HInckley Bermuda 40 Covered

Mother nature sent us a strong message this past week which encouraged us to get the winter cover on "Ondine". It's a nicely fitted cover that can be used while on jackstands as pictured or in the water using sandbag weights. Thanks to Captain Pat Teeling for getting the cover installed while most in the boat business were at home!

December Blizzard in Annapolis

A low pressure system filled the marina with snow before Christmas! Very unusual........nevertheless we are here attending to business!

Express Trawler

My friend and repeat client Peter Edwards of North Conway, NH is purchasing a 36 Albin Express Trawler to complement his 37' Pacific Seacraft. The Trawler will be based between Florida and Maryland with plans to visit the Bahamas. Peter's sailboat is based out of Boothbay Harbor,Me.

This Trawler has a semi-displacement hull, the previous owner having operated the boat typically in the 8/9 knot range by means of a single screw Caterpillar 3126 diesel and complemented by an 8KW Northern Lights Gen-Set. For docking there are both bow and stern thrusters.

There are some flatter sections aft that allows the boat to plane when turned up to 2500 rpm. Peter like his predecessor plans to operate the boat at the more economical side of the fuel burn spectrum, about five gph...

Peter's cruising will start in April with a passage from the Florida Gulf, across the Okeechobee Canal and then Northwards.

Wooden Tug

While on a survey in the Tampa area I came across this jewell of a Tug; named after her builder (38 years ago in Mahogany)the current owner was just completing a yacht finish paint job. The proverbial labor of love!

Robbins 40

Late in the season I often see the most interesting boats. On my way in off the Severn River a couple of days ago I noticed this "Bay Boat" fueling up at the mouth of the creek. It turns out to be a custom boat built by Matthews Brothers, using the Robbins 40 hull which enjoys a greaet reputation from decades of service to watermen. Matthews gained the use of this tooling when Cecil Robbins retired from his business in Cambridge,Md.

This boat has a much higher level of fit and finish than a commercial boat and is powered with a sizeable Yanmar diesel that is suprisingly economical and yet will put the boat up on a plane with ease. I can only imagine this boat with a colored hull, say ice blue?

Thanksgiving Sail....visit to Sceptre 41 PH

This morning I picked up an Annapolitan and drove to the Sassafras river to have a look at "Sea Bright" the 41' Scepre built in Vancouver,B.C. Each time I visit this boat I become even more impressed. She is a very well thought out cruising boat and this one is loaded with valuable spare gear, bow thruster, and nice sails....

December is blessing us with a nice bump in business at Crusader Yachts. I have a client who just gained an accepted offer on a boat in Florida. Colleagues are selling Tayana's in the 52 and 55' range and a lovely Nordhavn Trawler. This gives us optimism that the brokerage market is in recovery from the economic downturn!