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.
It is truly amazing where we are with pontoon boats. At every photoshoot or boat test that I attend, pontoon boats are docked, or on a lift, behind seemingly every waterfront home. That’s not even counting the boats we see out and underway. Sure, this phenomenon is more prevalent on lakes (where most boaters boat, by the way) than it is on the coast. Yet, even in salt water, pontoons have become nearly as ubiquitous as barnacles. In fact, observing this preponderance of pontoons several years ago, I declared, in the wizened style taught to me at Editor’s School, that: “This pontoon proliferation is due for a slowdown.” Boy, was I wrong. I am not sure where all these boats are going, but I can say that new-model pontoon boats,…
How did you get involved in country music? I was born into a musical family, so music has been in my life since day one. I’ve been singing and playing country music for as long as I can remember. You started out as a songwriter for a lot of other famous country acts such as Zac Brown and Rascal Flatts. How was it putting out your own songs? It’s been amazing! I love collaborating with other amazing artists, but there’s nothing like doing your own thing. What’s your current tour been like? I’m all over the country playing shows and couldn’t be happier! Every show is a lakeside vacation. How did your love of the water inspire your new song, “These Are the Days?” It’s all about getting lakeside—life’s too…
1. You’re boating only close to shore in your 17-foot open utility runabout, and while your boat seats four comfortably and the capacity plate allows for six people maximum, only you and your better half boat together. Therefore, when it comes to how many PFDs to carry, having just two US Coast Guard-approved life jackets aboard is plenty. A. True. You need only one life jacket for each person aboard. B. While you need only one life jacket for each person aboard, it’s a much smarter and safer practice to carry USCG-approved life jackets aboard for as many people as your boat is rated to carry. You never know when you might have to bring more people on board. C. A is correct, but you also must have a throwable…
Inspired by historical races on the Hudson River and his love of classic boats, noted marine photographer and offshore racer Tim Sharkey is planning an epic run this fall aboard a 1985 Bullet 130 SV named Kill Shot. On September 13, weather permitting, Sharkey, who has shot photography for Boating many times over the years, plans to make the run from the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor all the way up to the New York state capital in Albany, on the Hudson River. Sharkey actually used to work for Bullet as a boatbuilder, so he would have worked on the 130 SV that he recently purchased and restored. He powered his classic Bullet with a vintage Johnson SST60 racing outboard, restored by frequent Boating contributor and outboard guru…
The US Postal Service recently released a series of 20 Forever Stamps depicting classic freshwater lures. Greg Breeding, the art director for the USPS, designed the stamps based on the photographs of Sarah Cramer Shields. The stamps, which can be used forever for mailing standard first-class mail weighing up to 1 ounce, depict classic lures that have worked for freshwater anglers for decades all over the country. Lures depicted include a crankbait, popper, painted metal spoon, and a wakebait in the style of a classic jitterbug. The USPS first introduced the freshwater-lure stamps at the Bass Pro Shops Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, and are available to the public as of March 13.…
We had gotten off to our typical early-morning start on the water, anticipating catching a few striped bass during the fall run. As often happens along the coast of Long Island, New York, the brisk autumn air interacting with the warmer coastal water created a thick, all-encompassing fog. No matter—we had our radar and chart plotter going and could “see” where we were on the water and what was around us. Then suddenly, without warning, our entire electronics suite went dead. Enveloped in the thick fog, it seemed near impossible to get our bearings. Fortunately, we were not too far outside the inlet, which helped us rely on our natural senses to find our way. The inlet happened to be marked with a bell buoy, so we used the chime…
