Passagemaker Magazine

Helmsman Pilothouse 46: A Trawler Built for Adventure

Helmsman launches its 46 Pilothouse, a new flagship for the long-distance trawler yacht builder.

Three side-by-side screenshots from the Navionics app showing nautical charts of Hell Gate and Wards Island, contrasting a correct manually plotted water route on the left with two flawed AI-generated routes on the middle and right that erroneously plot course lines directly across land.

A Suspicious Plot

I used AI to chart a course through a notorious waterway. The results were unusable.

An interior view of a classic teak-accented yacht helm featuring modern Garmin navigation screens, electronic engine controls, a traditional wooden steering wheel, and joystick docking controls.

It’s Not Cheating

Why modern boat handling tools make us better and safer boaters.

Cruising Classics, Perfected

From hull design to onboard flow, these legendary powerboats proved that great cruising never goes out of style.

A scenic overhead view looking down a long, wooden floating dock at Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park in British Columbia, with several powerboats and sailboats moored along it, surrounded by calm, dark fjord waters and towering, forested granite mountains under a partly cloudy sky.

A Thin Space

Cruisers face challenges getting to Princess Louisa Inlet, but it’s worth it to experience this cruising ground’s natural beauty.

Townsend 34

This boat is a modern riff on an old-timey classic.

A graphic novel–style illustration set on a chilly, overcast morning at a marina dock. In the foreground, a man sits on a wooden bench looking disheartened while holding a traffic ticket. Nearby, an angry photographer holding a Pelican camera case gestures toward a docked trawler yacht. In the background across the water, a police cruiser with flashing emergency lights is parked along a dark rural road near a closed diner under a gloomy dawn sky.

Sometimes You Miss the Boat

A speed trap delays a morning boat shoot, leading to an unexpected lesson on patience.

A product shot of the Perko Odor Eater waste tank vent filter kit against a white background, featuring the cylindrical filter canister, mounting bracket, quick-disconnect fittings, and hose adapters.

Boats

Riviera 4300 Sports Express

The bluewater brand from Down Under splashes a nimble weekender primed for coastal excursions.

Jeanneau NC 895 Series 2

All the right things, in all the right places.

Selene Yachts 52 Ocean Explorer

A set layout is paired with an impressive list of standard equipment on a proven hull design.

A side three-quarter view of a large, rugged expedition trawler named "PAUL JOHANSEN" cruising through calm open water. The vessel features a dark blue hull creating a white wake at the bow, paired with a cream-colored superstructure and a high pilothouse. A tall central mast holds multiple radar domes and communication antennas, while the upper deck carries a white tender and a bright yellow kayak. An American flag flies from the stern under a grey, overcast sky.

Straight Life

Once a rescue craft, this Norway-built steel trawler is the ticket to ride for a venturesome crew.

A wide, sunny shot of a large, classic expedition-style motor yacht named "Walrus" anchored in calm, shimmering water. The vessel features a cream-colored hull with circular portholes and a multi-level superstructure. It is heavily dressed in festive maritime signaling flags strung from the bow to the tall white main mast. At the stern, both an American flag and a Texas state flag fly prominently from a secondary flagpole. The background features a green, tree-lined shoreline with a glimpse of a waterfront house under a clear, vibrant blue sky.

The Walrus is Ready

This aluminum vessel’s throwback design belies its modern systems, all installed for a Great Loop cruise.

Northman 1300 Trawler

The three-stateroom, semidisplacement model has a range of power options and a low air draft.

Making Memories

The steel-hull Nightfall, designed by William Garden, connects generations of this family through a love of cruising.

North by Northwest

This imposing 55-footer is a comfortable, well-appointed coastal cruiser primed to take on more ambitious journeys.

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Cruising Destinations

A white Nordhavn 43 expedition yacht anchored in calm water near a lush green island with a dramatic, vibrant sky filled with glowing clouds overhead.

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

The crew of Celt, a Nordhavn 43, explore Australia and Indonesia on their multiyear circumnavigation.

A classic white flybridge trawler yacht anchored in a calm body of water with a dark-furred dog peeking over the bow railing, set against a background of colorful autumn trees.

The Dog Who Wouldn’t

Devising a safe, easy way to get our dog on shore from an anchorage required some innovation.

A flat vector illustration of a medical doctor in a white lab coat and stethoscope treating a seated patient on the deck of a boat marked with a medical cross, floating on dark blue water under a pale yellow sky.

Keeping Yourself Shipshape

Before you go to sea, know how to access telehealth services, acquire medication refills and get medical care.

A wide, eye-level shot of a small, white wooden fishing boat named "DAMIEN I NICE" cruising through a calm harbor, leaving a gentle wake in the foreground. A single fisherman sits at the stern near the outboard tiller. In the background, a bustling marina is packed with dozens of docked sailboats and white vendor tents along the waterfront, bordered by a dense hillside of European-style apartment buildings under a clear blue sky.

Dash of Salt: Now We’re Talking

Let’s bring back these nautical words and terms. They’re better than the way we communicate today.

When Minutes Matter

Island time is great, except in an emergency. This medevac service is for boaters who need help fast.

A high-angle, eye-level shot looking toward the bow cabin of a large white trawler yacht docked in a marina. A worker in dark blue clothes stands atop the cabin roof structure, using a long-handled brush to scrub the fiberglass surface next to a yellow water hose. The boat features a forward-slanted windshield with multiple wipers, a dark wood-planked foredeck, and stainless steel railings. Other luxury yachts are closely docked on either side under a bright, partly cloudy blue sky.

Stain Masters

Black streaks, yellow mustaches and rust all require different solutions to keep a boat looking clean.

$A wide, eye-level shot capturing a majestic and treacherous Arctic landscape filled with massive white and blue icebergs floating in a calm, dark blue ocean. In the immediate left foreground, a towering wall of sheer ice rises sharply, showing deep fissures and dynamic textures. Behind it, a sweeping, mountainous glacier structure dominates the background under a pale, overcast sky, while a smaller, vibrant turquoise iceberg block sits low in the water on the right, displaying bright, light-refracting edges.$

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