FLOTSA& M JETSAM
HOME SWEET HOME AFLOAT
Two stories high and with 2,208 square feet of living space, the Luxuria isn’t any ordinary houseboat. The fully furnished vessel has two staterooms, including a master with a wraparound head/shower compartment. It has floor-to-ceiling windows, a “chef-quality” galley, a saloon with a simulated fireplace, heating and air conditioning, an office, an outdoor balcony and more. Twin 300-hp Suzuki 4-strokes allow a change of scenery. Priced just shy of $1.5 million, the Luxuria measures 46 feet with a 24-foot beam. luxuria.global
A SAILBOAT UNDER THE TREE
Measuring 10 feet, 6 inches overall and weighing 111 pounds, the Tiwal 3.2 inflatable sailboat packs into two bags. Once at the beach, the boat inflates and assembles in 20 minutes, says the manufacturer. The hull is made of PVC cloth and can hold two adults, one adult and two children, or 418 pounds total. The five-piece collapsible mast carries a 56-square-foot mainsail. A rig with a 75-squarefoot mainsail is a $300 option. $5,200. tiwal.com
I think this is the most interesting team in the race, with the fully mixed crew, the majority being youth sailors, and the important sustainability message that the team is carrying around the world. — Brian Thompson, navigator aboard Turn The Tide On Plastic, a Volvo Ocean Race entry raising awareness about plastic waste in oceans
BOAT OF THE MONTH CLUB
We haven’t discovered a service that delivers a boat to your home every month, but this may be the next best thing. Each month of the 2018 Calendar of Wooden Boats highlights a different vessel, featuring the photography of Benjamin Mendlowitz. Images range from a 1914 Herreshoff sloop to Artemis, a canoe-stern sloop that Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway built in 2016. The 12-by-24-inch calendar is printed on heavyduty paper. $17. woodenboatscalendar.com
THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT?
Raritan’s Bluetooth Flush Control is a battery-powered unit that wirelessly controls any Raritan electric head from up to 50 feet away, eliminating the hole-cutting and wiring that a typical flush control panel requires. While we initially giggled at the proposition of flushing with a smartphone, the Android and iOS apps can optimize on-board water use. And if a head fails, users can send diagnostic data to Raritan support techs. $299. raritaneng.com
WIELDING THE ATOM
Lying just outside the Magothy River on the edge of the Craighill Entrance Channel on Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore Harbor Light is the only American lighthouse to have lighted its beacon with nuclear power. In May 1964, a 60-watt SNAP-7B radioisotope thermoelectric generator was installed. Officials removed it a year later. The caisson lighthouse — the tallest of its kind at the time of its construction — was first lighted in 1908. It sold at auction to private owners in 2006, and the Coast Guard maintains the beacon, which now runs on solar-charged batteries.
CELEBRATING, NEW ENGLAND STYLE
Photographer Caryn B. Davis’ A Connecticut Christmas is a 224page photographic journey that celebrates New England traditions and the beauty, spirit and community surrounding the holidays. The “Nautical Noel” chapter covers Mystic’s Holiday Lighted Boat Parade, Essex’s Trees in the Rigging parade and various goings-on in Noank and at Mystic Seaport. For book signings and to purchase a copy, visit carynbdavis.com. $26
THE LOWDOWN ON AIS
Cruising Club of America member Frank Cassidy has authored a nine-page overview and installation guide for the Automatic Information System. A valuable safety tool, AIS broadcasts information about an equipped vessel, including its identity, speed, location and more. Cassidy discusses the system’s merits and limitations, as well as installation options and challenges. Download the free guide at cruisingclub. org/ais-overview.