Labor Day Boating Safety: BoatUS Warns of Busier Waters as Fuel Prices Fall With gasoline prices continuing to ease, BoatUS expects more boaters to head out on the water this Labor Day weekend. As recreational activity increases on lakes and coastal waterways, safety should remain the top priority for everyone aboard. In a recent online … Read more

Freya the walrus — the large marine mammal that became a global news story for repeatedly hauling out on small boats and even sinking some of them while searching for a place to rest — was euthanized by Norwegian authorities last week. The decision sparked widespread debate and anger from wildlife advocates, scientists and members … Read more

Lori King’s 24-Mile Open-Water Swim: Shark Sighting, Sea Life and a Potential First Lori King of Amagansett, New York, attempted a historic open-water crossing — a marathon 24-mile swim from Block Island to Montauk. During the effort, her support team spotted a shark fin near her position. King herself did not see the fin; she … Read more

Electrifying Maine’s Working Waterfront: A Plan to Put Electric Outboards on Commercial Skiffs Modern four-stroke and direct-injection marine engines are far cleaner than their predecessors, yet they continue to rely on fossil fuels and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In Maine, a coordinated effort is underway to replace conventional outboards with electric propulsion and to … Read more

Hinckley Introduces SilentJet Hybrid Propulsion on the Picnic Boat 40 S Picture this: you leave the dock with nothing but the soft hum of electric power, slip through the harbor in near silence, then transition automatically to diesel for higher speed passages. As you approach a secluded cove, the propulsion quietly switches back to electric … Read more

Tad Roberts: Designing Efficient, Purposeful Boats for Coastal Cruising Tad Roberts grew up on the British Columbia coast in a family of boatbuilders, artists and sailors, so drawing boats as a child came naturally. His early years included a decade working on tugs and fishing vessels and spending time cruising and racing sailboats. In 1982 … Read more

Cooler air and lower humidity signal relief from the heat of summer, the local pool closes for the season, and boatyards begin to haul vessels out of the water. For many boat owners, the thought of leaving a boat wrapped up for months prompts a familiar response: head south on the ICW. South Carolina and … Read more

Boat Fuel Safety: Follow the One-Third Rule and Smart Fueling Practices High gasoline and diesel prices may tempt captains to leave the dock with less fuel, but safety demands adherence to the one-third rule: use one-third of your fuel to travel out, one-third to return, and keep one-third as a reserve. That reserve covers unplanned … Read more

Sober Skipper, MADD and the Push to Prevent Boating Under the Influence When television hits like Cheers and L.A. Law dominated the airwaves, the phrase “designated driver” entered everyday conversation. By 1991 it was in Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, and the idea of naming a sober driver became as ordinary as making dinner plans. … Read more

The Charles N. Curtis: A 91-Year-Old Training Vessel Serving Tacoma Youth Slowly, the Charles N. Curtis eased stern-first into the Foss Waterway channel in Tacoma, Washington, preparing for a scheduled outing with local high school students who would perform scientific sampling across Commencement Bay. On the bridge, two veterans steered the vessel: Tom Rogers, 82, … Read more