Anchors Aweigh

As you'll hear me say in this conversation, chartering a catamaran through the virgin islands or on the med has been a dream trip for me for as long as I can remember. So it was really fun speaking with Renee Sawyer, owner of Out of the Blue Yacht Charters . Renee has been a General Manager of select service and full-service hotels as well as boutique hotels for 25 years. Renee's passions are many...

I really enjoy meeting and speaking with people who have made boating a big part of their lifestyle, especially people like Steve Payne, who went from knowing next to nothing about boats to living and traveling through Europe on one. Steve has been able to use his skills as a photographer, creator, and community builder to live the boating lifestyle and share it with the world. His youtube channel...

It is always exciting speaking to and learning from others who are advancing the subscription and membership boating model, especially seeing all of the different market segments who are finding value in this way of boating. One such leader has found traction in the premium luxury subscription segment and I had a great time speaking with First Mariners Club founder, Kevin Dorry. Kevin is an entrep...

  I had the great pleasure of speaking with Adam Gamble, writer, publisher, and avid fisherman. Adam conceived, wrote or cowrote, and supervised the production of three hundred titles in the Good Night Books series for pre-schoolers, which currently has more than nine million copies sold worldwide, including many to my family. Adam recently wrote and published The Power of Positive Fishing alongsi...

Diversity is not something that is often associated with boating and the boating industry. Many people have a stereotypical boater in mind, and I'm guessing as you read this you do too. One of the biggest obstacles to expanding the reach of boating is that so often, the way someone gets into boating in the first place is being exposed by family or close friends. If no one in your orbit is boating,...

The boating industry has welcomed over 800,000 new boaters into the fold in the last couple of years and is hard at work reaching new, more diverse audiences to continue growing boating. As more and more people experience boating and boat ownership for the first time, it is incumbent on marine businesses to make sure that the boating experience is as headache-free as possible. One aspect of boat o...

I love to mix in guests who may not be 'in' the boating industry but rather demonstrate to us what boating can enable. Stephen Ladd is an author and adventurer who certainly pushes the limits on where a boat can take you. In is mid-30s, Steve designed and built a 12-foot boat named Squeak and rowed and sailed her over 6500 miles over a three year journey, chronicling it in his book Three Years in...

If you have seen a boat rising out of the water as it gets on plane and seemingly gliding above it, you have seen hydrofoiling in effect! Hydrofoils have been used in high technology applications like the Americas Cup races for years and have recently been applied to recreational craft including smaller runabouts and even surfboards! I have been interested in learning more about foiling on the wat...

Think about your typical vehicle buying experience, whether it be car or boat. You research online, head to the showroom either eager to interact with a salesperson armed with all of your knowledge or dreading the back and forth, let me ask my manager negotiation. Some showrooms may stand out to you – well decorated, nice waiting room, great coffee, for me – an area to wait with kids toys. But the...

Making boating easier. Frictionless operation. Lowering the barrier to entry. Reducing the average age of the new boater. These are all goals that are being accomplished through the development and introduction of new and exciting on-board technologies. Connectivity is a major part of some of the largest marine companies in the world including Yamaha and Brunswick. We are all so used to living con...

It is an incredibly exciting time in the boating industry. We have seen two years of record sales, dealers are selling production slots because they can't get inventory fast enough, more Americans than ever are enjoying time on the water with family and friends, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate which is providing a better and more frictionless boating experience. Within the innov...

We have seen technological advancements drive tremendous change in the boating world. Most prominently, these new technologies have improved the boats themselves – more on-board electronics and capabilities, better boat building processes and materials, connected apps and more. But outside the boats, technology is helping the businesses who enable boating – marinas! One such area is marina managem...

There have been some extremely exciting developments in the electric boating space in the past year. PURE Watercraft raised over $37million to continue their expansion. Vision Marine had a successful IPO . Torqeedo delivered its 100,000th motor. And a variety of smaller companies are making strong plays as the space grows. While the momentum is exciting, it is clear there is still a long way to go...

There have been some extremely exciting developments in the electric boating space in the past year. PURE Watercraft raised over $37million to continue their expansion. Vision Marine had a successful IPO . Torqeedo delivered its 100,000th motor. And a variety of smaller companies are making strong plays as the space grows. While the momentum is exciting, it is clear there is still a long way to go...

In the five years I have spent as part of the boating industry, I have often tried to put into words how impactful boating can be for creating memories, sharing experiences, and just spending quality time with family and friends enjoying the beauty of being on the water. In that time, I don't think I have ever done it as effectively as Jesse Simpkins does day in and day out. Jesse is the Director...

I had a great conversation with Derek Horner, content manager at ANGLR . ANGLR is a fishing intelligence platform built for anglers by anglers that consists of a free fishing logbook, app that syncs across mobile and web devices, optional tracking accessories and community of anglers who are passionate about growing and helping others grow. ANGLRs goal is to empower anglers through measurement, le...

It has been a very interesting time to be in the boating industry. Right when we would normally be ramping up and commissioning boats for the spring, doing the boat show rounds, and seeding future sales, Covid-19 hit and we were shut down. Soon after, the term 'social distancing' became part of our lives and it became more and more clear that outdoor activities, away from other people, were the sa...

Boating to the Rescue Boating has long been thought of as a great way to enjoy nature, spend quality time together with loved ones, and disconnect from our busy lives to get away from it all. Now, more than ever, those qualities of boating are the reason it is positioned to be the perfect social distancing activity in our Covid-19 world. We, like many, have been homebound for a month plus. All soc...

Bringing Generations Together With the Waketoon What do you get when you combine two of the fastest growing segments in boating? The Avalon Waketoon ! Combining all the elements that made pontoons popular – space, comfort, increased power, and extra amenities – with the ability to surf behind the boat led to an NMMA Innovation Award at the recent Minneapolis Boat Show and lots of headlines after....

From Shark Fishing to Shark Tank   We talk about technology in boating a lot, and will only continue to do so more and more. The genius in Vance Zahorski's invention is that he saw people with thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in electronic technology designed to aid them in catching fish, and when they got them on the boat or to shore, they were fumbling with nail clippers or knives or yo...

Amazon, Google, Facebook…. Brunswick . What do all these companies have in common you might ask? All will be exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. While you don't often see marine brands lumped in with these technology titans, Brunswick has made innovation a key focus as technology becomes a bigger and bigger part of boating. From launching an innovation lab in partnership with t...

Anyone who has been following the podcasts probably can tell I have a particular interest in electric boating. That's why I was so excited to connect with Mark and Tim from Templar Marine.  Templar - whose mission is to eliminate our carbon footprint on global waterways and provide affordable, year round, eco- friendly, low maintenance electric boating to the general public, for personal use and f...

Alexander Watson is an entrepreneur, adventurer, and lately, an author. With his wedded partner Dale Harris, Alexander rescued his family business, a furniture studio, built a portfolio of rental properties, and then sold it all to restore a vintage motor yacht and travel 'The Rivah'. Watson's book , River Queens – Saucy Boat, Stout Mates, Spotted Dog , America tells of their escape from the urban...

Alex Caslow, with his wife KC, founded and owns Red Beard Sailing, the official US dealers for MiniCat, Xcat, Reverso, and RowOnAir brands. Alex was introduced to sailing by his grandfather at a young age and has been able to turn that passion into a career, helping others experience the same joy he gets out on the water under sail. In 2015, they did some extensive research looking for a portable...

Kelsey Albina is currently the Communications Manager for Seakeeper, Inc. Seakeeper is the global leader in marine stabilization. Seakeeper's innovative technology changes the boating experience by eliminating up to 95% of all boat roll, the rocking motion that causes seasickness, fatigue and anxiety. Kelsey is responsible for all internal and external communications for Seakeeper including:  Publ...