If there is one class of boats that is a little confusing on the surface, it is the Mod VP class. Boats that are considered “Mod VP” boats are basically boats of varying hull designs that competed in a class sanctioned by the APBA in 1981
All in Opinion
Dashboard Bling: An Overview of Marine Gauges
Whether you are custom rigging a new boat, simply updating an older boat or finishing a restoration project, gauges are a great way to add style with functionality
Classic Midsize Sport Boats: Performance and Design from the Nineties
I feel like the nineties was a heyday for boat design. Don’t get me wrong, the sixties and seventies had some of the most game changing design revolutions in boat history, but the 90s boats became more modern, as the competition was fierce
Midsize Outboard Engines: New Models, More Power
Even though most performance boaters are looking for the most power possible on their hull, I get more excited about balance and efficiency.
The Cats: New Outboard Tunnels Taking Over
For performance boats the big eye opener is the proliferation of outboard tunnels of all sizes, with the 28’ to 36 size being extremely popular. Why is that?
Bad Boat Design: Why Family Boats are Horrible
After being back from the recent Miami Boat Show and sobering up, finding my pants and gathering my thoughts, I wanted to write about bad boat design. There are several serious design flaws that I see that are most prevalent in family type boats from major manufacturers
Cigarette Racing and AMG: Forging a Relationship
When you think about it at first, the long standing relationship between AMG and Cigarette Racing makes no sense. The famed offshore boat builder, based in the Miami Florida area for its whole existence, born in the hustle and bustle of early offshore racing in South Florida has very little in common with AMG, on the surface.
Carl Kiekhaefer: Marine Industry Revolutionist
In every industry there are pioneers, inventors and hawkers but the real changemakers are the ones that are revolutionists. They are seldom the first in any given arena but they are the first to repurpose, reinvent and create markets that weren’t realized before. Carl Kiekhaefer was a revolutionist engineer that used his passion for engineering, competitiveness and salesmanship to change the marine industry.
Best Midsize Offshore Boats Right Now
One difficult thing as a boater is finding the ideal boat, the hull that fills most of your needs. Usually, the answer depends on where you boat, who you boat with and what you do on the water. If you run on the ocean or a very large lake, you realize quickly that you need some deadrise and some freeboard to play in the big waves.
The Boat Show: And the Small Manufacturers
I remember as a kid going to the boat show was a chance to see the latest and greatest boats on the market. There was always something interesting to see, from the new engines to the performance boats. It seemed like in the 80s and 90s there was always several performance boat manufacturers that had at least a few boats on display. But in the 2000s, the boat shows kind of changed.
The Glastron Carlson Scimitar: Forward Thinking Design
In the last 30 years of boat design, I am not sure there is one model that is as eye catching and awe inspiring as the Glastron Carlson Scimitar
Get'em While They're Hot: The Last of the Performance Outboards
For performance boaters, there are really only 4 consumer level outboards available under 450 Lbs. Not long ago, every engine in the 150 to 225 range was less than 450 Lbs, closer to 400 Lbs actually.
The Best Midsize Sport Boats on the Water
This is a stellar category. Single engine sport boats in the 25’ to 27’ range. I love a single engine sport boat as they have enough size for pretty serious open water, can hold a bunch of people effortlessly and yet they go really fast with a stock engine. This makes them some of the most cost effective boats around.
Big Racing, Small Boats
There is something about driving a small lightweight hull that allows you to feel the water and experience the speed better than anything else. Riding a motorcycle is the closest comparison I can make.
Outboards: Mercury Racing and the High Performance Opportunity
To start, I will say that this article is aimed at documenting the abandonment of a specific market that Mercury Racing was instrumental in creating. The high performance outboard market is almost non existent, yet outboard sales are at all time highs.
Re-Power Without Blowing the Bank
This is a short overview of some of the options you have when it is time to re-power or find an engine for a restoration project.
The Used Boat Market: Crazier Than the Illicit Drug Market
Buying a used boat today is like buying large quantities of cocaine online, it’s dangerous and full of unknowns.
The Fastest Single Engine Outboard Boats You Can Buy Right Now
At Wave to Wave, our favorite boats are smaller, single engine sport boats. This covers a large spectrum because some boats are semi offshore, some are lightweight lake hot rods and some are somewhere in the middle.
The Ultimate Outboard Engine Buyer's Guide: Heavy on the Power
The Wave to Wave Outboard buyers guide is focused on performance orientated outboards from the midsize horsepower range to the high horsepower range.