On October 28, 2019, the iconic naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm Sparkman & Stephens celebrated its 90th anniversary. Founded in 1929 by Drake Sparkman, James Sparkman, Jason Murray, Rod Stephens Jr., and Olin Stephens, the firm continues under the leadership of president Donald Tofias and chief designer Brendan Abbot. Here’s a thought to chew on: In 1928 Olin Stephens wrote in Yachting magazine, “Though per se beauty is not a factor of speed, the easiest boats to look at seem to be the easiest to sail.”
Nautic Alert relieves that ominous sinking feeling by collecting data on a boat’s bilges—and other collection points—and letting its owner know when the numbers begin to stray. Its Nevata bilge pump switch and controller is credited with saving several boats from sinking. The owner of a Passport 55 sailboat was alerted twice to potentially serious events—when a pin-size hole in an ice maker line caught the attention of monitors, and when a washing machine line began siphoning raw water from the drain outlet.
