Discoveries at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show: Onslow Bay and Fabbro Any experienced skipper knows that no matter how much time you spend on the water, there is always something new to learn. I was reminded of that truth while wandering the docks at Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale. After a long day at a … Read more

Gar Wood and the Albany–New York Speed Run: The Story of Baby Gar IV and V In the early decades of the 20th century, motorboat technology and public fascination with speed advanced together. American entrepreneur Garfield “Gar” Wood emerged as one of the sport’s most influential figures, staging headline-making runs that showed how far engineering … Read more

Discovery of a Giant Coral Colony in the Solomon Islands Eric Brown was aboard the 130-foot Argo, finishing the day’s work with the rest of the crew, when Manu San Félix asked to talk. “It was a classic day,” Brown told Soundings. “But when we came back that night, Manu came up to me—I’m the … Read more

No boat owner wants a vessel that behaves poorly. Thanks to the rise of adaptive vessel attitude control systems—often marketed as “smart trim tabs”—boats up to about 50 feet can now maintain much better pitch, roll and yaw control with little or no input from the captain. These systems use sensors and digital control to … Read more

At last fall’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Sea Ray unveiled two new models in its SDX lineup: the 2025 SDX 270 Outboard and the SDX 250 Outboard. These outboard-powered deck boats are part of Sea Ray’s broad redesign of the SDX series, which covers models from 25 to 30 feet, and introduce a fresh … Read more

Tom Stokes was aboard his Pacific Seacraft 36, reflecting on why he and his wife were spending so much time motoring. “We had one trip, I don’t even think we put the sails up,” he recalls. “We were motoring at least half the time. It seemed crazy to think about a powerboat, but I started … Read more

There’s a long-standing joke among mariners: on Chesapeake Bay, if you haven’t gone aground, you haven’t left the dock; in Maine some sailors quip they know every rock because they’ve hit most of them. Grounding a boat isn’t inevitable, but anyone who spends enough time on the water will likely face it at least once. … Read more

Catchy phrases and old rhymes can be comforting at sea, but they can also be dangerously misleading. Lines like “Don’t leave the boat until the boat leaves you” or “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight” persist because they rhyme and sound wise — not because they’re reliable. The ocean is complex and unforgiving, and absolute … Read more

Marex Boats Expands to the United States with Five Models Available in Early 2025 Norwegian boat builder Marex Boats is officially expanding its presence in the United States. During the first five months of 2025, Marex will offer five of its models to U.S. buyers, with local support provided by New Jersey-based Sandy Hook Yacht … Read more

Bertram 31 “Phoenix”: How a Father-and-Son Team Rebuilt a Classic into a High-Performance Sportfish Never tell Bob Lico it can’t be done — to him, that’s not a suggestion, it’s a provocation. Bob, 78, grew up on the shores of Great South Bay on Long Island and owned his first boat at age six. A … Read more