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.
WHEN POPULAR BOATING hit the stands in the fall of 1956, the first Boston Whaler had yet to cleave the waves, the sterndrive had not yet been invented, and the term “marine electronics” was more likely to be found in Popular Science than in our pages. As unfathomable as it might seem today, boaters then wishing to know the water’s depth used a lead line or simply navigated with caution, using a compass, watch and charts that they updated themselves. “Boatmen” wore khakis and captain’s hats, and almost every man-Jack of them smoked more than the motors they cursed at for being easy to flood and hard to start. Water skiing was big. Times were different. The average household income in the U.S. was $3,532, and one could buy a…
World-renowned water skier Tony Klarich has been skiing since 1969. Today, he’s a world champion in freestyle water skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding and hydrofoil, and he’s amassed a whopping 10 national and world titles. He’s been called “the guy who can ski on anything,” and this past summer, he upped the ante with his “50 for 50” — skiing on 50 different objects for his 50th birthday. MORE ONLINE! To read the full interview online, go to boatingmag.com/tonyklarich. When did you think to celebrate your birthday by going 50 for 50? When I was about to turn 40, I started brainstorming with my buddies. Should I do 40 miles to mark the milestone or ski on 40 different objects? I started looking at everything. What’s flat? What can I ski on?…
Going commando underneath your board shorts or wetsuit may evoke a certain surfer vibe, but as Kramer once told Jerry on Seinfeld, sometimes your “boys need a house.” Soggy tighty whities, however, just don’t cut it over the course of a day on the water. We searched for better alternatives that support, dry more quickly than cotton, and cradle our junk in comfort. ExOfficio Give-N-Go Sport Mesh Boxer Briefs THE DRY: A backpacker and world-traveler favorite, the Give-N-Go’s 92-percentnylon, 8-percent-Lycra, ultralight mesh construction and supportive diamondweave flyless front panel proved comfortable, breathable, quick-drying and cool in the summer heat. Contrasted flatlock seams prevented chafing while an antimicrobial treatment kept things smelling fresh. In fact, they were so comfrotable that we pretty much forgot we had them on. THE CHAFE: The…
As part of our 60th anniversary of being the best boating publication in the known universe, we have been digging through the archives in search of advertisements from some of our back issues. This one for the Evinrude Starflite outboard dates back to January 1959. “See the most remarkable outboard motor ever built … Evinrude’s mighty 50 hp Starflite … now …” reads the ad copy. “Thrilling V-4 performance is also yours in the new Four-Fifty at low, low cost.” Notably, it did not list any websites. For more information, you had to write in for a catalog. Now that’s old school.…
It’s the off-season for many boaters, so what do you do to pass the time? You talk about boats, and most guys want to talk about motors. And when it comes to engine specifications, do you know what you’re talking about or are you a wannabe? 1 An engine displaces 350 cubic inches. What is the metric equivalent? A. 7.4 liters B. 5.0 liters C. 5.7 liters D. 8.2 liters 2 Speaking of cubic-inch displacement, how is that number arrived at? A. Multiply the bore times the stroke. B. Add the bore and the stroke for all the cylinders. C. Combine the volume swept by all the pistons in a single rotation. D. None of the above 3 What does “bore” refer to? A. The diameter of one engine cylinder…
Among Europeans it’s the new, hot water sport for kids 9 to 14 years old, and now it’s spread to the U.S. Mermaiding, though, is not just a sport; it’s also popular for cosplay. (That’s dressing up in a costume to attend events such as Comic-Con and the like.) Do you have the chops to make it as a mermaid, or as a merman, “mer” or “pod,” as it’s known in the community? Professional schools are popping up, such as the LA Mermaid School in Venice Beach, California (sheroesentertainment.com/tickets/la-mermaid-school) taught by Coast Guard-certified “finstructors,” who are also the same mermaids (and mermen) that appear in film and television shows. The class costs $50 and lasts an hour. For a more complete personal transition, there’s World of Swimming All Certified Mermaid…
