Boating Industry Insider Podcast

Going Electric With Vision Marine Technologies

Globally, the electric boating industry generated $5 billion in revenue in 2021, and Allied Market Research is predicting a massive, 12.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the foreseeable future. In this latest Boating Industry Insider podcast episode, David Gee speaks to Vision Marine Technologies CEO Alex Mongeon. He is a former powerboat racer turned electric boat manufacturer, and has some interesting insights into the challenges and opportunities in this growing segment of the recreational boating industry.

How We Can All Make Boating Safer

Many of the hundreds of thousands of new boaters who have taken to the water since the pandemic are not only new to boat ownership but have not had any prior boating experience at all. How has this changed the dynamic of boating, particularly when it comes to safety? What can boat builders, dealers, trade association professionals and even experienced citizen boaters do to make boating safer for everyone? Join Boating Industry Insider host David Gee, as he welcomes Jim Emmons, Executive Director of the Water Sports Foundation, Bill Yeargin, President and CEO of Correct Craft, and Jeff Husby, CEO of the Watersports Central group of dealers, as they discuss such topics as the engine cutoff switch, alcohol use and the importance of personal flotation devices. They also talk about how to model and share safe boating practices in every outing, and how to make safety a topic in demos, deliveries, and marketing and messaging. Boating is an inherently safe activity, and getting safer all the time according to U.S. Coast Guard data, so let's all do our part to make sure the world knows that!

Let’s Discuss Dealers

What does the recreational boating industry look like right now from the perspective of someone who deals with dozens of dealers on a daily basis? That's what we wanted to know, so we asked Myril Shaw, COO of Dealer Profit Services, a full-service F&I and compliance services company, to join host David Gee for this Boating Industry Insider podcast episode. The two talk about some of the challenges facing dealers - and the industry - including keeping those hundreds of thousands of first-time boat buyers happy. Dealer Profit Services also returns as a sponsor of the Boating Industry ELEVATE Summit Conference and Top 100, and they discuss that as well.

The Five-Year Voyage

Imagine spending five years with your wife in a 21-foot boat with an 8'x3' cabin, on a trip through 19 countries, covering some 18,000 miles. That's what Stephen Ladd did - and he - and the marriage - survived, though the boat did not. The author of the solo adventure story Three Years in a 12-Foot Boat is back at it, detailing a new adventure with a new book, The Five-Year Voyage. Teaming up with his now-wife Virginia, they sailed from the Gulf of Mexico to Argentina and back, largely via South American rivers, in a 21-foot Sea Pearl, even having a baby along the way. The pair are among only a handful of living people who have navigated from the Caribbean to the Amazon via the Brazo Casiquiare. Their range and variety of encounters with wildlife, indigenous peoples, gold-dredgers, fishermen, and even robbers make for good reading - and interesting podcasts!

The Electrification of Boating

There is a growing consensus among auto industry executives and analysts that a tipping point is fast approaching for the mass adoption of electric vehicles because of falling battery costs, improving battery technology, pressure from regulators and generous government subsidies. Will electric boats be far behind? They certainly made a big splash at the recent Miami International Boat Show. There were several electric outboard manufacturers prominently displaying their products, and lots of people talking about electrification. Correct Craft's Ingenity Nautique GS22E was named Boat of the Year by Boating Magazine, the first time the award has been given to an all-electric boat, and Ingenity also received a 2022 Miami Innovation Award for their all-new 23E, which debuted at the show. Boating Industry Insider host David Gee caught up with Sean Marrero, Ingenity's President, at the show, to talk about the future of electric boats in the U.S.