The Jupiter 43 SF was designed to take the best fishing elements of a sportfish and blend them with the best features of a center console.
After a first glimpse of the pre-production version at the 2018 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, Jupiter launches its 43 SF in Miami as the newest production model. With a “fish first” design emphasis, the fully customizable center console was developed to blend the best fishing elements of a top sportfisherman and a center console. Performance is also a priority. The company’s trademark hull design creates a stern lift that increases efficiency and speed yet offers a smooth ride.
The port and starboard dive doors with removable ladder are a nice standard feature is. A Seakeeper gyrostabilizer is optional.
A fuel capacity of 602 usable gallons offers an excellent range. She cruises at a comfortable 40-plus mph. The Jupiter 43 SF tops out at 60-plus mph with quad Yamaha F350 outboards.
For its new Jupiter Boca Grande Edition (26′ 1″ LOA, 8′ 6″ beam), Jupiter started with the amenities of a traditional bay boat then added more functionality with higher gunwales, flush deck, tournament livewell, and the storage capacity of larger center consoles.
The Jupiter Boca Grande features a carbon fiber laminate construction throughout to reduce weight for skinny water accessibility and offshore durability. Teak adorns the cockpit, complementing the black acrylic glass panel console which includes triple flush-mounted Garmin 7610 screens. Up top is a single Garmin 7608 and carbon fiber Edson steering wheel. A 91-gallon fuel tank offers excellent range and a top speed surpassing 50 mph with a single Yamaha F300 outboard.
The Salvation of Sea Fox: When a yacht restoration became too costly, an enterprising couple cut down the project — literally.
The story of Sea Fox began in 1940, when she was built by Casey Boat Building Company of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and launched under the name Hal-Win II. The tale is told that the Furnans Yacht Agency was ahead of its yacht building with this motorsailer, with William Hand stopping by daily to direct their drafting table. Sumner Pingree, who sailed out of Boston for several years, owned her.
In the early 1950s, Robert D. Smith from California bought her and added an additional six feet to the transom, giving her a 68-foot, 9-inch LOA with a lovely round stern. Her name was changed to Physalia, and she chartered in the Caribbean for many years under the command of Ken MacKenzie.
Then in early 1970, she was put up for sale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A book entitled The Last Schoonerman tells the life story of Captain Lou Kenedy, who after retiring from a cargo freight business serving The Bahamas, was looking for a sea-kindly vessel to cruise with his family back and forth from the islands to Nova Scotia. Kenedy acquired her, changed her name to Sea Fox and refurbished the motorsailer. For the next 15 years, the
Kenedy acquired her, changed her name to Sea Fox and refurbished the motorsailer. For the next 15 years, the Kenedys followed the good weather and wintered in The Bahamas. Most of their time was spent with their daughter Rosemary Mitchell at Sampson Cay in the Exumas. Then they’d head up to Nova Scotia in the spring to enjoy a summer of cool weather and grandkids.
The Kenedys sold Sea Fox in 1985 to John Magee of Warren, Rhode Island, who sailed her for another 14 years out of Narraganset Bay as a mothership to racing yachts and also joined in on the New York Yacht Club cruises.
In 1999, Kathy and Bill McDade of Oyster Bay on Long Island, New York, bought Sea Fox to live aboard and cruise with family and friends, which they did for the next 18 years until they eventually moved ashore to Beaufort, North Carolina.
When you can’t restore the whole boat, restore what you can.The Sea Fox remains a sight to be seen.
Sea Fox restoration begins at the first cut.
The Sea Fox in her Glory days before her partial restoration.
Hard work pays off on the restoration of the transom on the Sea Fox.
As an aging lady, Sea Fox became a heavy burden to maintain in the condition of seaworthiness. She was laid up in 2015 to be sold, donated, rescued, or destroyed. Slowly disintegrating on the hard at Bock Marine in Beaufort, the decision was made to strip the vessel and sell the equipment and gear.
Just when it seemed that time had run out for the ol’ girl, one of Kenedy’s daughters refused to let the memories fade away. Over dinner one night with friends Jim Kelsey and Patsy Bolling, an idea was hatched. If they couldn’t save the whole boat, they would save what they could.
Knowing Sea Fox was doomed for the dumpster in a week, there was no time to lose. Armed with skill saws, crowbars, sawsalls, electric cords, sledgehammers, chainsaws, hacksaws, and a bunch of hand tools, Jim and Patsy loaded them in the back of Jim’s Buick the next morning and drove to Beaufort.
With permission from the owners, they began a two-day marathon to relieve Sea Fox of her transom. On the second day, the marina’s crane held the transom weight as the final cuts were made.
They trucked the transom to Patsy’s home for the restoration process, though this was no typical restoration. But after several months of grinding, faring and painting, and with a fine coat of topside paint, high-gloss cap rail, polished rub rail, exhaust, and flagstaff mount, she was ready for her debut.
Although Sea Fox no longer navigates the sea, her transom now resides in a place of honor as a bar at the home of Kenedy’s daughter Rosemary in Jupiter, Florida. Originally intended to be placed poolside, upon delivery it was immediately apparent that this lovely piece of history would be in the dining room for all to enjoy and tell the tale of Sea Fox.
Story and Photos by Patsy Bolling Southern Boating August 2017
The all-new Jupiter 25 Bay offers cutting-edge performance and styling typical of a Jupiter Marine build. The boat features the amenities of a traditional bay boat while adding functionality with higher gunnels, flush decks, voluminous tournament live wells, and storage often found on larger offshore center consoles.
The Jupiter 25 Bay (26’1″ LOA, 8’6″ beam) features all-around versatility with its shallow 14-inch draft that delivers backwater and offshore performance. The ergonomically designed center console has an appealing helm area with owner’s choice of factory-installed towers and dual-screen electronics. The standard built-in center console seat incorporates a 130-quart cooler under the cushion. A 100-gallon fuel tank offers plenty of range. With an optional Yamaha F300 engine, the 25 Bay has a top speed of 55 mph.jupitermarine.com
Jupiter’s new 30 Hybrid Forward Seating model (29’6″ LOA, 9’4″ beam) combines the best of a serious fishing machine with all the amenities of a luxurious cruiser. The 30HFS comes equipped with Yamaha’s 300-hp F300 four-stroke outboards, runs to a top speed of 57 mph and cruises at 35 mph. The Jupiter 30HFS 2016 design provides the ability to comfortably fish or stand all the way forward without giving up bow seating. New on the 30HFS: freshwater sink in the head, larger lockable rod lockers, updated console face, and a newly designed dash switch panel.
Fishing features include a 45-gallon sky blue lighted livewell with a clear lid to keep baits pressurized while enroute to the fishing grounds. Flush-mounted cabinets with tackle drawers to port and removable Plano boxes to starboard keep everything within arm’s reach. In-deck lockable rod storage on either side of the console can house up to four rods each to keep the cockpit clutter free. The console has room for twin 16-inch MFD screens and a dedicated spot for a VHF command mic. A 120-gallon macerated fishbox in the cockpit provides plenty of room for the day’s catch. The Jupiter 30HFS’s seating area area can be converted into a fully-cushioned sunpad with optional filler pieces and removable backrests.
Bluewater Yacht Sales’ summer cruise is July 16-19 to St. Michaels Marina in Maryland. Events begin Thursday with registration and a docktail party, while Friday is a chance to spend the day exploring the walkable historic town including the exhibits at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Sea trials aboard one of Bluewater’s fleet of new vessels will be held on Saturday. The company offers sport fishing and motor yachts from Viking, Sabre, Grand Banks, Back Cove, Regulator, Jupiter, and others. Saturday’s activities conclude with a Cornhole Challenge and an Eastern Shore Feast in the upper level at Town Dock Restaurant.
bluewateryachtsales.com
Strengthening Mussels
Maryland’s DNR is asking mariners to be on the lookout for zebra mussels and to take precautions to prevent their spread. Biologists have found a steep increase in the invasive species during their monitoring efforts in the upper Chesapeake Bay. For the last three years, they have inspected marker buoys and anchors brought aboard the department’s buoy-tending vessel, A.V. Sandusky. The latest inspections found 35 times more attached mussels and colonized anchors compared to the year prior.
According to the DNR, in other places where they have been established, the zebras have out-competed native freshwater mussels, altered aquatic ecosystems and contributed to the rise of harmful algal blooms. Suggested measures to prevent the spread of zebra mussels include draining river water from boat motors, bilges, live wells, bait buckets, and coolers before leaving upper Chesapeake Bay locations, and rinsing boats and equipment with high pressure or hot water between trips to different water bodies.
Off-road on the OBX
Cruisers to North Carolina’s upper Outer Banks can enjoy another type of off-road excitement this summer. Corolla Jeep Adventures offers guided tours of the barrier island’s off-road area or you can rent a soft-top Jeep and drive yourself on a 25+-mile adventure. Guides and GPS coordinates are available to lead you to where wild horses are usually spotted. ATV tours and kayak combination tours are also available to access private trails and to interact with the local ecology. corollajeepadvantures.com.com
Fisherman’s Wharf
A fine destination off the beaten path in the northern Outer Banks area is Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant located in the village of Wanchese on Roanoke Island. The restaurant has been owned and operated by the Daniels family for 38 years and overlooks working commercial docks. All the fresh local seafood served in the restaurant comes from Wanchese Fish Company, which was established in 1936 and run by Malcolm Daniels. Shrimp season usually lasts from mid-July through September making Friday and Saturday mornings and lunchtime a great time to visit. Appetizers include shrimp dip, soups and salads followed by entrees of fried or broiled seafood.
Dock at the Outer Banks Marina, a full-service, modern marina with new floating dock slips able to accommodate vessels up to 70 feet.
By Christopher Knauss , Southern Boating magazine, July 2015
