Digital Camera Swim Mask

These things look pretty slick. You can find them here for $99.95. If anyone has tried these, please leave a review! (HT:thebachelorguy)

From this website:
The Only Digital Camera Swim Mask.

This is the worlds only swim mask that has an integrated waterproof digital camera, eliminating the need to carry an underwater camera, keeping your hands free as you swim. The 5 MP camera can operate to a depth of 15', making it ideal for use when snorkeling or in swimming pools. The masks eye pieces are made of tempered glass and have integrated crosshairs that allow you to line up shots easily; simply press the shutter button to take pictures or videos. An LED inside the mask tells you if you are in still picture or video mode.

Michigan City Boat Show

Though this blog is meant to be far more than a social calendar, here I am, announcing another boat show. This time, we will be at the Michigan City Boat Show (in-water, our favorite!). With 500 slips, this is the biggest show on Lake Michigan. The show starts on Thursday, and runs till Sunday. Feel free to give us a call, or say hi when you see us on the docks!

Demo Day in Holland!

Though we have not been posting here about it, we will be having our second Demo Day at the West Marine in Holland tommorow! Same as last time, start at 9am, and go till close. Our demo boat this time is not as impressive (19ft Larson instead of 32 Sea Ray), but it will be showing the value of a good buff!

Of course, food and drinks! Hope to see you there.

Luxury Houseboats Part II

If you dig back in the archives, I had a post about some interesting houseboat concepts. Over on WebUrbanist they have put together 15 more for your viewing pleasure again. At the very least, skip the article and check out the pictures! It should also be noted they toss a Wally Power yacht into the mix which we commented on earlier!


"History of a different flavor awaits tourists visiting the Indian state of Kerala. The government-sponsored Kerala Tourism Development Corp. has set out stringent requirements for independent operators of houseboat rentals and charters that provide guests with the utmost in luxury. These splendid houseboats of wicker, bamboo and rattan allow a leisurely view of southern India’s splendor with all the perks of subcontinental royalty."

Lazzara LSX Ninety-Two

I personally toured the Lazzara factory last summer (yes, Dick is ALWAYS chewing on that cigar), and I was extremely impressed. For starters, their build process was great, from the vacuum molding of their fiberglass, to the woodshop onsite, there was no doubt in my mind about the quality of their build. Might I add that this was days after the full treatment at the Hatteras factory. Then we went through their offices, and one large room was devoted entirely to customer service, with a binder for each one of their customers, recording every minute detail of the boat, from full blueprints, to maintainence that I would typically consider too mundane for the builder to keep track of. This was impressive

After, we took a full tour of the relatively new at the time LSX 75. Beautiful exterior (I think it would be hard to wash that short radar arch!) with a mile of teak. Interior was extremely modern, beyond any Sunseeker or any other ultra-modern styled boat. Things such as through-hull windows were on this boat before I noticed them on Azimuts. These windows, typically just considered a fancy flair, had a high-tech aspect on the LSX. A symmetrical layout of two guest staterooms, with a centerline hallway. The staterooms both had through hull windows, and a large rectangular window looking into the hallway. The windows have a sort of LCD integrated, and with a flip of the switch they go from transparent to opaque. Necessary? No. Cool? Yes. The engine room was different in that it was not the typical box, because the aft cockpit's seating interferes. The impressive 4 engines , with IPS, made it fun to speculate what cruising would be like.

The 95 looks to take all the amazing lines the created with the first LSX, and improve it. Though definately a steep jump in price, the 95 incorporates many features only found on boats larger. The generous bow seating is an example, as is the aft storage, that sounds like it can convert from storage to entertaining fairly easily. The fold down terrace from the master stateroom, is something usually reserved for 200ft+ boats. I would love to see this boat, and when yards come up with such boats that get me honestly excited, I wish was even more involved in the world of boating. Tickets to the Miami show, here I come!

The boat is scheduled to launch by Fall.
Thanks Gizmag for the story.

Event: Grand Haven Boat Show

The Grand Haven Boat Show is coming up , September 12-14th, at Grand Haven Municipal. Ship Shape will be there with a table giving product demonstrations, and we might even bring a Demo Boat. It looks to be a pretty big event, and the Grand Haven crew looks forward to old friends from out of town, both Dry Harbour and Onekama Marine will be in town. Skipper Bud's should put on a great show as well, I know they have been demoing Sea Ray and Meridian's new Axius and Zeus systems.

Mark your calendars!

Chat-- Faster than semaphore

We have just added a Google Chat badge on the left side of the screen. If you are ever on the site, and see the "Chat with ____" is green, please feel free to say hi. Chatting is an attempt to make us available more, in a casual atmosphere. Any questions about maintenance, your cleaning schedule, anything is fair game.

Bertram 700

Yachts are built for performance, luxury, and pleasure. As such, at the top end they should be expected to have every detail attended to with quality and functionality in mind. The Bertram 700 recently caught my eye as a yacht which is true to form. It keeps all the function and class while also incorporating some nice new features.

Featuring exclusive ARG (Anti-rolling Gyro) technology, which suppresses rolling motion and reduces rolling angle by up to 50 percent, the 700 is a battlewagon in all types of weather conditions. The deep-V hull, which set the standard for offshore excellence more than 40 years ago, coupled with the modification of the hull strakes to reduce impact at the bow of the boat, combine for a smoother ride and increased performance. With optional power, the Bertram 700 has projected cruising speeds of 35 knots.

...

The salon is filled with rich African Mahogany cabinetry and carpeting with acoustic padding silences the room and sets the stage for quiet nights spent in front of a Bose® home theater system complete with 42” LCD HDTV.

The 700 also features a new salon layout built with storage in mind, including a dry bar, which affords space for an additional barrel chair. The optional wet bar showcases a refreshed, modern look and the dinette seating offers space five guests. With the goal of maximizing space without compromising luxury or comfort, the sofa has integrated storage compartments in the arms and an optional, built-in incliner.