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.
I RECENTLY ATTENDED THE Electric and Hybrid Marine World Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This year marked the first that the event was held in North America, a fact as indicative of the variety of propulsion systems available as the world’s largest recreational-boating market’s readiness for electric marine power. At the expo, I got to inspect a wide variety of products. On hand hawking their wares were makers of electric inboards, electric outboards, electric pod drives, and even a diminutive electric kayak drive by Torqeedo. Of course, there are good reasons we don’t see many boats using electric motors for primary propulsion. Fossil fuels pack a lot more energy density than batteries. Gasoline, for instance, packs about 500 times the energy of a typical lead-acid marine battery. The space required…
MORE ONLINE! To read the full interview online, go to boatingmag.com/bering-sea-gold. Did you ever doubt your decision to pursue dredging? Every single second was a second of conflict. Every day was the question: What the hell am I doing here? What made you buy a dredge? For me, boat ownership was a necessity. There are a lot of chaotic decisions up there, and I didn’t like it. I wanted to do my own thing. In the last three years, I definitely have had a lot of negative experiences learning how to be a boss and a leader. But being a master of your own destiny … it was the only way to continue. Describe your dredge. It barely qualifies as a watercraft (laughs). My boat is a catamaran-style aluminum pontoon…
We are huge fans of booming stereo systems aboard boats, but not all boats have them built in. What then? Do we ride along or anchor out in silence? Do we drain the battery on our phone trying to stream music loud enough to hear? No, we get ourselves a pair of rugged water-resistant Bluetooth speakers, like the Yatra Aquatune 9612 unit we tested. The Yatra Aquatune speakers are rated to IPX6, which means they are weatherproof but not completely submersible. This means you can play them on board and not worry about getting them splashed, but you can’t dunk them overboard. (Taking them to IPX7 level, which is fully submersible, would muffle the sound output.) This little speaker unit is also shockproof and dustproof, meaning you can drop it…
ASIS 6.1 RIB THE WET: This is a variation on the standard rigid inflatable boat/tender. It’s the longest of the three (20 feet), and with the standard 115 hp four-stroke, it tips the scales at a healthy 1,764 pounds. At wide-open throttle with up to six passengers, it can hit a respectable 36 mph. THE DRY: The unique Sealegs three-point retractable wheel system deploys to crawl up the beach at a max of about 10 mph. PRICE: $138,000 (asisboats.com). Orders take about 90 days. For a trailer to go long distances on paved roadways, add another $4,900. There’s a three-year warranty. Gibbs Quadski THE WET: It’s a 1,333-pound, single-person personal watercraft that’s 10 feet 6 inches. The gas-powered jet drive can push its wheels up to an exciting 45 mph.…
Instead of a limo, newly married couples should aspire to be whisked away in a luxury runabout. What a great idea. Cobalt Boats, apparently, thought of it first in this classic ad from our January 1976 issue. “Superb styling revisions and luxuriously appointed interiors bring forth a new awakening of personal pride, a new dimension of excitement, and a new sense of luxury and value,” the ad copy reads. Sounds like something Cobalt would say today. Start the celebration and cue the handfuls of rice…
1 You’re looking at an area that is known for having a muddy bottom. What do you need to look for when considering an anchor for mud? A. A narrower shank fluke area B. Long narrow flukes C. A wider shank fluke area D. A lighter weight 2 If you’re anchoring in an area with rocks and coral, which of the anchor designs listed is considered to work best? A. Danforth/Fortress B. Mushroom C. Claw D. Plow-style 3 You know that your anchor rode should be made up of some chain and some rope. How much chain should you have? A. Two boat lengths B. One-half to one boat length C. One full boat length D. A quarter of a boat length 4 Most people know that chain is used…
