Pim Van Hemmen

1 week ago | soundingsonline.com | Pim Van Hemmen

Reuben Trane, a descendant of the family that created the Trane heating and air conditioning company in the early 20th century, and who against expectation joined the Marines, spent five years as a filmmaker and then spent the rest of his life pioneering numerous boat brands—many of them iconic—passed away on April 7 after a long illness. He was 80 years old. Trane was a beloved character who lived a fascinating life.

1 week ago | soundingsonline.com | Pim Van Hemmen

The Hunt Ocean Series yachts evolved from the Hunt Deep-V hull, a design perfected and proven over time. Hunt Yachts just announced a new Hunt 56, which should deliver the company’s legendary soft, stable, dry ride, but according to the company will have best-in-class volume. The new 56 will come in a Flybridge or Express edition and can be personalized as a custom yacht. She will have a LOA of 63 feet and 1 inch, a beam of 15 feet, 7 inches, and a draft of 4 feet, 2 inches.

2 weeks ago | soundingsonline.com | Pim Van Hemmen

The May issue of Soundings has arrived in subscriber’s mailboxes, and it’s a doozy. Just look at this cover. If you’re not a Soundings subscriber, you’re missing out, and you’ll have to wait until all the content is released on SoundingsOnline.com over the next month or so. But because we’re nice, we’ll give you a a sneak preview and a story to whet your appetite.

2 weeks ago | soundingsonline.com | Pim Van Hemmen

When I cross over the causeway onto Mount Desert Island at 7 a.m., the water on both sides of the road is piled up with snow-covered ice floes. My car thermometer says it’s 3 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I brace myself for a very cold boat ride, but when I get to the dock in Northeast Harbor the temperature is already up to 8 degrees and there is little wind. The walk across the marina’s icy parking lot to the M/V Sunbeam is treacherous, but the dock and the boat’s aft deck have been cleared of ice.

2 weeks ago | soundingsonline.com | Pim Van Hemmen

Orcas reportedly attacked and sunk a sailboat off Cape Arkona, Germany, in the Baltic Sea on March 31, according to the German website Yacht. Over the years, numerous attacks have been reported in the Atlantic off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, which resulted in damage and a number of sinkings, but this is believed to be the first documented attack by orcas in the Baltic.