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Category: NextMarine

  • Advancements in Self-Driving Boats

    Advancements in Self-Driving Boats Self-driving boats may assist with docking and short-distance maneuvers. Courtesy Simrad Autonomously piloted boats might sound weird to inveterate boaters who value the sense of independence and control that skippering brings. But key players in the marine industry, believing that self-driving boats will spur participation and sales, have enthusiastically pursued this…

  • The Evolution of Outboard Engines

    The Evolution of Outboard Engines The first outboard was actually electric (left). The 12-cylinder block for Mercury’s 600-hp Verado shows how far outboard technology has come. World History Archive/Alamy stock photo Once upon a time, a 200 hp outboard was huge. Today, there are boats with a half-dozen 600 hp V-12s strapped onto the transom.…

  • Next-Generation Eco-Friendly Marine Fuel Sources

    Next-Generation Eco-Friendly Marine Fuel Sources The benefits of alternative fuels are less pollution, fewer greenhouse-gas emissions, and cleaner seas and skies. karandaev/adobe.stock I will never forget the first time I encountered a boat running on biodiesel. As we walked down a marina crowded with sport-fishers, engines warming up in preparation for a day of fishing…

  • Brunswick Showcases Autonomous Boating, More, at the 2025 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

    Brunswick Showcases Autonomous Boating, More, at the 2025 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Brunswick, a leading boatbuilder and technology company, will showcase many new innovations at the 2025 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Courtesy Brunswick Corporation Brunswick Corporation, the world’s largest marine technology company, returns to the 2025 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), taking…

  • Self-Driving Boats Hit the Water

    Self-Driving Boats Hit the Water Simrad Marine Electronics, a brand within Brunswick Corporation, announced the launch of the Simrad AutoCaptain Autonomous Boating System, a revolutionary advancement in marine technology featuring full auto-docking capabilities. Courtesy Simrad Simrad Marine Electronics, a brand within Brunswick Corporation, today announced the launch of the Simrad® AutoCaptain Autonomous Boating System, a…

  • Affordable Boat-Security Systems

    Affordable Boat-Security Systems Monitoring your boat from afar is easier than ever, thanks to increasingly affordable and compact app-based systems that update you on the condition and location of your unattended boat, no matter how many miles separate you from your vessel.  All it takes is a few clicks on your mobile phone to get…

  • Scout 400 LXF Li-Ion Fathom E-Power System

    Scout 400 LXF Li-Ion Fathom E-Power System Fathom provides data monitoring, including consumption rate and time remaining. Courtesy Scout Boats The 39-foot-7-inch Scout 400 LXF Li-Ion is a wide-beam luxury ­center-console equipped with the Fathom M7000-X+ Series, currently the premier e-power system ­offered by Navico Group, the technology division of Brunswick Corporation. Scout is one…

  • Review: Bonafide XTR130 Fishing Kayak

    Review: Bonafide XTR130 Fishing Kayak The Bonafide XTR130 is an angling platform that straddles the line between kayak and motorboat. Courtesy Sorerrunte Johnson If your perception of a kayak is a sun-faded, sit-inside piece of plastic with an aluminum paddle, you’re about to go from black-and-white to high-definition LED. Today, kayak fishing rigs resemble bass boats…

  • Gulf Star’s Robotic Dry Stack Marina

    Gulf Star’s Robotic Dry Stack Marina A new robotic dry stack marina could be in your future. At Gulf Star Marina in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, it’s here now. The five-story concrete building accommodates up to 115 vessels in concrete cubicles of varying beam and height, 80 feet deep, which can nest vessels of dimensions…

  • Boat Tech: Gyros and Attitude Control Systems

    Boat Tech: Gyros and Attitude Control Systems Advanced stabilization systems promise a more comfortable future afloat for boats big and small. Courtesy Seakeeper Since ancient Polynesians first navigated the mighty Pacific Ocean, seafarers have sought ways to lend greater ­stability to their oceangoing boats. Polynesians built multihull sailing craft with wider beams that resisted roll…

  • The Benefits of Volvo Penta’s Electronic Vessel Control

    The Benefits of Volvo Penta’s Electronic Vessel Control The helm of a 2003 boat looks nothing like a new boat’s helm. Upgrade your engine’s EVC and you can upgrade your helm, adding value, function, and a modern look. Courtesy Volvo Penta Maybe you own an older boat and don’t want to replace it but would…

  • Protecting Your Boat

    Protecting Your Boat Today’s connected-boat systems often leverage digital-switching technologies, and satellite communications, and many offer a customized app experience. Courtesy Debut Art/Alex Williamson When I was a kid, my ­family lived about 45 minutes away from our boat on the East Coast. While this wasn’t a big deal—the constant traffic snarls on I-95 aside—we…

  • Explained: Marine Flooring Gets Comfortable

    Explained: Marine Flooring Gets Comfortable SeaDek is a sure-footed flooring solution that’s been put to the test. And passed. Courtesy SeaDek Boats need nonslip surfaces. Decks get wet, people walk on them, and without the proper surface underfoot, somebody can end up taking a potentially dangerous header. Products have come and gone over the years…

  • Simrad NSS 4

    Simrad NSS 4 Simrad NSS 4 models offer built-in dual-channel 1 kW chirp sonar, as well as support for Active Imaging HD sonar. Courtesy Simrad BUY NOW Multifunction displays continue to advance in processing speed, system integration, enhanced control capabilities, and ease of use. The latest to emerge in this marine-tech revolution is the Simrad NSS 4…

  • Flux Marine’s Electric Outboard Advances Propulsion Innovation

    Flux Marine’s Electric Outboard Advances Propulsion Innovation The Flux-powered Highfield 660 offered a smooth, silent ride. Courtesy Flux Marine Flux Marine co-founders Ben Sorkin, Daylin Frantin and Jon Lord say that they began developing an electric outboard ­motor in a garage. That’s a startup plan that worked out for Bill ­Harley and Arthur Davidson, and…

  • Solid-State Batteries for Boaters

    Solid-State Batteries for Boaters Solid-state batteries from Solid State Marine feature a thin, solid lithium electrolyte coating that saves weight and boosts capacity. Courtesy Solid State Marine As recently as this past winter, solid-state batteries were touted as future tech poised to move electric propulsion rapidly forward. Jumping ahead a year, Honda ­announced limited production…

  • Live Sonar for Saltwater Fishing

    Live Sonar for Saltwater Fishing Garmin has the ­longest history in live-sonar ­development and has earned a reputation for ­prevailing as the top device. Courtesy Garmin BUY NOW Be it Garmin LiveScope, Lowrance Active Target 2 or Humminbird Mega Live 2, live sonar seems to have popped up on bass boats overnight, but saltwater anglers…

  • Sea Trial of the Avikus Neuboat System

    Sea Trial of the Avikus Neuboat System Avikus’ docking technology utilizes six cameras to create a 360-degree view, while also using AI to recognize obstacles and distances. Courtesy Avikus I felt the same during a sea trial of the 2025 AquaSport Center Console at the 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show using the Avikus Neuboat…

  • Mercury Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels

    Mercury Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels Single-engine boats, especially lighter, shallower types such as RIBs and pontoons, will benefit from joystick maneuverability. Courtesy Highfield Boats The new Mercury Marine ­joystick control for a single outboard puts throttle, shifting and steering control in the palm of your hand. Many captains will find that the joystick makes…

  • The Differences Between Radial, Axial and Transverse Flux Motors

    The Differences Between Radial, Axial and Transverse Flux Motors Axial flux motors are just one type available in electric outboards. Courtesy EVOA Axial flux? Transverse flux? What do these terms mean? Why do they matter? What is flux, anyway? Here’s a vocabulary primer for electric marine propulsion. Radial Flux Motor To visualize a radial flux…

  • Recon Trolling Motors From Simrad and Lowrance

    Recon Trolling Motors From Simrad and Lowrance The new trolling motors also feature a GPS-guided virtual ­anchoring system that holds boats within a 3-foot radius. Courtesy Lowrance The 2024 ICAST fishing trade show in Orlando, Florida, delivered big news for boating anglers. Both Lowrance and Simrad debuted bow-mounted, electric-steer brushless trolling motors designed for salt…

  • Mercury Avator 110e Electric Outboard

    Mercury Avator 110e Electric Outboard The name 110e derives from the fact that the motor delivers 11,000 watts of power at the prop shaft. Courtesy Mercury Marine Mercury recently celebrated the debut of two new Avator electric outboards: the 75e and the 110e. Both are made for small-boat applications, with the 75e delivering 10 hp…