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2016 January 25

This pint-sized daysailer and family weekender packs a lot of sailing into a small package

 Frank Butler had a dream. In July 1969, he designed and built the first Catalina 22 in North Hollywood, California. This petite, family-friendly cruising sloop was his fledgling company’s inau
2016 January 1
 Maine is home to many artists whose inspiration is the sea and whose mediums of choice are teak, mahogany and fiberglass. This 14-foot beauty is, at first glance, a true child of Maine.  The lines are curved and sexy. The hardware is custom built. The ropes are all three-strand, leading through bronze fittings and secured on handmade teak cleats. The woodwork trim is beautiful African mahogany and reflects the history of this fishing vessel. 
2015 November 24

Luxury sailing comes with its own dock off the transom

The designer drawings from Ed Dubois’ office are beautiful, precisely crafted drawings that well convey the nature of this design.
2015 November 24

Cruising comfort is the hallmark of this spacious design

The new Discovery 48 is a big leap from the Pogo, but it’s a very comfortable jump with a plush landing. 
2015 November 24

High performance and a variable draft top the list of attributes for this contemporary design

I would not be exaggerating if I said the success of the Pogo line has been meteoric. The company’s 30 and 42 models have sold well and its newest 36-footer is designed to expand on the success of the Pogo 10.50.
2015 November 23

A perfect weekend cruiser in good shape gets performance-minded upgrades

 The Catalina 36 hits a sweet spot among weekend cruisers. It’s big enough to be comfortable and capable, but small enough to easily manage it shorthanded and it comes at an approachable price.
2015 November 23

Comfortable two-hull cruising awaits after a refit focused on warm-water sailing

 Multihulls have never been more popular. In-water boat shows now dedicate huge amounts of space to them and sailors are interested in them for more than just chartering. Sailors who want to spen
2015 November 23

A classic, tough boat becomes a pleasure to sail with cruise-worth upgrades

 The search for a vintage Bristol 32 sloop took us to six states by road trip and to three others via online research. We wanted the boat that has often been called the little sister to the class
2015 October 22

Charley Morgan’s early yachts look great and sail even better

 Charles “Charley” Morgan Jr. emerged as a top yacht designer and builder shortly after the 1960 launch of Paper Tiger, the 40-foot, fiberglass, centerboard yawl commissioned by New York yachtsman Jack Powell. 
2015 October 15

A classic Euro design and effective layout make this boat a superb family cruiser

 Cossutti Yacht Design designed this new Salona model, the 380. That is a new design office to me. The design of the 380 is similar to the bigger Dehler 42. The two designs, despite the 2-foot 8-
2015 October 15

This new cruiser sports a great deck layout

The Dehler 42 model was designed by Judel/Vrolijk with the interior design done in house by Dehler. This design is typical of what we see coming out of the European production yards today. I’m not sure I have ever seen a time when there was less variation in the style of Mom and Pop production boats. I’m not saying that is a bad thing but I do like some variation from time to time.
2015 October 15

With a full keel and carbon hull, Perry's new 43 is a burly bluewater boat

First off, the name Bulletproof 43 was always intended as a joke.  The client said, “Call it bulletproof” one day in jest and it stuck. Secondly, there is nothing standard or normal about this project. I met with the client. We agreed that the boat would be an offshore-capable cutter with full keel, outboard rudder and generous displacement, similar to the client’s last boat.
2015 September 22

A long, clean cockpit makes this daysailer a standout

Sometimes I get in arguments when I mention this, but I see a distinct Euro style and a distinct American style in yachts. Of course there is plenty of cross pollination between the two styles, but I have no problem pointing out a Euro-styled boat or an American classic-styled boat. I’d put the Alerion boats, including this new Sport 30, into the classic American-style genre. US Watercraft, in partnership with Langan Design Partners, designed the Sport 30.
2015 September 22

This handsome boat is designed for simplicity

The Winner 8.0 is a Dutch design and build. The design is from the Van de Stadt office, and it has been around since I was a kid and maybe even before that. Over the years, it has produced hundreds of outstanding designs. The builder is Winner Yachts. From what I can see, the 8.0 is designed to be a fast cruising boat that also comes in a performance model for those interested in racing. It’s a handsome package with clean styling and no affectations.
2015 September 22

This concept boat maximizes speed and style with a small crew

Holy cow! This is the most extensive conceptual design package I have ever seen. One thing I can always count on in these reviews is that the Farr office will send me top-notch design drawings and not
2015 September 18

This German cruiser, a result of fresh thinking along with expert design and construction, is ready for the open ocean

Hanse thinks big. The German company, one of the world’s premier production builders, currently produces five models larger than 40 feet, and its new flagship, the 675, is nearly 70 feet. A recent test of the 575 found a collage of modern design, fresh thinking and exhilarating performance. 
2015 August 17

This compact one-design racer remains as popular as ever

 The J/24’s story reads like the script of a Disney movie. It’s 1975 and amateur boat designer Rod Johnstone is tinkering in the garage at the family’s Stonington, Connecticut, home. 
2015 August 17

This pocket cruiser has the little-ship look

 I suppose you could go so far as to call this 20-footer a motorsailer given that you could sit at the mini dinette and have enough visibility to see forward and enjoy the scenery while the autopilot does the driving. 
2015 August 17

With a wide beam and substantial sail area, this cruiser is at the pinnacle of comfort and performance

 This is a heavy boat, weighing 72,600 pounds, but with the long DWL and minimal overhangs, the D/L is only 140. The L/B is 3.55 making it on the narrow side of medium beam. Two keels are available, one drawing 9 feet 10 inches in a T-bulb configuration and the other drawing 8 feet 6 inches.

Perry on Design

  • This rugged pilothouse cutter can handle the rough stuff in comfort

  • This small oceangoing cruiser can be built by DIY builders

  • This folding trimaran for fun cruising offers plenty of options

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