For so many boat restorations, the project is more than the boat itself and is usually a combination of the connection to the boat, the actual work involved and family. Boating of all kinds is synonymous with family, friends and adventure; there is an undeniable ability boats have to bring people together
Most performance boat enthusiasts in North America are exposed to boats made in the United States or Canada and rarely boats made in Europe.
One of the great things about the Miami Boat Show is that beyond the boats there is a huge and diverse selection of accessories and product displays.
Since our budget doesn’t allow a proper engine shootout, where we would ideally take 3 matching boats and power them with the latest 150 HP outboards to see how they compare in every performance category, we’re going to cheat
The 60R is cool because it is diminutive, it’s a genuine Mercury Racing engine, but it also might represent a new direction for Mercury Racing, specialty engines for all horsepower.
I compiled some footage from the show looking at all the performance boats and engines
The question is, do the economics of building boats prevent smaller boats from being built? Let’s look at interesting small boats, boat prices and why boat building is so expensive
When it comes to incremental change in the marine industry, one of the most curious is steering. When it comes to steering for outboards, not much has changed in the last 20+ years.
Personally, I love an ambitious boat project. When it comes to boats, the sky’s the limit if you have the imagination
There are some amazing old center console boats on the market that you can do a refresh on and be on the water for a budget
The first day of the Miami Boat Show is always a combination of anticipation and fun.
After some preliminary testing I ended up getting some great drone footage in Miami. We lucked out and had an absolutely perfect day to run the 22 Activator
One of our readers has recently repowered a very unique Checkmate 21 Pulsare with a brand new Mercury 250 ProXS, let’s take a look.
Yamaha outboards are in a great position in 2020. Not so much from a product standpoint, but they are in a fantastic place for their next move.
Right now, we are seeing a bit of a resurgence of single engine outboard boats. This phenomenon stems from the previous lack of boats available on the market and the proliferation of amazing outboards available.
Ohio has a unique history in performance boats but it would be impossible to talk about boats and Ohio, without mentioning Bill Combs and Checkmate Boats
Like most things in life, bigger isn’t always better but it sure is fun to make things bigger. For performance boats, I personally love small boats
After running the Grand Sport boat with a 28” Mercury Racing ProMax prop for a while, I decided to try the 30” ProMax prop again
When it comes choosing the right engine for your boat, obviously horsepower is a huge consideration but so are cost and features. In 2019 we have some great options, and although we complain about the lack of light true performance engines, a modern 200 to 300 horsepower outboard is as reliable and powerful as ever.
Like so many restorations we have featured, they are all a labor of love. Often there is a connection to the boat itself or sometimes it is a love for the boat brand
