Balise promises pontoon boat buyers a new experience on the water. Courtesy Balise Pontoon Boats Balise, a new pontoon boat builder, launches today. It’s hard to imagine another pontoon boat maker offering a different experience given the number of pontoon boat brands from which boat buyers can choose. But, Balise is promising to deliver a new experience for boaters in several ways.  According to a company spokesman, every Balise pontoon boat model is meticulously designed and fitted with distinct features to make your time on the water exceptional. Timeless artistry, the company says, d ..read more

Sometimes the safest move requires breaking the rules. Garrett Cortese The boat just kept coming. I can still vividly recall the scene, even though it happened over 20 years ago. We were taking a break during a photo shoot in the Florida Keys, and we’d just sat down at an outdoor table at a dockside restaurant overlooking a long channel running out to deeper waters. Where the channel snaked closer to dry land, distinguished by mangroves on either side, it was marked by giant no-wake signs.  We all watched as a far-off ­go-fast, engines roaring, ran full throttle down the center of the ch ..read more

Storing a boat on land requires knowledge and experience, for the safety of those involved, as well as for the long-term well-being of the boat being stored.  As we’ve written before, an improperly stored boat can be damaged by misplaced blocking or improper stand placement.  Out of concern for safety, Brownell Boat Stands, leading maker of boat stands (a.k.a, poppets, jackstands) offers an online course to teach boaters  how to properly block and store vessels. Upon successful completion of the 45-minute course, students will earn a certificate. I’ll say that this knowledge is ..read more

The Open Wake 235 ID and Wake 235 ID are similar, but also have some important differences. Courtesy Scarab Jet Boats In many ways, the raging popularity of center-console boats mirrors America’s infatuation with pickup trucks. Both vehicle types have evolved from ­utilitarian origins—trucks for tradesmen and farmers, center-console boats for dedicated anglers—into versatile platforms that might compromise some of that original utility for comfort, luxury, muscular performance, or the image that each one projects about the captain, creating a platform with much broader appeal. Scarab Jet off ..read more

Rose-colored glasses nearly cost these boaters dearly. Tim Bower Three days into our annual trip down the Upper Mississippi River, my wife and I were preparing our 30-foot cabin cruiser, Weekend Therapy, for the 30-mile stretch from Red Wing to Winona, Minnesota, requiring a crossing of Lake Pepin, the largest lake on the river. Monitoring weather reports as we did our daily system checks, we saw that a storm was moving in. We could stay and ride it out in Red Wing, risk being delayed and lose our slip and dinner reservations in Winona, or shove off pronto, maintain schedule, and hope that we ..read more

Visit Sea-Doo Build Your Sea-Doo Find a Sea-Doo Dealer Walkthrough Summary Sea-Doo’s 2024 Switch Cruise Limited is designed to get the next generation of boater out on the water. Intended for first time buyers, this pontoon boat offers all the space of a pontoon but the fun and ease of a Sea-Doo personal watercraft. It is easy to use, adaptable, and intuitive with handle bars rather than a steering wheel, a separate throttle lever, and the iBR (Intelligent Brake and Reverse) braking system. This jet powered model enhances slow speed control, shallow water access, and safety. Additional fea ..read more

Different materials provide different benefits. Courtesy SmartWool, Helly Hansen, Kora The key to early-season boating is to dress in layers, and it all starts with picking the appropriate base layer as your foundation for weather protection. Here are three different types of base-layer shirts, made from different materials, to choose from. Wool: SmartWool Intraknit Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew The Warmth: Wool is the original when it comes to marine base layers that have stood the test of time for centuries. It sheds water quickly, and retains its insulating properties when wet, so it’s pe ..read more

Bringing a dog on board comes with special considerations. Tim Bower Thursday is poker night at the Lake View Inn. Other bars in the North Woods might host a private back-room card club with high stakes, but at the Lake View, the game is played for essentially pocket change around the corner table of the dining room, where the big windows overlook the lights reflecting off the inky surface of the lake. I’m not much for cards due to a lifelong math handicap, but my good friend Chuck Larson is a regular at the game. Lately he’s been bringing along his new dog, a Lab-Chessie mix named Bo, w ..read more

Twin Vee 400 GFX2 underway, showing off its ride and new lines. Courtesy Twin Vee Having put nearly 10,000 boats on the water, from 24-40’, over 27 years, Twin Vee recognized that many boaters viewed the boat builder as producing a reliable, smooth riding, utilitarian fishing catamaran. Then, a few years ago, under the leadership of CEO Joseph Visconti, the development team created the 400 GFX flagship model that raised the brand’s bar, look and aspirations. The publicly traded company decided to invest in raising the standards of the rest of its 2025 model line, creating the evolution from G ..read more

The new Sailfish 232 CC, underway. Courtesy Sailfish Boats Editor’s Note: Boating’s Tech Team will be sea-trialing this new Sailfish 232 CC soon. One thing we note, without even taking her out, is that you can power this Sallfish with a variety of outboard brands. You can choose from Mercury, Yamaha or Suzuki, which gives you more flexibility in choosing your dealer. Look for our full boat test report coming soon. Sailfish Boats announces the 232 Center Console (CC). Engineered with precision and design for unparalleled performance, safety, and comfort. The 232 CC has everything boaters need ..read more