Overboard Boater

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Overboard Boater by Pete McDonald

Deputy Editor, Boating Magazine. Pete McDonald grew up around boats and the boating culture of South Florida. He has been involved with Boating Magazine for over 14 years, and currently resides in Long Island, NY, where he boats on both Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. Read full bio

[ June 11, 2013 ]

20 Diesel Engine Tips 2

by Pete McDonald

Yanmar Common Rail Diesel

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Photo by: Pete Mcdonald

Give your diesel engine a little TLC and it will keep going and going and going, but neglect that maintenance and it will die an untimely death.

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[ March 4, 2013 ]

My Cuban Adventure 7

by Pete McDonald

Donzi

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Photo by: courtesy Donzi Marine

One of the more memorable boating adventures I've ever had came in 2000 when we decided to take a boat to Cuba. The premise of the trip, which we were legally allowed to take as journalists, was that we were going to fish in the 50th anniversary of the Hemingway International Billfish Tournament. You can read the full text from that adventure here:

THE CUBAN OPEN

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[ February 27, 2013 ]

Nine of the Best Boat Ads 7

by Pete Mcdonald

Whenever I see a boat on mainstream television I stop to take notice because, you know, I'm a boat guy. In this post "Miami Vice" and "Baywatch" era, you typically see boats only in reality shows or in commercials. This new commercial from Geico reminded me of that. What are some of the best boat-related commercials I've seen? Take a look at some of the standouts below.

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[ February 19, 2013 ]

Boat Show Deals 12

by Pete McDonald

Miami Boat Show Floor

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Photo by: Brian Daugherty

I was walking the convention center floor at the Miami Boat Show, and every time I passed the Bayliner Element display I noticed a crowd of people looking at it. I don't have any official sales numbers--the show officially ends today--but it was interesting to see the Element, at least by anecdotal evidence, do what Bayliner desinged it to do: Bring people into boating.

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[ February 16, 2013 ]

Raymarine Introduces The New Dragonfly Sonar/GPS 6

by Pete McDonald

Raymarine Dragonfly

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Raymarine introduced its new Dragonfly Sonar/GPS unit at the 2013 Miami International Boat Show, and it's a small package with a big punch. The company introduced this MFD with a 5.7" screen to bring CHIRP technology to the masses. While most CHIRP sonar units are designed for deep-water use and carry a four-digit price, the Dragonfly is intended for freshwater and coastal use, with a price tag of $650.

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[ January 22, 2013 ]

New Show "Shipwreck Men" Follows Florida Salvage Crews 117

by Pete McDonald

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Shipwreck Men

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Photo by: Discovery Channel

We've got shows about crabbers, shrimpers, tuna fishermen, gator hunters and the Coast Guard. Now check out the new show about marine salvage called "Shipwreck Men." The show, on the Discovery Channel, follows the fortunes of four South Florida salvage companies as they race to be first on the scene when a vessel is in distress or already sunk. Discovery posted the first full episode online, and you can watch it here:

WRECKER'S GOLD

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[ January 9, 2013 ]

Chris-Craft Touts Its Towing Power 21

by Pete McDonald

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[ November 14, 2012 ]

Boating at Disney: Me and a Sea Raycer 142

by Pete McDonald

Sea Raycer

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Photo by: Courtesy of Walt Disney World

When I visited Walt Disney World as a kid I rode the monorail and stared wistfully at the little boats running around on the lakes below. Now that I'm adult and taking my own kids to Disney, I have the chance to do something about it. Disney offers rentals by the half-hour of Whaler Montauks, Sun Tracker pontoons and even a 52-foot Sea Ray Sedan (that one requires a captain). But the kid in me wanted to do one thing: Zip around in one of those tiny runabouts.

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[ October 25, 2012 ]

Volvo Penta Introduces the New V8-380 105

by Pete McDonald

Volvo Penta V8-380

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Today at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Volvo Penta formally announced its new V8-380, a new gasoline stern drive that had recently been popping up in engine compartments of some well-known manufacturers. It's a 380-hp engine with a 364 cid. The engine features variable valve timing that gives it low end torque and high end horsepower, while trimming 270 pounds from the old 8.1L model and burning 12 percent less fuel. It's geared towards single engine and twin engine boats to 40 feet.

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[ October 25, 2012 ]

Simrad's GoFree Wireless Connects Your MFDs with Your iPad or iPhone 46

by Pete McDonald

Simrad GoFree

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One of the first things I got the chance to see today at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is the Simrad's new GoFree wireless system that connects your Simrad multifunction displays with your tablet or smartphone courtesy of the marine-grade hardware called the WIFI-1 wireless gateway. Install it on your boat and download the free GoFree Controller app for your iPad or the GoFree Viewer for the iPhone (and also the iPad), and you can check out and use your electronics from there.

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