Monday, July 23, 2007

If Wonder Woman had a Canoe

See Through Canoe, a Colorado based company, announced their all-new transparent canoes and kayaks last week. The company claims that their clear watercraft provide a more interactive experience with nature than their conventional counterparts.

I think they seem a little too similar to some other transparent vehicles that I recall from my youth.

What do you think?

Wonder Woman's invisible plane:



 

 

 

 


The new See Through Canoe:

Friday, July 20, 2007

Lower Boat Prices on the Way

I can smell it.

It's not rocket science - it's simple economics - Supply and Demand.

Too many new boats PLUS not enough people buying new boats EQUALS lower prices.

Today, Brunswick, the world's largest manufacturer of recreational boats, announced lower sales forecasts for the rest of 2007 and that they are going to cut production.

Wait, you say, doesn't a cut in production mean that supply will be short - resulting in INCREASED prices?

Good question, BUT, the fact that Brunswick is cutting production is likely a band aid on a bigger issue. They are reacting to the fact that their boat dealers can't sell the inventory of boats that are sitting on their lots. They are trying to put the brakes on a manufacturing conglomerate of multiple plants and warehouses to slow production, but they are probably too late - There is already too much supply and not enough demand, which will drive boat prices down over the next few months.

Chicago Business.com stated, "Recreational boat makers and dealers are having a hard time getting U.S. consumers to buy their pricey toys due to rising interest rates, higher fuel prices and a cooling U.S. housing market."

What does this mean for you?

Well, if you were thinking about buying a boat, and you already factored in the costs of fuel and interest rates, then NOW is the perfect time to buy a boat. On top of the falling prices on new boats due to over supply, you are approaching the time of year (sadly, the end of summer) when many boat owners put their used boats up for sale. There are thousands of people who decided to sell their boat a year ago but wanted to get one more season out of it.

The time is right to buy a boat. Mark my words, there are deals to be made. When a boat dealer gives you his best price, ask him to go lower, or go to another dealer. This is YOUR market.

Now, go buy a boat!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Go Go Gadget SmartPhone


Have you been thinking about getting a new mobile device, but waiting for iPhone prices to drop?

If you are looking for all the same features, but weren't sure if you wanted to pull the trigger on an expensive smartphone, you might want to consider this. The brand new BlackBerry device which was released today includes one important feature that the iPhone is missing: GPS.

Now you can check your email, surf the web, make a phone call and navigate to the Dock & Dine all with the same device!

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Are You Active Captain?

Have you been searching for the perfect electronic guide to the waterways since Al Gore created the Internet?

Look no further, as a couple of liveaboards from Maine have designed a tool that makes it easy way to find waypoints. I found ActiveCaptain.com to be one of the coolest nautical sites to come along in a while.

Zoom in and find user-edited markings in your favorite ports of call. See something that doesn't look quite right? No problem - you can add and edit information yourself in just a few clicks.

Check it out now.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Absa Who?

I've never heard of Absa, but I guess with nearly 200 exhibitors and 30,000 people expected to attend this year, I'm in the minority. The Absa National Boat Show is the biggest boat and watersports show in Africa.

Now in its fifth year, Absa takes place at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johanneburg, between Friday the 17th and Sunday the 19th of August 2007.

If you happen to be in iGoli, or anywhere near South Africa in August, I highly recommend you attend this event.

Monday, July 02, 2007

World Leaders Who Boat Together...

As thousands of protesters rallied outside the Bush compound in Kennebunkport, the former and current President Bush (or is it Bushes?) took President Vladimir Putin of Russia for a fishing trip on the senior Bush's boat off the coast of Maine.

I sense a Godfather moment; I'm just not sure which one is Fredo.

See CNN.com for the lowdown.

Photo from BBC.