Boating is the world's foremost magazine for boating enthusiasts. Written by experts for those who love the sport, the editorial covers the waterfront -- from runabouts to sportfish convertibles to luxury showpieces, and everything in between.
ON THE ONE HAND, I AM SORRY to say that the years are starting to roll by faster and faster for me. On the other hand, a good thing about that fact is that it now seems like spring rolls around sooner than ever. Instead of an interminably long pause from boating, winter has become sort of like a commercial break — a time to catch a snack, maybe hustle out the trash, and then get back to the regular programming. In fact, upon reflection, I think winter’s rapid passing may not be age related at all. Instead, it’s probably a result of my decadeslong habit of using “tarp time” to catch up on projects and purchases necessary for the health and welfare of Breakaway. This year, I need a…
Has docking ever been a challenge for you? Imagine trying to dock Pride of America, the massive, 921-foot-long, 80,000-plus-gross-ton cruise ship from Norwegian Cruise Line. As captain of the ship, Ron Chrastina does it practically every day with more than 2,000 passengers on board. We asked him what it’s like. READ MORE! To read the full interview online, go to boatingmag.com/pride-of-america. Bringing the America in to port must be quite a challenge, wouldn’t you say? Well, it’s really just a matter of scale. I use all the same principles any captain would use. Tide state, current and wind are the big variables. Being 12 stories above the water gives me great visibility, but the downside to that is windage, and that can be a serious concern — big winds can…
Not all boaters wear deck shoes or flip-fl ops. Some don deck boots. This is particularly true of boating anglers in cooler climes where keeping your feet dry is important. Yet so is comfort. To help you decide which waterproof deck boots are most comfy, we compared four brands all in size 11 (the author’s size), each in the course of a winter’s day on the boat. Our subjective comfort rating is on a 10-point scale, 10 being best. Bogs Highliner Pro Tall Lite MATERIAL: Flexible rubber with foam lining HIGH RISE: 16 inches (can be rolled down) OUTSOLE: Slip-resistant, nonmarring black rubber with quarterinch-deep chevron-tread pattern. Three-eighths-inch heel. INSOLE: High-density contoured EVA foam MOISTURE/ODOR PROTECTION: 2 mm EverDry with DuraFresh COLOR(S): Dark green only, which could get hot on…
If you’re a fan of the ancient cartoon series Jonny Quest, you might recall the clip of Jonny, Dr. Benton Quest, Hadji and Roger “Race” Bannon cruising above a river in their hydrofoil speedboat. This brings up two questions: “How do I get a nickname like ‘Race’?” and “Where is my personal hydrofoil?” The latter question has finally been answered, at least partially. For $28,000, you can buy a two-place Quadrofoil (quadrofoil.com), a 9.8-foot, 220-pound, composite-hull, electric-powered boat with a 62-mile range and a top speed of 25 mph. According to the Slovenian manufacturer, it’s unsinkable. Of course it does have two life vests on board, so maybe it’s not that unsinkable. While a hydrofoil’s ride is smooth and fast, it costs an arm and a leg to build and…
Boating season is just around the corner, and it’s time to get your pride and joy ready. One of the biggest pre-season prep chores is bottom painting. Let’s see if you should be getting your roller pan ready or writing the check for the yard to do the work. 1 You need anti-fouling paint only in salt water. A. True B. False 2 Different areas of the country have different bottom-growth issues. If you have issues with slime where you boat, what ingredient do you need to look for in your anti-fouling paint? A. Irgarol B. Biolux C. Neither A nor B D. Either A or B 3 Your boat has sterndrives and you want to paint them as well. Why shouldn’t you use a paint containing cuprous oxide? A.…
Is there anything sexy about a crab boat? Maybe one that’s now operating as a strip club. Wild Alaskan opened for business off Anchorage, Alaska, last June, and its first days were smooth, profitable and without incident. After three days in business, though, the government discovered shocking — shocking! — problems: The water taxi hauling patrons to and from Wild Alaskan was reportedly overloaded. Once owner Darren Byler presented a document to the U.S. Coast Guard showing that the taxi is legally permitted to carry up to six passengers and four crew, he was allowed to resume business. Then Coast Guard inspectors discovered the old crabber had an expired personal location beacon, expired inflatable devices on two life rafts and inoperable navigation sidelights. Once Byler rented new equipment, the Coast…
