Although under 80 degrees Fahrenheit, a sun high up in the sky made for one of the very best days to hit the water with a true innovator and world-class leader in the space.
Brunswick pulled out all the stops amid its annual NY Chelsea Piers showcase, highlighting some of the most beautiful and technologically advanced vessels to the Hudson in tandem with exciting promises for the future of boating.
I was lucky enough to get a firsthand look at some of Brunswick's top innovations, including upgraded outboard specs, enhanced vessels, and even a sweet new acquisition in the form of Fliteboard.
The company is pushing headlong into golden territory with new electrification initiatives and a suite of products geared at making boating all the more stress-free.
We first hit the waves in a Boston Whaler 350, a stunning boat powered by three V10 400HP outboard engines. The boat, like the 405 Conquest, Sea Ray Sundancer 370, and Sea Ray SLX 280, was equipped with Brunswick's exciting joystick technology, first introduced nearly two years ago, allowing captains to more easily and effectively control the vessel in certain scenarios.
Interestingly, joystick piloting alleviates some of the stresses in boating thanks to this simplification. Our captain that took us out explained how the joystick piloting makes it so much easier to feel at ease with a less-knowledgeable captain at the helm.
Say something happens to the captain or knowledgable boater, with joystick piloting essentially anyone can control the boat's path with relative ease. And, as one can guess, it makes docking as simple as ever.
But, Brunswick has taken that specific step even further. While I didn't personally get to see it in action myself, at least not physically on the boat, Brunswick's Boston Whaler 405 Conquest was the star of the show thanks to its autonomous docking procedure. This technology was first unveiled via a digital demo booth at CES 2023, but seeing it in action in person on the water is all the more exhilarating.
I was told, that while certain other technologies (like skyhook anchoring, joystick piloting, and specific outboard engines) can be purchased independently, the firm is still seeing the viability of its autonomous docking tech as a standalone product, but for now, it will live on select Boston Whaler and Sea Ray icons.
Related Article: Peering into the Future of Marine Innovation With Brunswick
Electrification has become a major buzzword in the boating industry, but Brunswick is one of the few companies really testing the bounds of the sector. The company's Sea Ray SLX 400 proved to be an exciting inclusion yesterday, featuring the Fathom ePower system, which leverages a lithium battery to gift the entire vessel auxiliary electrical power.
This frees boaters of the necessary shore-power cord or power generator, allotting enough output to everything from the onboard refrigerator to the more sophisticated components, and potentially even high-capacity engine alternators as seen on Mercury's Verado outboards.
The Fathom ePower is available on vessels less than 20 feet to yachts over 40. Weighing far less than most generators and allotting much more space on boats, the ePower system is an exciting prospect for those looking to stay out on the water for a bit longer than normal.
The Sea Ray 400 SLX, for instance, could be kept powered via its 24 kWh 48-volt battery bank for up to four hours, though it's not recommended.
Out on the water was also the firm's more recent acquisition, Fliteboard's eFoil surfboard. With a starting price of $1,700, the eFoil is a new product inclusion for Brunswick, offering the firm to deliver cheaper boating solutions in the same wheelhouse. It's an interesting new lineup for Brunswick, which also includes three varied Flitecell lithium battery packs.
Finally, my personal favorite, Brunswick showed off a new racing catamaran out of Mercury featuring twin 500HP racing engines. When hitting the throttle, they sounded like quaint wails in the wind, blasting the boat forward at speeds of up to 100 naughts.
Truly a remarkable feat of engineering. The racing engines are available for purchase independently of the boat and offer exciting potential for those who love speed.
All in all, it's clear Brunswick is reshaping the way boat lovers can enjoy the respite of the sea. Brunswick's Executive VP/president, John Buelow, explained it best to me in terms of where the firm is aiming its priorities: as innovating not for the sake of the technology but for the betterment of its customers, gifting boaters and even non-boaters alike exciting new entry points and stress-free innovations that make the pastime all the more enjoyable.
I had an absolute blast yesterday at Brunswick's boating event and I cannot wait to see what the company has in store for the future. Buelow explained there are some exciting prospects on the near horizon, and Brunswick isn't done yet in powering the industry forward on a multitude of fronts.
