New Hassle-Free Shorepower Plug | New Boating Social App | Eastern 248 Islander - 07/26/21

New Editor's Report

New Marinco Shorepower Eliminates Hassle

If you have been bedeviled by conventional shorepower plugs and heavy cords, you’ll appreciate the new Marinco EEL ShorePower cord sold by Defender Industries. Traditional shorepower plugs have a threaded ring that secures them in place. The hassle is getting them in the right way and being careful not to strip the threads on the plug. All of which can lead to aggravation and even an unsafe operating connection. Marinco has a new patented locking system that eliminates the need for threaded fittings and the company says it creates a watertight seal. Defender Industries carries the full line of the Marinco cords. More...

ScuttleButt Program

New, Free Social App

Last week, the first social media platform designed specifically for the boating community was launched.  It’s called Scuttlebutt® and it’s easy to download to any smartphone. The app has a map function with wind and precipitation overlays and can tap into live weather buoy information including wave heights, wind gusts, humidity and water temperature. Scuttlebutt® lets boaters share on-water adventures, stories, pictures and videos, as well as comment on others in their feed – similar to conventional social media platforms. But there is more...

Test Video

Outer Reef 610 MY

Classic Trawler Designed for Offshore Work

With the 61’2” (18.64 m) 610 MY, Outer Reef Yachts says it has created a trawler for an owner/operator looking for a vessel that maneuvers easily, is fuel-efficient and has the amenities and space for long-distance cruising or living aboard. With twin 750-hp John Deere 6135 diesel inboards, she hit a top speed of 15.7 knots at 2200 rpm. Slow to displacement speeds at 10 knots, her range extends to just under 526 nautical miles and at 8 knots, the range more than doubles to 1,286 nm. More...

Test Video

Eastern 248 Islander

Practically Equipped and Affordable

We’ve praised Eastern Boats and its 248 Islander for being an affordable Downeast cruiser that should be within reach for a boating family. One way that the New Hampshire builder controls costs is by not installing unnecessary equipment. Our test boat’s helm is a good example with space for a 9” (22.86 cm) multifunction display, two gauges — tachometer and fuel — and bow thruster, windlass and trim-tab controls. It’s logically laid out, practically powered with a 150-hp outboard and she sleeps four. More...

Test Video

Regal 38 XO

The Advantages of Outboard Power

Regal builds its inboard-powered 38 Grand Coupe and 38 XO, which is powered by triple 300-hp Yamaha outboards on the same running surface. At 38’10” (11.81 m), the 38 XO measures is an inch longer than the 38 GC. When powered by twin 380-hp Volvo Penta V8-380 gas inboards, the 38 GC weighed 20,900 lbs. (9,480.08 kg) and hit a top speed of 45.5 mph at 6150 rpm in Regal’s testing. With triple 300-hp Yamaha outboards, our test 38 XO weighed 19,790 lbs. (9,348 kg) and hit a top speed of 49.2 mph at 5800 rpm. The outboards should have an efficiency advantage thanks to their trim-ability. More...

Editor's Report

MB Sports Tomcat F24

A Nod to a Performance Heritage

The helm of the MB Sports Tomcat F24 gives a little bit of a hint of the drag-racing background of company founder Mike Brendel. Engine data is presented on 5” (12.7 cm) diameter Livorsi Marine analog instruments. Setting the speed for towing boarders and surfers falls to the GPS-driven Zero Off Pro Cruise Control screen to the driver’s right. Ballast levers can move 2,800 lbs. (1,270 kg) of water in a minute. More...

Boating Safety

Rogue Waves Part IV

Colliding Swells

Ocean waves usually have a regular pattern with one following the other, so a boater learns to take them head-on, following or beam-to. Sometimes, two or more wave trains can cross paths. To understand rogue waves, we must appreciate that when two swells meet in the same place, the height of the resulting wave is the combined height of the two. Two 10-footers (3.05 m) become a 20-footer (6.1 m). Knowing this makes it easier to understand how extreme wave heights can occur. More...

Cruising Destinations

Southern Charm — Explore South Carolina

South Carolina might not be at the top or cruiser’s minds when it comes to destinations, but it should be.

South Carolina may not be the longest stretch of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), but it certainly holds one of the prettiest sections. From the North Carolina border at Little River Inlet to the Savannah River at the Georgia border, the ICW runs through 235 miles of South Carolina’s most picturesque and historic treasures. More...

“Travel Slowly and Carry a Joystick.”

All SBC boats have a joystick. It is one of the many important details that separate our premium boats from the mass-market boat clubs.  Affordable annual memberships in boats ranging from 27’ to 33’ (8.2 m to 10 m) are now available in St. Petersburg and Bradenton, Fla. Check them out at SovereignBoatClub.com or call 727-200-3474.

Megayacht Of The Day

Gliding by our office in Newport, RI, last Friday was the 235’ (71.55 m) Laurel arriving after an uneventful trip from Portland, ME.  Her average speed on the passage was 11.9 knots and at one point she hit 13.5, we’re told. She was built in 2006, has a beam of 40’ (12.27 m) and draws 12’ (3.7 m). Her displacement is 3,516,373 lbs. or 1,595 tons.

Photo Of The Day

"Heading home in our Axopar 37 XC on Lake Ontario."

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