propeller and lower unit retract into a cassette-style trunk for improved hydrodynamics when the vessel is operating in ICE mode.

The biggest design challenge was creating a solution for the marine environment, says Hervé Frouin, BlueNav’s founder and chief technology officer. “In a single BlueSpin, there are four electric [motors], which have to live in the seawater” or other types of water, he says. BlueNav’s system had to be able to handle marine growth—including algae and oysters—while reliably communicating with a networked multifunction display and BlueNav-provided joystick and thrust-control levers.

BlueSpin retractable motors can be added in-build or as an aftermarket upgrade. Frouin says they have been fitted onto yachts up to 42 feet; however, the length overall will increase as bigger motors become available.

Power Options

BlueNav also builds the BlueSpin Inhull motor, providing hybrid solutions aboard cruising sailboats, and the BlueSpin Stationary motor, which is designed to work aboard inboard-powered motoryachts. BlueSpin motors articulate through 180 degrees and come in multiple power configurations (15, 20, 30 and—soon—50 kW).

Take the next step: bluenav.fr.com

The post BlueNav Bluespin Retractable Motors Have Hybrid Propulsion appeared first on Yachting.

The defining moment of any passage for an offshore sailor is landfall: when the destination island or port finally looms upon the horizon. But when we set off from the Caribbean island of Petit St. Vincent into the teeth of the staunch easterly trade winds late last winter, we were instead aiming for a “sea fall”—an arbitrary set of coordinates somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean where we’d turn around and power-reach back to the Grenadines. We were on a voyage to nowhere.

My pal, sailing author and raconteur John Kretschmer, had conceived of the sea-fall concept during the pandemic. “Kretsch” makes his living conducting training trips for fledgling cruising sailors aboard his Kaufman 47, Quetzal. Those trips account for many of his 28 transatlantic voyages. When COVID-19 sidelined his usual itineraries, he pivoted into instructional journeys in the US Virgin Islands, which remained fairly accessible. He’d do three days out and three days back, with seamanship and navigation lessons sprinkled therein.

I’d hopped aboard for a condensed Grenadines version of the Quetzal experience that Kretsch had jokingly dubbed “the Polar Navigation Summit at 12 Degrees North.” He’s taking Quetzal above the Arctic Circle to the Norwegian archipelago of Spitsbergen this summer. In the Grenadines, we were joined by world-class climber and writer Mark Synnott, who’s taking his Stevens 47, Polar Sun, on a Northwest Passage attempt sponsored by National Geographic later this year. Me? I was the so-called “polar expert,” with a run through the Northwest Passage already under my belt.

The idea was to head offshore for 24 hours, stand watches, practice reefing, run through man-overboard drills and such, and, on each side of the actual sailing, to shoot the breeze about navigating through ice and related tactics. And, of course, to drink rum.

Making miles upwind from Petit St. Vincent, particularly at the outset, was not particularly pleasant. It had been a rough, windy night at our anchorage. As we set sail, it was still blowing the proverbial dogs off their chains, and, in the relatively shallow coastal shelf before getting into the deep Atlantic, the motion was nasty and violent.

Unfortunately, the trades were trending more easterly than northerly, which made our southeasterly heading closer to Trinidad and Venezuela—which was not where we wished to go. A few hours into it, Kretsch said: “Feel that temperature drop? Squall coming.” Fifteen minutes later, we were in it: the torrential rain flattening the seas from bouncy whitecaps to smooth, gray moguls through which Quetzal cleaved. Then things settled down. It was a great sail.

At midnight, after a fine meal, in clear weather under the thick stripe of the Milky Way, we spun around and tacked back toward Grenada, arriving in Prickly Bay just after dawn following one final squall. As we dropped Quetzal’s hook, the resulting rainbow was fairly spectacular.

We’d returned from nowhere, and, as it turned out, it was somewhere pretty cool.

The post A Voyage to Nowhere in Grenada appeared first on Yachting.

It wasn’t even a stormy day, or an unusual day of any kind, when the couple pulled in their nearly 40-foot powerboat for refueling. They’d done the drill before, having cruised around Puget Sound, Washington, and other parts of the Pacific Northwest with their three kids. But on this day, the wife had made an unfortunate footwear choice. She slipped out of her sandals while stepping ashore. “Her leg went up onto the dock and got caught under a cleat,” the husband says. “She ended up hanging in the water, with her head 2 feet underwater, and her leg was caught in the cleat. She figured, this is how it ends. She was pinned in between the dock and the boat, and I didn’t see her.”

A good Samaritan ran over to alert the husband and help free the wife, whose ankle ended up breaking in the process. “She ended up making it out, but she was understandably hesitant about boating after that,” he says. “We thought maybe if we had a bigger boat, maybe something with thrusters for more safety, wider walkways, higher railings…”

In September 2020, during Labor Day weekend, they saw an Ocean Alexander 90R at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. It was just two years after the model had made its debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in Florida, ­launching a whole new Revolution series for the builder.

In regard to size, the 90R was quite a jump from the couple’s previous boat, but, boy, did it look safe—and stunning.

“It was beautiful, new, modern, felt like floor-to-ceiling glass everywhere,” the husband says. “The main-level master was fantastic. The kitchen was just outstanding. When we saw that, we decided to get one.”

They bought Hull No. 1 on the brokerage market and had it shipped from Florida to their home waters in the Pacific Northwest, where they rechristened it Voyager. The name is an homage to the husband’s years growing up in Orlando, getting to sit in the Kennedy Space Center grandstands with astronauts’ families because his uncle worked on the launchpad. It’s also a nod to the couple’s older son, who is studying microbiology and astrobiology. “If he had his way, he’d be on the first manned mission to Mars,” the husband says. “Voyager was the first that ever went outside of our solar system, so that name fit for our family.” They even worked with a graphic designer to create a mission patch and logo for the yacht, focused on the idea of exploring new frontiers.

And explore they have, all the way up through Desolation Sound, British Columbia. Most of the time, the couple runs the boat in and around Puget Sound. They often welcome guests aboard for work outings, charitable events and other causes. They’ve offered Voyager’s use as part of a fundraiser for the Washington Autism Alliance and in a fundraiser to benefit a Seattle zoo. Political events have also happened on board, including fundraisers for members of Congress.

“We’re going to be in the boat parade here soon with the University of Washington cheer team and band director on board, with the band following on a boat behind us,” the husband says. “It’s a big recruiting event.”

They both continue to love ­boating—including the tasks of running the boat themselves. That’s how cruising has always felt best to them, including all the years with the smaller boat, when they’d pile in all three kids and head out for some whale watching or a weekend getaway in the islands. Everyone would sleep on the V-berth forward and the convertible lounge aft.

The Ocean Alexander 90R obviously has more substantial accommodations for eight to 10 guests—including the main-deck master stateroom that the couple loved from the start and an open-plan sky lounge with a bar where everyone can spread out and relax. Even still, for this couple, the desire to have some do-it-yourself fun on the water remains the same. They recently hired a yacht manager for the 90R who serves as a jack-of-all-trades, pitching in with whatever is needed, but on most days when cruising in the Pacific Northwest, the husband is at the helm, and the wife is handling lines.

“We try to dispel the idea that we’re snobby yachting types,” he says with a laugh. “Whether it’s us or friends and family on board, it’s usually just us.”

And in an effort to be sure there will never be another mishap, they have outfitted Voyager with the latest and greatest of everything from Wi-Fi to helm electronics. “I made sure that all our equipment and upgrades are up-to-date,” he says. “Things like night vision—we have all of that.” 

The Revolution Series

Ocean Alexander’s Revolution series of yachts is now offered in three models: the 89-foot 27R, 97-foot 30R and 117-foot 35R. The flagship model, with a gross tonnage of 299, made its debut at the 2021 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The builder worked with designer Evan K. Marshall and Arrabito Naval Architects to evolve the models, which have extensive glazing for wide-scale views from the inside out. 

45 Years of Boatbuilding

Ocean Alexander got its start in 1977. The company’s first build was the Mark 1, a 50-foot pilothouse trawler that liveaboard cruisers coveted for not only its onboard space but also its seaworthy hull, which was based on an Ed Monk design. Additional milestones have included construction of the 71-foot Night Hawk, which set a size record for Asian boatbuilding in 1984, and completion of the first 100-foot-long Ocean Alexander in 2005.

Built to Battle in Blue Water

Ocean Alexander incorporates numerous techniques and materials to engineer sturdy yachts. Finite element analysis is used for modeling in a virtual space before construction begins. I-beams made of aircraft-grade aluminum are incorporated because they’re 10 times stiffer than wood or fiberglass, according to the builder. Unidirectional carbon fiber is used to reinforce critical areas, and fuel tanks are built with military-grade aluminum alloy. 

Take the next step: oceanalexander.com

The post Inside Look: Ocean Alexander 90R appeared first on Yachting.

Like Pompeii of old, Montserrat is the modern reference point for volcanic destruction. The island is part of the Lesser Antilles, as well as a British overseas territory. As director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, native islander Graham Ryan keeps a close eye on the Soufrière Hills volcano that devastated the island in 1995 and has remained active ever since.

“One thing that makes this volcano unique is that it is so long lived,” Graham says. “These kinds of volcanoes usually last two or three years on average. It’s also episodic, which makes it difficult for us to know when the activity is over.”

The veteran volcanologist knows Soufrière Hills well. He was an intern at MVO during the historic 1995 eruption and a staff volcanologist during a destructive dome collapse in 2003. As director, he vigilantly monitors Soufrière Hills from all angles, from helicopter surveys of the island to GPS readings of ground deformation measured in millimeters.

“The land is like a balloon,” he explains. “When the volcano erupts and magma comes out, the balloon deflates. But when the volcano is on pause, the balloon inflates as the magma comes in underground. It has been inflating since 2010, so that’s why we don’t think the volcano is done yet.” 

How does it feel to be the first native Montserratian to lead the Montserrat Volcano Observatory? I’ve been fortunate to work with good bosses and leaders who created a supportive work environment. It’s my turn to do that for others and to make sure the MVO continues to fulfill its mission the best it can.  

After 20 years in the field, what do you still enjoy about volcanology? I fell into volcanology because I like problem-solving. Volcanoes are still very poorly understood. I like thinking about fundamental problems and coming up with different ways of solving them so we can make progress.

Graham Ryan’s Spots for Montserrat

Nadine’s Grill (St. John’s): On Fridays, Nadine makes fantastic jerk chicken and jerk pork. Her stand is right by the airport.

Olveston House (Salem): Their desserts are really good, especially the lemon meringue pie, tiramisu and cheesecake.

Summer Breeze (Little Bay): It has a nice location overlooking the beach. I like their rotis, especially the shrimp roti.

Rendezvous Beach: It’s the only white-sand beach on our volcanic island. It’s secluded; remember to pack a picnic.

The post Observing Montserrat’s Natural Wonders appeared first on Yachting.

When it comes to situational awareness, John Ellis understands the value of a bird’s-eye view. While he uses Dragon, his Furuno-equipped Nordhavn 68, for sport fishing, diving and extended Pacific Ocean cruising, he often uses an inexpensive DJI unmanned aerial vehicle to gain perspective. “I can use it for backing into slips,” he says, adding that he also flies the UAV to count whale sharks or locate birds offshore. The key to making the UAV effective, he says, involves networking one of his yacht’s four 24-inch pilothouse displays with Apple TV. Then, the UAV wirelessly shares its data with Ellis’ iPhone, which in turn pushes this imagery to the Apple TV and the networked display. “You can’t see this without a drone,” he says.

While contemporary marine-electronics manufacturers have done an admirable job of making their user interfaces intuitive and user-friendly, a simple truth remains: Mariners who use their electronics on a daily or near-daily basis often discover little tricks that simplify onboard operations.

Yachting spoke with brand ambassadors from Furuno, Garmin, Raymarine and Simrad to learn more about how they use their instruments and screens, with the goal of reeling in some wisdom to improve your summer cruise. 

Screens 

All experts agree that more glass is unquestionably better.

“It helps with the fish finder—you can see more detail,” says Capt. Deane Lambros, who works aboard Canyon Runner, a commercially operated, Simrad-equipped Viking 48 Convertible. Lambros typically runs four screens on Canyon Runner’s two 16-inch helm displays: radar, chart plotter, a FLIR thermal-imaging camera feed, and a fourth screen that displays either NMEA 2000 data or side-scanning sonar.

Capt. Tom Petersen takes a different approach aboard Valkyrie, his Sea Ray L650 Fly with Raymarine equipment including dual 16-inch multifunction displays at the helm and another two 16-inch MFDs on the flybridge. “On the left, I have Navionics [cartography] running on my chart plotter, which gives me a lot of data on the display,” he says. “On the right, I run radar in dual-screen mode, with one side set to harbor mode with a 1.5-mile range, while the other side is in coastal mode with the range set to 3 to 6 nautical miles out. This is enough range at 25 knots to maneuver out of the way.”

Others prefer simpler data management. “My digital space has been the same for 20 years,” Ellis says. He displays the most pertinent data—his chart plotter and either radar (nighttime) or sonar (daytime)—on his two 24-inch center displays, with less-critical data on his two 24-inch outer screens. “In a moment of high tension, I don’t want to wonder where things are. I keep the on-screen information very simple, but I can drill down to get a cornucopia.”

On the sailing side, Nigel Craine runs a 12-inch MFD and three instrument displays at the cockpit helm of Eponine, his Garmin-equipped Beneteau Oceanis 311, plus a 7-inch MFD and a second VHF radio at his belowdecks nav station. While Crane typically sets his cockpit displays to show windspeed, GPS-based boatspeed and depth, automatic identification system data also plays a big role.

“Using the AIS with speed-direction vectors switched on is a great help in ascertaining which vessels need to be kept an extra watch on,” he says.

Radars

“Radar is the real world,” Petersen says, adding that it will do more than any other instrument “if you’re willing to use it.”

This requires practice. “Go out on a clear day, and use your radar to spot targets,” Lambros suggests, adding that he typically runs his Simrad radar in dual-range mode (3 and 6 nautical miles, respectively). “Don’t wait until you need it—get a sense of what the picture looks like.”

Contemporary digital radars typically have Doppler processing; however, our experts were more focused on automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA) or mini automatic radar plotting aid (MARPA) tools. These tools can automatically or manually acquire and track specific targets.

“There is nothing better,” Ellis says about the ARPA features on his dual Furuno radars. “If I see a mark without AIS, I give a long press to both radars” to capture the ARPA target.

Radars can overlay their imagery atop cartography, but not everyone uses this feature. “We tend not to use the overlay but rather split the screen,” Craine says, explaining that he runs radar on one side of his screen(s) and a chart plotter—set to head-up perspective and similar ranges—on the other. “This gives a nice, clear picture and allows easy comparison.”

Then there’s disaster avoidance. “At anchor, I always leave my radar running for 10 to 15 minutes,” Petersen says. “I set my radar tracks, and I zoom in close. If I’m anchored squarely, I’ll see squiggly lines, but if I see a long, straight line, I know I’m dragging.”

Sounders

“If I only had two pieces of electronics, it would be GPS and sonar,” Ellis says, explaining that he regularly takes Dragon “closer to shore than you want to be.” He accomplishes this with his Furuno multibeam and searchlight sonars, which he uses out of the box, even for advanced missions such as solo diving El Bajo seamount in the Gulf of California.

“I ran over it 12 times and created my own bathymetry,” Ellis says, adding that he used the resulting high-resolution shaded relief chart to precisely drop anchor on the mount’s summit before swimming the chain.

Lambros, who fishes around 180 days annually aboard Canyon Runner, has a similar approach. “I mostly use it in auto-mode, with maybe a couple of clicks of gain up or down,” he says. He typically runs his sonar display in split-screen mode, with 75 percent of the glass devoted to the sounder’s high-frequency returns (read: depths to 100 feet) while the remaining screen space displays the transducer’s low-frequency findings (read: depths to 900 feet).

Thermal-Imaging Cameras

“It’s a fun one to have,” Petersen says about his FLIR M364C LR. “Just don’t sit and look at it the whole time. If it’s not stabilized, it’ll make you seasick. … It’s good at looking for specific things.”

Lambros agrees. “I use it for getting in and out of the inlet,” he says. “It’s a great secondary line of sight.”

Finally, Petersen suggests spec’ing a FLIR AX8 camera, which delivers live video and automated alarms if, perchance, in the engine room, something starts running too hot or too cold.

Macro-Thinking

While multifunction displays are great for tackling onboard operations, route planning is sometimes easier on a computer. One solution involves employing a Windows-based PC that’s running navigation software such as TimeZero. This setup allows operators to explore routing options on the PC without accidentally interfering with their navigation or instrumentation.

The post Optimizing Onboard Electronics appeared first on Yachting.

Antarctica, as a charter location, is a catch-as-catch-can kind of place. A handful of charter yachts head there each year, some better outfitted for the environment than others.

A true explorer yacht for charter in Antarctica is special news, and that’s exactly what the 413-foot Lürssen Octopus is. Built in 2003 for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Octopus is a global explorer with an Ice Class steel hull. Allen used the yacht for ocean research until his death in 2018.

Last year, Octopus joined the charter fleet for the first time, through Camper & Nicholsons International. The charter dates in Antarctica—with weekly base rates starting at $2.2 million for 12 guests—are part of a two-year world itinerary that Octopus began in January. The journey is expected to see the yacht in Costa Rica, Panama and South America this year, with the Antarctica visit starting in early December.

Charter guests will add their experiences to countless others that have happened on this yacht, which has, among other things, had a recording studio aboard for Mick Jagger, Usher and U2.

Guests will have access to seven tenders, helipads, a gym, a spa, a 15-person cinema, a library, a medical suite and a dive center with a hyperbaric chamber. They also can view one-of-a-kind art, including a signed photo of Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Mike Collins near the American flag that Frank Borman and Jim Lovell carried aboard the Gemini VII spacecraft in 1965.

It’s hard to imagine a charter yacht with a better spirit of adventure, not to mention the outfitting for incredible experiences in a remote destination like Antarctica.

What to Do

An Antarctica charter itinerary can start at King George Island. From there, Octopus can head into the remote wilderness with views of icebergs and penguins along the way. In the Gerlache Strait, humpback whales are a common sighting. Next, guests can head ashore from Orne Harbour for a hike with an overlook that takes in the whole bay. At Port Lockroy, there is a post office where guests can send postcards home. The Lemaire Channel is home to various kinds of seals. Here, the crew can launch a tender to cruise through the ice, as close as 12 feet to the wildlife. At Cuverville Island, the gentoo penguins await, followed by Enterprise Island and its resident fur seals. At Deception Island, it’s possible to cruise into the crater of a live volcano.

The post ‘Octopus’ for Charter, Headed to Antarctica appeared first on Yachting.