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.
Boating probably uses as much jargon as any other enthusiast activity. Jargon might describe actions of the boat itself, such as using “porpoising” to describe a boat with its bow rising and falling. Or jargon can describe actions of boaters, as in saying that the captain is belaying a line to a cleat or is fending off. Jargon might also describe boating equipment and gear, such as the anchor rode, or when referring to the propeller as the prop, wheel or screw. Let’s parse a few terms that originated as part names for building wooden boats and that have evolved to now describing not a part, but rather a location, on the boat. Consider the word “stem” and associated terms. Originally, stem referred to the timber at the bow of…
Gordon Harrison is the consummate watersports enthusiast. Growing up lakeside in central Virginia, he naturally gravitated toward skiing and wakeboarding before moving to Orlando after high school to train and compete on the Pro Wakeboard Tour. Later, he would be drawn to the beaches of Florida’s Space Coast to pursue ocean surfing and, his latest passion, foiling. It’s the now-30-year-old firefighter’s years spent as Boating’s own Derek Zoolander, however, that make him of interest to our readers. Harrison has long been one of the smiling faces for our annual Buyers Guide photo shoots, entrusted to drive everything from PWC to go-fasts, take his turn in the wakes surfing or foiling, and never, ever forget the golden rule: Don’t look at the camera! So how does one go from hardcore watersports…
Most boaters are not fortunate enough to live on the water. If you can’t find or afford dock space at the local marina, you’re like most Americans in that you trailer your boat as well as store it on its trailer. It’s a big responsibility, therefore, to ensure that your towing and trailer setup is safe for travel, and won’t hurt your boat when it’s on the trailer. So, what do you know about trailer safety and maintenance? (Answers on page 22) 1. You’re inspecting your trailer for the upcoming season, and looking at the leaf spring suspension, you notice that the top leaf in your multileaf setup is cracked and broken. What’s your move? A. Measure the spring from end to end, go to a trailer shop to buy…
Almost every boater, whether they’re watersports fanatics or enjoy it casually, has the idea to take someone tubing, skiing or boarding behind their boat. But not all tow points are created equal, and the right type of tow point depends on the sport you’re pursuing. Tubing, skiing and wakeboarding all have different requirements. Here are three common types of watersports tow points for your boat. TOW TOWER MONSTER TOWER MTK WAKEBOARD TOWER THE PULL: Towers are the best choice for wakeboarding, with the goal of elevating the tow point at least 6 feet above the water line. While pylons and towing eyes typically pull a boarder down after an aerial move, a line attached to a higher point allows the rider to elevate upward, catching more air. The elevated tow…
EVERGLADES 367 CX The first in the new “7” line of crossover boats from Everglades, the versatile 367 CX entertains, overnights and fishes with equal ease. It boasts top construction, plus unique and innovative features. A dual-console boat, the 367 CX’s large aft cockpit is a fishing arena fitted with livewells, fish boxes, rod holders and other accoutrements. But, with concealed transom seating, a side boarding door that facilitates entertaining as well as allowing the landing of a trophy catch, and a retractable sunshade, this cockpit shines at the dockside party, the sandbar and the raft-up, and on the fishing grounds. In fact, there are multiple social zones aboard, wherein the party can move to the bow lounge or under the hardtop. There is a grill, sink, refrigerator and storage,…
SEA SWIVEL TROLLING MOTOR BRACKET The Sea Swivel bracket enables more-effective deployment and retrieval, as well as secure stowage, of pivot-mounted trolling motors on boats such as center-consoles. It allows you to deploy a trolling motor in the correct position for better directional control. Sea Swivel also lets you adjust the stowed position to match the angle of the boat. It’s built with aerospace-grade anodized aluminum and installs on an 8-inch-square flat mounting surface with a supplied backing plate. It fits a wide range of models from Garmin, Minn Kota, Power-Pole and Rhodan. $1,166.69; boatoutfitters.com RARITAN MACERATOR PUMPS Macerator pumps from Raritan are ignition-protected, encased in epoxy for use in damp head environments, and have a free-flow rate of 11 gpm. A spring-loaded Viton shaft seal prevents leakage, and a…
