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 began wearing a life jacket aboard regularly when my children were born. It hit me that if the boat sank or we were ejected, my responsibility included being in the best position to help them. With a life jacket, I wouldn’t need to work to stay afloat, thus freeing much of my energy for helping the kids. So, I wear a belt type that I can inflate manually on most days, and don my Mustang suspenders-type manual-automatic life jacket on open water and when alone. Prior to children, I wore a life jacket only rarely. I’d put one on during rough passages and during times when I was alone aboard and offshore. Maybe. There’s little logic in my change in behavior. If wearing a life jacket so that I can…
Launch a boat in Green Lake, Wisconsin, and you might run into Tracy Nowacki, a friendly woman with a clipboard. We met Nowacki on duty at the Horner’s Landing ramp, dressed in her bright blue “Clean Boats/Clean Waters” shirt and standing next to a compost pile of weeds she’d removed from boat trailers. Her mission is education and data collection. Funded by a grant from the Wisconsin DNR, the Green Lake Association stations Nowacki and other watercraft inspectors at six launch ramps on the 7,300-acre lake primarily to gather data for the DNR and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources, which is studying how invasive species such as zebra mussels and spiny water fleas spread. The information is entered into an online DNR database called SWIMS, which…
1. When selecting a tube or other similar inflatable toys for watersports, what are some safety aspects to keep in mind? A. It’s safer to consider tubes and toys designed and approved for watersports towing from reputable distributors and sellers. B. Old tire tubes work best; run down to your local tire store and ask for leftover, worn-out or repaired truck tire tubes. C. The toys that advertise the ability to lift off the water at higher speeds look like a blast to ride! Look for these at your local marine supply store or online. D. All of the above E. None of the above 2. When towing a wakesurfer, wakeboarder, tuber or knee-boarder, what are some good, general commonsense and etiquette guidelines to abide by concerning your surroundings? A.…
No matter what type of boater you are, you should consider a quality pair of polarized sunglasses to be essential safety gear. Not just for how they reduce glare, but for how they protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays as well. Sunglasses-makers now offer myriad lens colors to choose from, but you shouldn’t pick based only on style. The different lens colors provide different benefits depending on how and where you boat. We picked just three different lens colors from Bajio Sunglasses selection, paired with the new Darien frames, to illustrate the differences. BLUE LENSES THE CLEAR: These are best for bright, sunny days offshore. They are ideal for offshore boaters who spend a lot of time roaming far outside the inlet, especially for long days in…
The Aquila 42 Coupe is a new cruising catamaran that evinces luxury and functionality, and also boasts the efficiency and performance granted by its Aquila Hydro Glide Foil System. It’s the world’s first cruising catamaran equipped with a standard hydrofoil. In an interview with the 42 Coupe’s designer, Jernej Jakopin, of J & J Design Studio, Jakopin explained how the foil essentially makes the boat lighter, and thus delivers better speed and economy for a given horsepower. “The foil provides 3 tons of lift,” Jakopin said. Jakopin also explained that the foil makes the boat deliver a smoother ride in rough water. We toured the 42 Coupe’s interior and found that Aquila has made the most of the boat’s wide beam. There is a private cabin in each hull, each…
The new M Line of Bennington pontoon boats (24 Swingback is pictured) offers a customizable design, unique features and a sleek silhouette. Models range from 22 to 26 feet in length, and are rated for up to 500 hp and for between 10 and 15 people. M Line pontoons also come in seven foundational layouts: Quad Bench, Swingback, L-Bench, Center Swingback, Sport Lounge, Open Fastback and Fish N Cruise. The Swingback layout’s aft lounge backrest swings so that people can sit facing forward or aft. Excellent boarding access also marks this layout. Check out its extended aft deck with LilliPad ladder. Other standards include two bow lounges with armrests, an Ergo Lounge bench seat amidships, and Veneto Premium soft-touch vinyl upholstery. At the helm, find a standard 7-inch Vivid UX…
