Review: Cruisers 328 SS
The Cruisers 328 SS Limited Edition Black Diamond is not your uncle’s bowrider. It’s a hybrid, blending the best of both worlds. The traditional, open bowrider layout affords plenty of seating for the entire family, but what makes this boat so remarkable are the quite nice overnight accommodations below decks, with an impressive six-foot […] Read More
Review: Scarab 195 HO Impulse
I worked for the Miami Herald‘s Florida Keys edition in 1984 when the TV show “Miami Vice” premiered. The opening credits featured a Scarab 38KV getting more air than water as it flew across Biscayne Bay off South Beach. Over the six-year run of the hit series, Scarab sales skyrocketed as the name became […] Read More
American Revival
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…. In 2001, Minneapolis-based Genmar Holdings bought all the boat brands of Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), catapulting it into the position of largest manufacturer of recreational powerboats in the country. Back then, it had a whopping 18 brands, 300 disparate boat […] Read More
Visiting Wisconsin Dells
It’s billed as the Waterpark Capital of the World, and maybe it is. There sure are a bunch of them. But Wisconsin Dells offers a lot more to do besides body slides and wave pools, thanks to a load of family-flavored attractions and activities. Water does, however, dominate the theme in the […] Read More
Lovin' the Loop! Part 4
We awaken to the sound of wind screaming through the rigging of nearby sailboats and waves slapping against our transom. It’s the middle of August, and the cool wind and clear skies are a welcome relief from the hot and humid summers of our Chesapeake Bay. Five months after leaving Pensacola, Fla., we’ve arrived in […] Read More
Stocking Your Boat's First Aid Kit
A first-aid kit is not a Coast Guard requirement, but it is highly recommended and appears on Coast Guard Auxiliary checklist. If it’s well kept, your first-aid kit can be a lifesaver and a great comforter in times of necessity. Too often, first-aid kits, those made up by mariners or sold in […] Read More
Coast Guard Rolls Out ‘Virtual’ ATONs
The U.S. Coast Guard is beginning to deploy a new generation of aids to navigation (ATONs) that broadcast AIS information to boats — which, in some cases, may come to replace actual physical buoys. Some are criticizing the Coast Guard’s efforts as haphazard and undertaken without due consultation. While a Coast Guard […] Read More
Lock Closure Included in WRRDA Stirs Concerns
The waterways industry has been effusive in its praise of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) that was passed overwhelmingly in both houses of Congress and now awaits only President Obama’s signature to become law. But that doesn’t mean that every provision is equally welcomed by every segment of the […] Read More