HOW FAR WE’VE COME

TESTING BOATS WAS A DIRTY TASK. AFTER LEAVING A YACHT, I OFTEN WALKED DIESEL-SCENTED THROUGH THE AIRPORT.

Istarted testing boats 18 years ago. At the time, all diesel engines were mechanical, so I would tap into a yacht’s fuel lines, install my fuel-flow gear and record burn rates from idle to wide-open throttle. I traveled with a super-size Pelican case filled with a fleet of fittings. And despite being weighed down like a traveling salesman, I had to make at least one hardware-store trip per test for a new fitting that this or that engine required but wasn’t in the dang case. Testing boats was also a dirty task. After leaving a yacht, I often walked diesel-scented through the airport, and more than one pair of beloved boat shoes fell victim to hot fuel spilling out during the fuel-flow-gear-removal process. From there, I plugged the vessel’s speed, recorded via radar gun, and those burn rates into a spreadsheet to determine a yacht’s performance and optimal efficiency.

As you might imagine, I was thrilled to see the first big-iron vessels that had computers to measure fuel flow and display the data on monochrome (later, color) readouts. One of the first that I saw had Caterpillar diesels. Heaven. My shoes stayed intact, and my washing machine didn’t smell like the inside of a fuel tank. Smaller diesel motors soon got fuel-flow technology too. Then vessels with outboards. It all seemed to happen in a heartbeat.

In 2004, I went to Sweden to experience Volvo Penta’s first IPS pod-drive setup. What a game-changer those pods with joysticks turned out to be. Next came Zeus. Straightshaft inboard yachts followed suit, integrating bow and stern thrusters with a yacht’s wheels to improve close-quarters maneuverability. Boating got easier. The pace quickened.

I also can recall walking through some shipyards early on and feeling nearly dizzy while checking out lamination rooms. Today, widely adopted resin infusion has eliminated that experience while producing high-level yacht parts. Carbon fiber has become a go-to material for a number of builders too, reducing vessel weight while increasing strength and efficiency. And when it comes to the quantum leaps in electronics, various offerings have likely changed since you started reading this column.

From smartphone controls to diesel-electric propulsion and an electric runabout that hits 23.5 knots, these are exciting times in yachting. I can’t wait to see what happens next.