4 Ways Boating Is Evolving
Published: Friday, January 17, 2020
By: Zuzana Prochazka
Boats and how we use them has led to some interesting changes that are improving the overall boater experience. Boats today offer more comfort, safety, convenience, and fun so let’s take a look at the evolution that got us here.
1) Outdoor Living
We boat because we like to spend time outside so boats have morphed to make the deck more of an inviting lounge space. Bow areas have become the new social gathering spots, and sunpads – some with lifting headrests – are pretty much a given on boats of all sizes. Various concepts have filtered down from large yachts and include popup cabanas and step-in lounges with integrated settees and tables.
On the other end, submersible hydraulic swim platforms have proliferated and they do double and triple duty. They serve as fantastic teak beaches and they 
carry a tender. They also extend the cockpit and, with the new integrated transom galleys like on Beneteau’s Gran Tourismo 40, the chef stands on the platform and keeps the cooking heat and fumes out of the interior.
Flybridges are getting a facelift too. No longer just a place to sit and drive, today’s flybridges have gained wet bars, grills, refrigerators, ice makers, showers, and sophisticated sound systems. Now you can spend more time up top and not just for the view.
Finally, underwater lighting has become a must have for evening parties. Today’s lights flash, strobe, dim, change color, and even pair with sound so they “dance” to the music coming from your stereo. With better power draw/output ratios and enhanced durability and longevity, lights have moved from nice-to-have accessories, to must-have equipment. You can even pimp your tender or pontoon boat with fancy lighting.
2) Power Punch
Pod drives have set the world of marine propulsion on its ear. These power systems eliminate shafts, struts, and rudders and instead use directional thrust with the combination of a transmission, articulating outdrive, and propeller.
The Volvo-Penta IPS drive faces the propellers forward while MerCruiser Cummins Zeus and ZF Marine angle theirs aft. The wasteful angle of the shaft is eliminated so pod driven boats enjoy 15-30% greater fuel efficiencies. Pods are also more hydrodynamic so smaller, lighter engines can do the work of larger ones. And the best part is the joystick control, which lets you dock with confidence and that may get you out of the slip more often.
Growth in outboards has exploded. Today’s outboards have a smaller footprint, lighter construction, more torque, and enhanced serviceability. Many boat builders have had to build transoms more robust as more engines per boat are added. It’s not unusual to see four 300-hp engines hanging off a center console fishing boat. Even pontoon boats now carry twins and triples.
*Read: "GIANT Outboards - The Beasts of Boating"*
Outboards are no strangers to joystick control thanks to products like Yamaha’s Helm Master. Other major outboard manufacturers like Mercury have their own versions so if you have twins, doubles or quads, you can drive with a joystick and look like an old salt even if you just started boating.
3) Total Technification
Boats are becoming highly networked. As at home, WiFi and Bluetooth aboard is a given and connectivity is everything. The workhorse of onboard information consolidation is the MFD (multi-function display) that brings in everything including navigation information, engine diagnostics, lighting control, weather, and entertainment. Today’s interface has fewer menus and the information collapses down to the essentials in a way that mirrors the mobile apps we use every day. Multi-touch, complete with pinch-to-zoom capability, and large clear screens make information easy to use so unplugging is actually harder to do even on the water.
Also, digital switching, from CZone or the Swedish EmpriBus now owned by Garmin, is basically replacing the onboard electrical panel and making room on crowded dash panels aboard all kinds of boats including smaller center consoles. With joysticks, track balls, and color displays, the helm station has turned into the all-digital command pod and that has changed helm aesthetics and ergonomics significantly. Oh, by the way – the 12V outlet has become an endangered species as USB ports have proliferated.
4) Size & Type of Boats
The average boat has gained both length and beam to the point that marinas are being rebuilt with completely different slip configurations. Bigger and faster is how show goers like their new boats.
Different segments of boating are booming too. Joining the crossover craze are pontoon boats that are not like your father’s party barge. Today’s tritoons are structurally stronger so they can carry more people and have bigger outboards so they go faster. They can be used as towboats for various water sports, fishing boats, or even as campers.
Let’s not forget the powercats. Having had the path cut for them by sailing catamarans, powercats are viewed as less weird and newfangled now. Their benefits are immediately appreciated and include better livability, good system redundancy, enhanced fuel economy, and high cruising speeds. Whether it’s the Glacier Bay 2665 center console fish cat or the Aquila 36 weekending cruiser, multihulls are gaining ground in all segments of boating.
So What Does This Mean?
Overall, boats are getting stronger, easier to use, more fuel-efficient, and much more comfortable, not to mention that many of them have more designer touches than the average house. We’ve gained a lot over the past decade so let the evolution continue.
About the Author
Zuzana is a freelance writer and photographer with regular contributions to over 18 sailing and power boating publications. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana is the founder of a flotilla charter company called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations around the world.
Zuzana serves as an international presenter on charter destinations, safety issues, and technical topics, and she's the Chair of the New Product Awards committee for innovative boats and new gear. She is a member of the American Society of Authors and Journalists and a board member of Boating Writers International.
This article first appeared in the Winter Issue (Jan/Feb) 2020 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Lifestyle
