
By John Armstrong
I had the pleasure of running and reviewing the Swift 50 when I was in Annapolis last October; the boat was supplied by Beneteau America and was moored at Annapolis Yacht Sales.
The French-built Swift 50 encompasses a traditional trawler look but with her twin 435 hp Volvo Penta IPS 600’s performs like a sedan bridge or a sport cruiser, topping out at 24.8 knots in calm seas. With the dynamic stability there was very little roll in all the conditions we encountered. The boat has vertical pilothouse windows that gives you a panoramic view from the helm. There is a joystick docking control at the lower helm as well as on the flybridge helm plus an an optional third joystick in the aft cockpit.

The Swift 50 has well thought out accommodations which make it a very comfortable boat for onboard living. I will be writing a full review on this outstanding boat in a future issue, so once again stay tuned!
Length Overall: 49'2" / 14.99 m
Hull Length: 43'9" / 13.33 m
Beam: 15'3" / 4.65 m
Light displacement: 35,264 lbs / 16,000 kg
Fuel Capacity: 2 x 317 gals / 2 x 1,200 L
Water Capacity: 2 x 106 gals / 2 x 400 L
Max Engine Power (hp) : 2 x 435 HP Volvo Penta
IPS 600
Price: US $900,000
Photo Captions:
1) The innovative design of the bottom is specially conceived for the IPS dirve system and enables a range of over 100 miles at crusing speed and a fuel consumption of less than 30 litres per hour.
2) You're aboard an authentic traler, where every detail is designed to respond to a primary function: sailing long distances, in full safety and the utmost comfort.
By Andy Adams
100% Electric performance available now
When we arranged to interview the designer and manufacturer to write a profile of the X Shore Eelex 8000 for the June 2021 issue of Canadian Yachting magazine, it was on the understanding that we always prefer to actually drive and experience the boats we write about, and we were especially keen to drive the X Shore when BCI Marine here in Canada, got their first boat from Sweden.
There has been a lot of media attention around everything electric lately, especially electric vehicles, but so far, most electric boats are a concept, not yet a reality. The X Shore Eelex 8000 is a reality and a very impressive one at that.
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By Andy Adams
Last August, we were again invited to the Neptunus Yachts facility in St. Catharines, Ontario to run and review their latest yacht, a 202650E at their marina by Lake Ontario. Keen readers of Canadian Yachting might recall reading about a Neptunus 650 back in 2016 and while this is the same proven hull, Neptunus is a custom builder and the 2022 650E here has a totally new interior design and layout.
Neptunus builds bespoke yachts. The reality is that no two Neptunus Yachts are the same. Each is individually tailored to its owners tastes and activities and is finished to their specifications.
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By Marianne Scott
Instant towns have sprung up in the past, especially on the BC coast. In the late 1850s, Victoria grew overnight into a tent city when hordes of prospectors stopped by to provision for their quest to get rich in the Fraser goldfields. The tents were followed quickly by brick hotels, stores and brothels. Prince Rupert began as a tent town after it was chosen as the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway’s terminus, then built more permanent structures.
But no place went up overnight like Ladysmith, where coal baron James Dunsmuir moved his miners “stock, lock and barrel” after coal seams further north on Vancouver Island had been exhausted.
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Story and photos by Timothy J.S. Martin
It seems like everyone has their “guy”, usually a marine surveyor they either know personally or have been referred to by another boater (or someone in the marine or insurance industries). Marine surveyors are often hired based on this type of referral, rather than on the merits of their qualifications and skills.
I often hear boaters express their displeasure about an experience where a marine surveyor “condemned” a boat, or the surveyor was viewed as unreasonable in relation to their recommendations. As a result, surveyors known to be less thorough and less detailed in their work tend to be favoured by boaters, especially for insurance surveys.
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SailGP, the international racing series featuring high speed F50 wingsailed catamarans, is partnering with RS Electric Boats – sister brand of sailboat manufacturer RS Sailing – to use the Pulse 63 electric RIB as chase, coach and support boats.
RS Electric Boats will supply SailGP with four Pulse 63s, which were designed to be electric boats from the outset. The unique aerodynamic hull form is designed to support the weight of the batteries while allowing rapid acceleration, functional speeds up to 23 knots and ample range.
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