Bernie Madoff, the admitted ponzi-scheme king,had his yacht fleet sold today via the U.S. Marhsall's office and National Liquidator's auction facility in an effort to raise capital to pay back investors he bilked for billions. According to a report from the Times Online, Madoff's boats, which included a 55-foot Rybovich named Bull (seen below), 38-foot Shelter Island runabout, a 61-foot Viking Convertible (owned by convicted Madoff associate Frank Dispacali), and 24-foot center console garnered about $2 million by the time the final gavel came down.

That Rybovich sold for $700,000, while the 38-footer went for an estimated $320,000. The center console brought in $21,000 while the big payday of the day came from the Viking, which slid out the door for $950,000. About 70 bidders, each of whom put up $100,000 for the right to grab a piece of white-collar-crime folkore, competed for the vessels.

It's Veteran's Day, and one awesome way I've found to give back to our soldiers is through a group called Take A Soldier Fishing, I have been been fortunate enough to take out returning Iraq/Afghanistan veterans for two years through this org. It's just as rewarding to me as it is to my solidier guests. Check it out, and if you have the time and a boat, sign up and take a soldier fishing. It's a cool and fun way to say thank you. You can read more about it by clicking here: Take A Soldier Fishing

 Meet Len Spinelli, who was walking around the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show on Halloween to promote his company, Sun Tower. Spinelli can fabricate just about anything you could need for your boat and he proved it with this giant hook costume. While quit eye-ctaching and effective for marketing purposes, I wouldn't suggest sneezing Mr. Spinelli.

Talk about spacious. I just got back from La Spezia, Italy, to check out th Pershing's new, 50-knot, twin 2,400-hp MTU-powered, 50-knot 80-footer. This master-stateroom window, of which there are two, measures a maximium width of nearly four feet and a height of about 3'8". That berth you see is a king facing athwartships. 

 Equally huge is the 80's tender garage, which houses a 3.5-meter Williams jetboat. There's even space next to it for a PWC, too. Look for a full test of the 80 in an upcoming issue of PMY.

 And here's Genoa harbor, the site of another exclusive PMY boat test. This one was of the new Prestige 60 (appearing in the December issue).

The latest European powerboat import from Jeanneau is the Prestige 60 you see below. She's the largest of this French builder's Prestige line, which includes about ten models from 30 feet to 60 feet. She sports a deep-V hull form, which comes from well-known naval architect Michael Peters and gets her styling cues from Italian designer Vittorio Garoni. Twin 670-hp Volvo Penta IPS diesels are expected to push the 60 to a cruise speed of 25 knots (28.8 mph) and a WOT speed of 31 knots (35.7 mph). Stay tuned as PMY will be headed over to Genoa, Italy, shortly to meet with this boat and do a full wringout. 

If  you've ever fished for tuna in the Northeast, then you know that during the late-summer and early fall there's a good chance that big (i.e. giant) bluefin tuna are prowling the near-shore waters from Montauk, NY to Gloucester, Mass.That's just what happen last week as more than eight massive tuna weighing up to more than 1,000 pounds were caught just south of Block Island, Rhode Island. According to a report from the East Hampton Star, Capt. Mika Saio of the Montauk-based charter boat, Mishell II, was fishing solo for the behemoth bluefin when he hooked up. The Star reported that Saio battled his big bluefin from a rod holder and managed to subdue the 7-foot-plus-long fish after about 40 minutes. While Saio's fish wasn't the biggest of the day at 377 pounds, it's still quite an angling accomplishment when you consider he was fishing by himself. Pictured here is a bluefin that was caught by yours truly. (We released him shortly after the picture was taken.)

It's back! After a one-year hiatus, the Bertram-Hatteras Shootout will take place in spring 2010 in the Bahamas. This year's competition between the two well-known sportfisherman boatbuidlers will mark 30 years since the beginning of this fun and friendly angling rivalry. In addition to the great offshore fishing available in the waters off the tournament's home of the Abacos' Marsh Harbour, participants can expect some world-class parties and layday activities while enjoying the Abaco Beach Resort.

 The tournament starts April 27, 2010 and runs through May 1. If you're a Bertram or Hatteras owner and are interested in running your boat over to represent your team, stop by www.fishtheshootout.com or e-mail fishtheshootout@gmail.com after Octber 1, 2009. Both builders recommend an early registration as this 30th-anniversary event is expected to fill-up quickly.

In just about four weeks, anxious sportfishing-boat enthusiasts will get their first up-close-and-peronsal look of the new Viking 76 Convertible at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.This vessel will fill in where the builder's successful 74-footer left off. (There have been 45 Viking 74s delivered since the boat's introduction in 2004.) Like the latest launches from Viking, the 76 will feature a convex deadrise hull shape, which provides for a relatively fine entry while sharpened sections at the waterline should help enhance stability. (Her 20'3" beam helps, too.) A modified aft section will provide lift.

She's got a sleek-looking sheer and her standard black metalliac wraparound mask gives this sportfisherman a custom look.

She is built with fiberglass and Baltek balsa coring, which helps keep the vessel's weight down (136,200 lbs. approx.) while enhancing her strength. For the traveling angler, the 76 comes with no less than five staterooms and four heads, and should have extended range with an available 2,547 gallons of diesel.

When it's time to fish, she's battle-ready with 206 square feet of fish-fighting space, a mezzanine for watching baits, as well as a refrigerated chill box, a tackle center, and insulated stowage. In-deck fishboxes can be configured as livewells and there's a transom-mounted fishbox, too.

 You'll be able to find the Viking 76 at the show on D Dock at the Bahia Mar. Look for a test of the new 76 in an upcoming issue of PMY.

I just returned from a trip down to Bath, North Carolina to see what happens when you match up 36 feet of center console with three, 350-hp V8 four-stroke outboard motors. The result is our in-depth test of the Grady-White 366 Canyon, a behemoth CC, which also sports a variable-dearise hull design and wide 13'2" beam. Without letting too much out of the bag, let's say she's a rocket ship that runs on rails and is built to fish. And you'll be quite surprised what this boat offers in the way of comfort and accommodations, too. Be sure to check her full test out in an upcoming issue of PMY.

 Look out, there's a new guy in Wanchese, North Carolina...sort of.

Jim Polatty's name may be famliar to you, especially since he spent more than 14 years working for Buddy Davis and Davis Yachts, first as a carpenter and eventually becoming vice president of operations. He also spent the last several years as COO for well-known up-and-comer Sculley Boatbuilders. With decades of experience in custom boatbuilding, Polatty recently decided it was time to start his own line of sportfishermen. Enter Freedom Boatworks.

The company's first launch, seen here, is a cold-molded, 56-foot IPS-driven model with three 670-hp diesels powering this looker. She also features four staterooms and three heads. You can expect to see a 30-knot-plus slow cruise from her, a fuel burn of under 50 gph at that speed, and a range exceeding 540 NM. The IPS drives should offer helmsmen excellent maneuverability around the docks, while also providing clean lanes for your baits when trolling the edge. Look for a test of this new kid on the block in a future PMY.

Well, if you didn't get a chance to cruise on down to Sea Ray's Aquapalooza, event at Alabama's Lake Martin in July, no worries.  The CMT network is bringing it to your living room.

The 90-minute show is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET/PT on September 4 and features country superstar Alan Jackson singing his hits like “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Summertime Blues,” and “Pop a Top” to a crowd of more than 4,000 boats and 35,000 people.

“We are extremely pleased at how things turned out at our AquaPalooza Signature Event this year. CMT’s decision to tape and broadcast the event shows how much of an impact we’re making not just in the boating industry but in living rooms across the country,” said Rob Noyes, vice president of marketing for Sea Ray. “AquaPalooza is about sun and fun, great music, and togetherness with family and friends. That’s why it is open to all boaters and non-boaters, not just Sea Ray owners, and it will always stay that way.”

The AquaPalooza 2009 Signature Event event, which was held July 24 to 26, featured the concert by Jackson, as well as up-and-coming artists Matt Stillwell, the Carter Twins, Caitlin and Will, and Jypsi. Boats were rafted up for more than a mile, and many fans donned their inner tubes and water noodles to paddle close to the water-pit at the bottom of the stage. Jackson pulled up to the dock at the Russell Lands’ Kowaliga Marina in his 1923 Hacker Craft.
 

To some people, adventure is taking a walk across a busy street to get the morning paper. For adventure angler Michael Barry, it's floating on a piece of plastic mere inches from the sea and battling big billfish and bull dolphin. Barry, the host of Fox Sports Net's Reel Adventures, recently ventured to Costa Rica to chase pelagics on a kayak. He did manage to bag his big dolphin as you can see here, but did he get that sailfish? I can tell you that it was a close one.  Check out Power & Motoryacht's September issue to find out how this fish fight finished.

The Altima 45 Euro Sedan (“Midsize and Mighty,” Power & Motoryacht, July 2009) is a great platform for the cruising couple and liveaboards. And both of these types of boaters need a steady supply of clean laundry. As you can see here, the builder offers an optional Splendide washer/dryer combo, which resides in a cabinet to starboard between the saloon and port-side galley. If you prefer not to have this, you can turn the space into extra stowage or a dry goods pantry. You’ll also notice the galley countertops, which are granite (standard). The builder made them standard after a majority of owners were asking for it as an option. One of the quirky things about the 45 is the oil-exchange system. It’s mounted on a section of starboard, just aft of the starboard-side motor. While it seemed an odd place for it, I really didn’t notice a better place given the available space of the engine room. All in all, as you can see in the story, she is a stalwart fast trawler and a good value at under $800,000.