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.
THIS EDITORIAL IS WRITTEN specifically to those boaters who hail the U.S. Coast Guard on the VHF radio with a fake mayday call in order to check their radio’s operation. You bunch — and, since Boating is the world’s largest boating magazine, I know at least some of you are reading — need to cease and desist immediately. Your overblown sense of self-entitlement puts lives at risk. You are not smart. Gaming the system is not cool. Cut. It. Out. This despicable phenomenon was brought to my attention in the course of an email correspondence initiated by Mr. John Ellis. Mr. Ellis sought a clarification of a response written by our very own Mick Hannock, aka the Boat Doctor, published in the April issue. In that response, Mick suggested, among…
READ MORE! To read the full interview online, go to boatingmag.com/barefootceo. A lot of people will probably read “bare footing CEO” and think it’s just about stroking your ego, but I’ve actually seen you — you don’t just barefoot, slalom and trick ski; you do all of them and do them better than some guys a quarter of your age. I’m out bare footing almost every weekend I’m home, both Saturday and Sunday, running the slalom course and trick skiing and having a blast. And I’m doing it either with my ski buddies or with our kids or the grandkids. It’s really rewarding. Have a favorite? I do ’em all. I love trick skiing for what it is, trying new tricks and getting out there and doing it. I love…
1 Your boat is equipped with a rearview mirror so the driver can see the rider. Do you still need a spotter/observer? A. Yes B. No C. It depends on the state D. Neither 2 Tube-towing ropes have a loop at both ends for easy fastening. What ratings should you also look for with a tube rope? A. Weight B. Number of riders C. Length D. All of the above 3 When a skier yells to a driver that he’s ready to go, which of the following is not an acceptable phrase? A. “Hit it.” B. “Go.” C. “Yeeeup.” D. “Make it happen, Cap’n.” 4 After a skier falls, what side of the boat should you pull up on to retrieve him or her? A. Starboard B. Port C.…
Like a lot of boaters, Keith Cooper likes to spend the day on the water and cruise to different ports. And like a lot of boaters, he’s experienced the frustration of being unable to find a transient slip for his 30-foot Sea Ray. Cooper decided to change that by creating an app that allows boaters to book a slip at a participating marina from their smart phone or tablet, in real time. Aptly enough, he named it Slip Finder. Slip Finder helps marinas manage their available slips through its program so that the dock master doesn’t constantly have to answer the phone or radio and conduct a nautical version of musical chairs. For boaters, it means being able to scroll through the app in search of the best available slip…
Jetpilot Recruit THE RIDE: The least expensive of the trio, this unisex jacket (it’s available in pink) is made with Yamamoto neoprene, which lasts longer and is softer against the skin. It’s dual sized and comes in small-medium, medium-large, etc. to fit a wider audience so you don’t have to replace it as often. THE CRASH: It looks a little shorter than the competition, so it might not protect as well in a crash. Other jackets come in men’s and women’s versions. $59.99; jetpilot.com Hyperlite Team THE RIDE: Available in men’s and women’s versions, the Team has independent segmented rib panels for superior protection and maximum range of motion. Two 1½-inch-wide straps are concealed in the jacket so they can’t catch on anything, preventing snags for the wearer. THE CRASH:…
On the first day of spring, when Earth’s axis squares up with the sun, people gather each year at the Annapolis Maritime Museum for a bonfire to roast oysters, toast the arrival of spring, play some music and … burn their socks? Yes, this town in the upper Chesapeake Bay is far enough north to have to shoulder the ice and snow of winters — especially the one that thankfully has just passed — but far enough south that the vernal equinox marks the beginning of the boating season, and the time when bare feet and ankles appear in Top-Siders and Tevas. This vital ritual began in the 1980s in one of the many boatyards in Annapolis’ “Maritime Republic of Eastport,” a peninsula of working neighborhoods bounded by Spa and…
