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.

As the regular readers know, we saw a Selene in transit last year, and have always been impressed by the interiors especially the joinery.  Recently, plans were unveiled for the Selene 86, one of the largest designs in the fleet and part of the Ocean Explorer series of Selene Ocean Trawlers. The new 86 will be built with solid reinforced fiberglass construction applied with vacuum resin infusion, and will have ocean-going capability, low fuel consumption, and extensive range. The Ocean Explorer models also have a high level of luxury and superyacht styling.

The Selene 86 resembles her sisterships in that the design features a raised pilothouse, Portuguese bridge, and bulbous bow. However, this new model has more contemporary exterior lines as well as the addition of large side windows in the hull and stainless steel anchor pockets which is a departure from other Selene models. The blend of the traditional full displacement hull with modern design details and interior appointments qualify the new Selene 86 Ocean Explorer as a true luxury long range yacht.

Inside, the Selene 86 boasts four staterooms each with an en suite head. Though this boat could be handled by a couple thanks to sophisticated systems, crew quarters are integral to the design. Jet Tern anticipates that the Selene 86 will appeal to existing Selene owners who have expressed interest in a larger Selene model with more of a luxury yacht feel. The company expects the design to be popular in the European and charter markets as well. Selene Europe dealer Mark Seaton says, “The Selene 86 easily competes with yachts built at the finest European yards and we look forward to discussing this new design with clients at the Dusseldorf Boat Show, Jan. 23-31.”

The Selene 86 Ocean Explorer is designed to carry 4,000 U.S. gallons of fuel and cruise comfortably at 10 knots with a top speed of 13 knots; tank tests are under way and Jet Tern describes the boat as very fuel efficient for her class. Standard power will be supplied by twin Cummins QSM11 610hp engines and sophisticated fuel polishing and fuel monitoring systems are also standard features.

Molds for the Selene 86 are under construction and hull number one is expected to launch in time to debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2011.

Do you know about Marinalife.com?  This company provides a unique centralized online booking system for marinas.   They provide information on marinas and also gas locations and pricing as well as many other options.  They are currently celebrating their 10th anniversary and there are some special deals on their site.

This is the 2009 version of best gift ideas for boaters.  For those of you who haven’t planned ahead, this could be your salvation.

My  iPod Touch (the new 3rd generation) is the best iPod ever (yes I had to upgrade), and will be cherished as a gift.  A small item that can hold lots of music, videos (including TV and movies), your email, games, and a zillion apps.  Basically it does everything the iPhone does without the phone.  The built in speaker is also handy as is the ability to record voice memos or make free skype calls.  There are tons of boating and sailing apps to keep you informed and entertained.

Captain Fixit loves his Keurig coffee maker.  He has this one but wasn’t lucky enough to save over 25% like that listed price.  No coffee pot to clean, everyone gets their own favorite brew, and you get the perfect cup of coffee every time.  They also sell a tiny one now.

Our favorite earphones for your ipod (or computer) have a great design and come in five colors.  You get 6 sets of silicon earpads so you can customize the fit, a cable winder, and a small, thin case with this luxurious lightweight  earphone set.   We have used these for 2 years, and still love these V-Moda Vibe earphones! The noise canceling properties enhance the excellent reproduction of treble and midrange.  Of course the price is now less than half what we paid!

As recommended last year, the book, Classic Yachts would be a great gift and you can get it for a reduced price here.

The Amazon Kindle is always a wanted gift.  Captain Fixit can’t live without his!  Or for someone who already has a Kindle, get a case like the standard black one, or a funky red one.

And if all else fails, an Amazon Gift Card will do the trick.  After all, who can’t find what they want on Amazon, and you can email or even print the gift card yourself if you run out of time.

So get busy since you only have a few days left and finish that shopping!

It is really easy to follow what is happening with Jessica Watson since there is good web coverage. You can get latest updates, track videos here and read her blog.

Jeannine Norlander got these great shots of Perseverance II when she was leaving Burnham Harbour last month. Other updates about this megayacht are here and here in the comments.  Don’t forget to click on one of the photos to enter the lightbox.

It’s clear what 15 year old Abby Sunderland is going to do.  She is going to try her hardest to beat the record of her brother, Zac Sunderland!

Abby plans to leave for her trip next month if her family is able to secure a vessel for her.  Her goal besides beating Zac’s record, is to be the youngest to circumnavigate solo.   Check out Abby’s new website and her blog for more details and some great photos.

Photo credits by GizaraArts.Com.

You have read about Zac and Jessica on this blog, and now we need to report on Mike Perham.  Mike is the youngest person to sail single-handed around the world.  This 17 year-old British sailor become the youngest solo sailor when he completed the trip in his 50ft yacht named Totallymoney.com a few weeks ago.  But this was not enough for Mike, who crossed the Atlantic when he was 14!

It is incredible to think that at 17 he has completed this mission and already announced his next pursuit, the Bounty Boat Adventure. Visit Mike’s new site and blog.

This summer, readers Gert and Danielle saw the Lady M in Turkey (Fethiye and Marmaris).  Readers Harrison Mazis  and Michael, saw the Lady M in Mytilene Greece.  Harrison saw Lady M while he was vacationing with his family and sent us the photo above.  He spotted her in the harbour and a day later at Agios Ermogenis Beach Lagoon (about 20km ouside of Mytilene).  Thanks for the photo!  And, reader GG reports that Nikki Beach Turks and Caicos just closed, so we probably won’t be getting reports of Lady M there.