Wards Way Podcast

Boats don’t stop at borders, and in this episode, Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Joe Lynch, President of ICOMIA, to explore the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the global boating industry connected. Joe explains how ICOMIA helps harmonize standards, regulations, and best practices across international markets, making it easier and safer for marine businesses to operate worldwide. The conver...

Host Kristina Hebert sits down at the American Boating Congress with John Adey, President of ABYC; Mark Reedenauer, President and Executive Director of NMEA; Brian Kane, President and CEO of GOST; and Dave Marlow, Senior Director of Product Integrity at Brunswick Corporation to explore how marine policy is shaped and why voluntary industry standards often move faster than regulation while still pr...

A fishery can be fully rebuilt and still remain effectively closed when outdated data and regulatory delays limit public access. From the American Boating Congress in Washington, D.C., Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Jeff Angers of the Center for Sportfishing Policy to explore how recreational fishing policy is shaped and why access and opportunity are essential to healthy fisheries and coasta...

Host Kristina Hebert welcomes David Carr of Firecrown Media’s Marine Division and Michelle Goldsmith of the Soundings Trade Only Group for a conversation about the evolving role of marine media in connecting the boating industry, influencing policy, and building community. They discuss how Firecrown serves diverse audiences across the marine ecosystem, the responsibility of industry media to deliv...

Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Kira Maixner of American Sailing, a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed Master Captain and sailing instructor, to explore the training, certifications, and real-world skills that help boaters build confidence on the water. They discuss the path from basic sailing education to coastal cruising and bareboat chartering, while highlighting why strong crew skills are valuable...

Host Kristina Hebert sits down at the American Boating Congress in Washington, D.C., with Shannon Aronson, John Adey, and Brian Goodwin of the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) and Robert Newsome of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) to explore how boating safety standards are developed, updated, and implemented across the industry. Kristina and her guests explain ABYC’s r...

Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Jeff Wasil to discuss how EPA regulation of styrene under TSCA could impact recreational boatbuilding and why real-world manufacturing controls matter in chemical risk assessments. They also examine the challenges of evolving PFAS regulations, including state reporting requirements that create compliance burdens for marine manufacturers and their supply chains....

Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Louis Sola, former Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, to discuss his journey from the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and yacht sales to leading a major dealership in Panama and serving at the center of U.S. maritime regulation. Louis explains the role of the Federal Maritime Commission, shares his experience overseeing the cruise industry duri...

Federal Maritime Commission Chair Laura DiBella joins host Kristina Hebert for a timely conversation on the forces shaping U.S. ocean shipping, supply chains, and maritime policy. Filmed at the Federal Maritime Commission headquarters, the episode explores DiBella’s journey from Florida real estate and economic development to port leadership and national maritime regulation, including her frontlin...

Miami’s return to Collins Avenue and Indian Creek showed why location and planning shape the entire boat show experience.  Filmed in Washington, D.C., during the American Boating Congress, Kristina Hebert is joined by Grant Henderson, president of the International Yacht Brokers Association and sales broker at Burgess Yachts, along with Larry Berryman, VP of Southern Shows for Informa Markets, to...

From the American Boating Congress in D.C., host Kristina Hebert talks with NMMA’s Ben Murray about how state legislation is shaping the future of boating.  From wake surfing regulations and shoreline setbacks to boater education and protecting water access, Ben breaks down the policies impacting families, dealers, and manufacturers — and why facts, science, and responsible boating matter more tha...

Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Clay Crabtree, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the National Marine Manufacturers Association, from the American Boating Congress in Washington, DC, to discuss the policies shaping the future of recreational boating.  From the Sportfish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund to water access, trade policy, tariffs, and fuel regulations, Krist...

Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Mr. Smith’s, Tjeerd van Groenland, to discuss making yacht AV systems simpler and more user-friendly. They explore how software-first solutions are changing onboard entertainment, streaming, and connectivity at sea. The conversation also dives into the challenges of legal IPTV and commercial licensing on yachts. This episode offers valuable insights into the fut...

From a napkin sketch once dismissed as “too small to be real” to a must-have system on modern superyachts, Alessandro Ciolfi of Asea Nautica joins host, Kristina Hebert, at the Palm Beach Boat Show to discuss the future of shore power, energy storage, and yacht electrification.  This Wards Way Podcast episode explores the technology shaping global cruising — and where superyacht power systems are...

Two companies can compete for years—and still recognize when collaboration becomes the smarter engineering move. At the Palm Beach Boat Show, host Kristina Hebert sits down with Richard Gaudet, President of ASEA Power Systems & Marine Power at Mission Critical Electronics, and Matthew Scales, Managing Director of Magnus Marine, to unpack the real story behind their new alliance—and what it sig...

Superyachts are often talked about as floating lifestyle accessories, but the reality is more concrete: they are long-lived economic engines that keep paying communities back year after year. From the Palm Beach show floor, host Kristina Heberts sits down with Robert van Tol, Executive Director of SYBAss, the Super Yacht Builders Association, to unpack what the builders see that most outsiders mis...

Yacht interiors are changing fast, but not always in the ways people assume. From the Palm Beach International Boat Show, host Kristina Hebert sits down with Patrick Knowles of Patrick Knowles Design to unpack what “evolution” really looks like in marine interior design, superyacht refits, and high-end aviation work. They talk about the early days of on-site craftsmanship, why build timelines stil...

The American yacht refit market is getting called “soft” more often lately, and we wanted to talk about what that actually means when you’re running projects, advising owners, or trying to keep a yard busy year-round. From the Palm Beach Boat Show, host Kristina Hebert digs into the signals being seen on the ground and in the headlines, and why a slowdown can also be a moment to reset the story an...

Sun, salt, and surge: that’s the surface. Underneath, a living engine of people and craft keeps Miami’s water culture roaring. We head straight into that engine room with Cigarette Racing’s Alex Thompson at the Miami International Boat Show, where heritage meets restless innovation and a legendary name proves why it still draws a crowd. From the aura of Miami to the hum of a tuned-outboard idle, t...

A sunny day at the Miami International Boat Show turns into a masterclass on how boaters and whales can safely share the same ocean. We sit down with Virgil Zetterlind, co‑founder of the Whale Alert app, to unpack the real‑world tools, data, and collaborations that help prevent vessel strikes and keep crews safe. If you’ve ever wondered how marine tech, policy, and industry initiatives come togeth...

Salt on the breeze, stories on deck, and a family who measures time by tides—join us at the Miami International Boat Show as we sit down with the Donnells, a Miami crew who live the boating life across offshore runs, bay days, and kid-powered fishing wins. We dive into what keeps a young angler hooked—hands-on fishing classes, clear tips that build confidence fast, and the small rituals that turn...

Miami’s water life doesn’t just happen; it’s built by people who obsess over hulls, hardware, and the moments that make families and friends fall in love with the ocean. At the Miami International Boat Show, we sit dockside with Mo Urbina of Deep Impact and Blackwater to explore how two “sibling” brands thrive under one roof while serving very different captains—those who chase speed, sound, and s...

Boats turn heads, but people power the wake. We sit down with the force behind Abordo Media Group to unpack how a scrappy fishing bulletin grew into a global marine media platform with magazines for anglers, families, and women in yachting—plus a film division capturing iconic shows from Miami to Palma de Mallorca. What comes through is a blueprint: show up everywhere that matters, invest in relat...

From the floor of the Miami International Boat Show, we sit down with Flux Marine CEO Ben Sorkin to unpack how electric outboards are moving from hype to daily use—without asking boat builders to reinvent their world. Ben shares his journey from Lake George tinkerer to Princeton-trained engineer, and how that path led to a purpose-built electric propulsion system that slots into boats people alrea...

At the Miami International Boat Show, we sit down with Ryan Donnell, in-house service manager at Eric’s Outboard, to explore how Yamaha outboards are reshaping the way Miami boats run, dock, and get home. If you’ve wondered why so many builders have moved from inboards to outboards, or what triple setups actually deliver beyond wow factor, this conversation pulls back the engine cover. We dig into...