Wow, have you seen the new Krogen 52 trawler that Kadey-Krogen Yachts announced last month?   We have always loved the full displacement Krogens with the classic design and liveability features.

There is a fully covered aft deck or “back porch,” a fun and functional feature of every Kadey-Krogen, gives way to the spacious saloon through welded aluminum weather-tight doors. Moving forward and to starboard is the fit-for-a-gourmet galley complete with a full-size Jennair® refrigerator and a Viking® range. Like her larger sister, the Krogen 52′ has a weather-tight Dutch door providing direct access to the galley from the starboard walkway.

Portside of the galley are the steps up to the pilothouse with household-like standard risers and treads plus a rock-solid banister for a safe and sure grip at sea. The pilothouse on the Krogen 52′ accommodates dual helm chairs, a first for a vessel of this size, allowing both captain and mate great visibility and a terrific site-seeing station to enjoy together.

Owners have the choice of a two- or three-cabin arrangement, with the master stateroom forward or amidships. Those opting for a two-cabin arrangement will enjoy the utility of a large dedicated office space. Two heads are standard with any configuration, and both heads boast an enclosed stall shower.

The Krogen 52′ will be offered in both single and twin engine configurations and will feature Kadey-Krogen’s exclusive counter-faired keel, a design the company pioneered on the Krogen 58′.  This innovative keel design imparts a counter rotation of water flowing into the propeller, canceling some of the propeller-induced water rotation. The result is straighter water outflow and improved forward thrust which generates better fuel economy than that of conventional keel designs.

Moon Beam, a Selene 56 from Charlottesvile, VA stopped in Clayton at the town dock for a few hours.  We were able to get this shot.  It seems likely that they are on the Great Circle Tour.  Take a look at details on the 56 and the incredible woodwork and craftsmanship involved.

The Mary E. Hanna was towing a barge with a 750 ton load, and this was the largest item we have seen go by.  This Spanish vacuum unit was being transported to the Chicago area.  This photo on BoatNerd gives you a close up view.

José Olimpio, a photographer from Rio De Janerio was kind enough to send updated photos of the Volvo Ocean Race to Ask the Boater.  Thanks José – great shots!

You can live vicariously by visiting the official website of the race and watching this video.

So excited to learn more about this sweet Duffy 18′ Snug Harbor electric launch.  Great site allows you to customize your boat, and there is plenty of information.  The video done by the Owner is very convincing.

We certainly have focused on Mega Yachts on this site, but there is a new yacht in town, and this time it is a Mini-Yacht!  Our friends at Burlington Boatyard in Vermont turned us on to this beauty.  The Windsor Craft 36 HT is luxurious with wooden features including teak, rose and mahogany. All the modern conveniences have been well thought out and executed, so that you have entertainment facilities with comfortable seating as well as all equipment necessary to be cruising in style.  Click the photo to enlarge and see more details.

Having owned an antique cruiser in the past, we know what a labor of love the upkeep can be.  This is quite a different story because of the process used, which is described on BBY’s blog post.

This Turkish built boat is offered through ‘BOATS by George’ in Lake George, NY.  You can contact Boats by George or BBY to set up an appointment to see the workmanship first hand.  Please tell them we sent you!

This summer we continually saw windmill parts being moved up river from Ogdensburg to Kingston.  The photo above (click twice to enlarge) shows tugs moving a barge carrying the center supports.  Two tugs are required by the St. Lawrence Seaway Commission.  Thousand Islands Life had a great article about the delivery of windmills to Wolf Island earlier this week.

Eight 70′ sailing vessels, with 103′ masts, and capable of sailing as fast as 29 miles per hour in the right conditions are sailing around the world. This is considered the Mt. Everest of sailing.  They will be making ten stops for repairs and resupplying and currently are in Singapore where the vessels are being weighed to be sure they don’t exceed the weight limit with repairs that have been made long the way.  You can follow their progress on the website, RSS, and also sign up for mobile updates.  They even have a special portal for iPhone users.  You could spend days on the site with the wealth of information that is provided.

Check the video that Volvo Ocean Race provided as a promo in the right sidebar – some great shots.

Good luck to the racers as they start Leg 4 to Qingdao after the holidays.

Richard Branson was at it again. This time his goal was to establish a new record of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean . His boat, a 99′ sloop, Virgin Money, left NYC early Wednesday morning with a crew that included Branson’s two grown children to try to break the record.  He was video taped and interviewed Thursday in a stormy Atlantic Ocean with a speed of 36 miles per hour.

Unfortunately today, he halted the trip due to damage to his boat and the loss of a life raft.

You can follow him on Twitter at  http://twitter.com/richardbranson and also view his blog.

The Abbeville Manual of Style Blog that is primarily about books and art but is also a guide to living the stylish life.  Recently Gary Jobson, the America’s Cup winner, started writing occasional guest blog posts for the blog.

Gary is a world class sailor, television commentator, and author.  In 2003, Jobson was diagnosed with lymphoma.  He is now cancer-free, but actively supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  His most recent post about sailing on the Fife built, Adventuress is on the Abbeville blog and can be found here.