Take a Closer Look into Powerboating at Soundings Online

Efficient cruising the Wilde way

Independence is the name of the game in Ben Wilde’s book, and the fewer hours on the genset the better

The Nordic Tug lifestyle attracts many former sailors who enjoy cruising in greater comfort for extended periods. Ben Wilde, a former sales and marketing executive in the housewares business, has carved out a niche for the last 10 years selling a unique style of boating adventure out of his waterfront location in Essex, Conn.

Production, custom or semicustom?

You get a truly unique boat with the custom route, but you’ll pay more for the one-on-one attention

Keith Herridge (left), lead mechanic at custom builder Lyman-Morse, discusses a design with project manager Michael Faller. In a more perfect world — that is, a world in which everyone is rich — custom powerboats would be the only boats built.

Boat handling: the boat’s role

In Part II, our powerboat guy looks at such elements as steering, prop pockets, hull form and thrusters

Last month we looked at the role propulsion plays in boat handling, including pod drive (IPS and Zeus), outboard and sterndrive systems. Of special note was the advent of joystick controls, which points to the ability of modern technology to meet an obvious need for improved handling capabilities.

Boat handling: the propulsion’s role

Pod drives can help you dock like a pro, but outboards and sterndrives have their own advantages

All the boat design and construction elements this column usually focuses on don’t mean much unless they make a difference where it matters: out on the water. What’s important is that the boat is seaworthy, safe to be on, rides and handles well, and cruises, plays and fishes the way you want it to.

Two designs from an artist’s palette

Michael York and Mark Fitzgerald are turning out boats that can be appreciated for their form and function

Michael York, left, and Mark Fitzgerald Michael York is one of those anomalies along the Maine coast: a builder of high-end custom and production yachts with no family background or personal history in boatbuilding.

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