Three days after Christmas, Fort Lauderdale resident Greg Manker visits West Marine’s new Fort Lauderdale superstore searching for spinning rods for his sons, Trey, 8, and Brady, 11. The boys — and their dad — are drawn to the electronics department’s bridge simulator instead. West Marine bills the store’s electronics selection as one of the … Read more

When Peter Crenier restored his 13-foot Boston Whaler, he wanted it to mirror the look and feel of his larger Sabre 38. Photos by Rich Armstrong You can buy a kit with all the mahogany needed to replace the wood on an older 13-foot Boston Whaler, but Crenier had something different in mind for his … Read more

There are pros and cons to repowering a boat, but one thing is certain: a new outboard can transform your ride. Matt Herum discovered that firsthand after his 16-foot skiff no longer met his 15-year-old son’s offshore spearfishing ambitions. Matt and his wife sold the flat-bottom Sundance, planning to replace it with a larger boat. … Read more

Raymarine e165 HybridTouch: Large Wide-Format Multifunction Display for Boats Raymarine’s e165 HybridTouch is a large-format multifunction display (MFD) designed to give boaters a spacious, modern interface without requiring a larger cutout than a traditional 14-inch unit. The e165 features a 15.4-inch, 16:9 wide-format screen that delivers an expansive view for navigation charts, sonar imagery, radar … Read more

Couple Switches from Pontoon to Ranger Z19 Comanche for Better Fishing For three years Don and Jamie Cooper enjoyed time on their 24-foot Tracker pontoon party barge, but when Jamie’s passion for fishing grew, the couple found the pontoon wasn’t the most efficient choice for angling. In March, looking for a boat better suited to … Read more

The Last Eastern-Rigged Side Trawler: An End of an Era My image of what a proper fishing boat should be was formed in childhood by the eastern-rigged side trawlers that used to ply Watch Hill Passage on their way to and from the fishing grounds. Those vessels—deep-draft wooden workboats with sweeping sheer and an aft … Read more

Brad Van Liew’s Solo Odyssey: Racing the Velux 5 Oceans on an Eco 60 Sailing roughly 30,000 miles around the globe alone on a 60-foot yacht is a formidable undertaking, yet Charleston native Brad Van Liew — the United States’ sole entry in the Velux 5 Oceans Race — embraces it with steady resolve. Van … Read more

About a dozen years ago, a friend and I took a 16-foot Zodiac Medline RIB on a roughly 60-mile trip from Essex to Norwalk, Connecticut. Until then my experience with inflatables had been limited to small, soft-bottom tenders used to ferry people through mooring fields or to reach shore for lunch. The comfort, stability and … Read more

NOAA Tests Saildrones to Supplement Ocean Fish Surveys Estimating how many fish inhabit the ocean and determining sustainable catch limits is a complex and often contentious task. Commercial fishing interests, conservation groups, and regulatory agencies all have a stake in the outcome. In the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible … Read more

Tulsa, Okla. – Simrad Yachting, a recognized leader in marine navigation, autopilot, radar, communications and fishfinding systems, has introduced two compact radome radars designed for smaller sportfishing and cruising craft: the HALO20+ and the HALO20. These two models bring the advantages of HALO radar technology—exceptional short-range performance, clear target separation and modern safety features—to boats … Read more