Soundings

Before I had kids, I had never even heard the term overstimulated. What it means, in a nutshell, is that your brain is receiving too much information from the environment, making it diffcult to process and resulting in a state of overwhelm or excessive excitement. While the symptoms are obvious in young boys, by that definition, almost everyone I know is overstimulated. Email, social media, politics, and the news writ large are constantly pinging, dinging, and vibrating the smartphone in your pocket—or in your hand. Then come the more physical demands of life: work, bills, family, and social commitments. Physical calendars on the refrigerator have been replaced by 32GB, 27-inch MFD versions with the computing power needed to juggle the demands of life in 2026. Like Brooks said in The…

While there is debate about whether HAL 9000 introduced the concept of artificial intelligence to the public, it is widely recognized that HAL played a significant role in raising awareness about AI and sentient machines. HAL 9000 also brought forth the idea that intelligent machines could possess malevolent tendencies. If you stick with me through this journey, we’ll explore the possibilities and potential pitfalls of AI on the water. However, those pitfalls won’t include the computers we rely on attempting to take over. Artificial intelligence is a broad term with various definitions and classifications. Its amorphous nature leaves it open to myriad interpretations—especially by marketing departments. I spent 20 years in corporate technology infrastructure, during which time cloud computing became all the rage. I vividly recall the confusion that accompanied…

Sitting at a hole-in-the-wall bar outside Seakeeper’s former Mohnton, Pennsylvania, facility several years ago with thennewly-minted CEO Andrew Semprevivo and Head of Marketing Kelsey Barrett, we glanced through the menu and swapped stories over glasses of tap water. We talked about our own smaller boats—boats that, frankly, weren’t gyro-worthy. Barrett joked that the company didn’t offer anything for her small Whaler. To that, Semprevivo said that one day there would be a Seakeeper for every boat. I laughed. Kelsey laughed. Andrew didn’t. Looking back at his comment now, I realize what I originally wrote off as the brashness of a new leader was, in fact, a glimpse at the cards he was keeping close to the vest: the Seakeeper 1, which fits aboard boats as small as 23 feet, and…

My colleagues and I can be picky. It comes with the territory when you review and write about boats, people and places for a living. So I knew there would be no better group of salty souls to poll for a breakdown of off-the-beaten-channel destinations we might all consider as we flip the calendar and cruise into the summer months. We hope this list of 11 great places inspires you to push beyond your comfort zone and experience someplace new. NEW SMYRNA, FLORIDA Many boaters traveling up or down the ICW zip right past New Smyrna Beach, Florida, missing out on a laid-back destination with incredible fishing opportunities and a long heritage of boatbuilding. New Smyrna has a bit of everything from state-of-the-art marinas, excellent restaurants, beaches and a sandbar…

When Axopar began drawing lines in Finland barely a decade ago, they couldn’t have possibly imagined the product of their imagination careening between the narrow, red-rock walls of Glen Canyon in the parched, triple-degree heat of the southwestern United States. Indeed, the Utah shoreline of Lake Powell sounds, figuratively, more like a million miles (or lightyears) from the Scandinavian fjordlands—5,000 miles and half a world away, in actual fact—for which Jan-Erik Viitala first intended his designs. But as chance, fate, or some amalgam of the two would have it, an Axopar—in particular, a 37 XC Cross Cabin—would find itself right at home in the desert. And at a closer glance, there should be no surprise why. Look at a topographical map, or better yet satellite imagery of Lake Powell. With…

Taking the step up to a new boat is a challenging proposition. There are so many models on the market and choices for everyone from anglers to watersport enthusiasts can overwhelm. But if you find yourself with the dilemma of choosing between your favorite pastimes, consider Everglades’ new 367CX. The CX stands for crossover, meaning you can play with the family, cruise to a restaurant with friends or just fish. “This is meant to be a boat that’s filled with lifestyle elements,” says Matt Holloway, Everglades’ director of business development. “It’s a luxury piece, where there are air conditioners, and there’s a cabin down below, and teak tables up in the bow, and so forth.” Everglades has fishing in its DNA, so the new 7-Series focuses on family friendly luxury…